What are common problems technical writers encounter almost everyday? If you’re a technical writer, you know that the document creation process can be full of challenges. From using the right terminology to using the right tools, there are a lot of things that can trip you up.
Technical writers write a variety of different types of documents, such as user manuals, employee handbooks, and other types of documentation. Every day presents unique challenges that must be overcome with resilience and patience.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of major pain points that technical writers face, and how to alleviate them. Check them out below, and see if you can relate.
What is technical communication?
It refers to the process of conveying complex information in a clear and concise manner to a specific audience. It encompasses a range of communication techniques, which will be used to explain technical concepts, procedures, and instructions!
Technical communication can take various forms, including:
- User manuals;
- Technical guides;
- Training materials;
- Specifications;
- Reports;
- Presentations;
- and others.
The goal of technical communication is to facilitate understanding and knowledge transfer between technical experts and non-experts.
Technical writing presents a dynamic blend of excitement and hurdles. Embrace these obstacles as opportunities for growth and triumph in your technical writing journey.
What challenges do technical writers face?
The list below shoes some of the biggest challenges faced by technical writers:
- Getting reviews and feedback on time;
- Inconsistent or outdated inputs;
- Complex, outdated or unsuitable tools;
- Lag in Subject Matter Expert input;
- Lack of knowledge of their end users.
In this article we go more in depth on those challenges and how you can resolve them, so keep on reading in order for you to be able to solve the main challenges faced by technical writters:
Getting reviews and feedback on time
To streamline feedback and approvals, Componize Review provides a dedicated solution for technical teams to collaborate effectively.
The first pain point that technical writers face is getting reviews and feedback on time. This can be a huge problem when deadlines are looming and you’re waiting on someone else to sign off on your work.
So how could you solve this issue?
Share in advance
This allows you to identify problems before the formal review of the document begins. This also gives your SME a say on issues with how the information is to be presented, what features to cover and so on. The feedback will then be based more on the content than on peripheral issues such as table formats, placement of warnings etc.
Seek feedback before requesting formal reviews
This will reduce the number of review cycles you go through as major corrections can be made before you start to finalize the content. The end result here is an increase in agreement on the content as it is presented in the document.
Establish rules for the review to reduce/eliminate confusion
Set expectations and clarify the goal of the review. Are you looking for a review on values presented in a table? Or do you need confirmation that the procedures are accurate? The last thing you want is an editorial review looking at typos as opposed to whether the procedure is correctly defined.
Explain terms and jargon. Identify acronyms and technical terms, and explain any concepts that are new or different from the way your SME usually understands them. Sometimes, teams working on different aspects of a project might have to reach an agreement about terminology. For example, the documentation team might need to come to an agreement with the software engineering team in order to avoid confusion when they talk about similar topics.
Engage with your SME during the review
This is a great time saver as it allows you to better understand feedback comments. You can clarify questions/contradictions earlier in the process, and avoid spreading those to other areas of the content you are writing.
Send reminders to reviewers
It’s a no-brainer, but merits mentioning here. Also make sure you follow up after you’ve sent the reminder to see if they’ve had a chance to look at it yet. Of course, sometimes you just have to wait it out and hope that the reviewers will eventually get back to you. But by taking a proactive approach, you can at least try to avoid any delays in getting your work approved.
Inconsistent or outdated inputs
Another pain point for technical writers is inconsistency and outdated information required to document the product. Technical writers need to be able to trust the information they are working with. They need to know that it is consistent and up-to-date. Otherwise, they will spend more time trying to fix problems instead of writing helpful documentation.
- When information is inconsistent, it can be difficult to understand and use it, leading to errors and wasting time trying to figure out what is correct.
- Outdated information can resul in a delay in delivery if the issue is spotted before publication, but can be far more costly if the information is only found after the publication.
For this pain point, revisions to the documentation might be required, impacting on the full document life cyle, and affecting mainly the translation department, which is usually at the end of the document creation life cycle. Even worse is if the outdated information causes an issue with the end-user or a defect to be raised against the product.
So how could you solve this issue?
Include the documentation department in planning
While sharing in advance, and engaging with SMEs during review can usually shine a spotlight on this issue, the best way to tackle this is to include the documentation department in the planning phase of the project.
Implement a centralized documentation repository
Establishing a centralized repository for documentation ensures that all information is consistently updated and easily accessible to all. It can include version control mechanisms to track changes and updates, ensuring that technical writers always have access to the most recent and accurate information.
Complex, outdated or unsuitable tools
The first thing that can make the job of a technical writer difficult is the tools you have to use. If your tools are outdated, complex or just not suited to the task at hand, it can make your job much harder than it needs to be. Leading to frustration and errors, which will also lead to a very time-consuming job. Some common problems include:
- Outdated software that is no longer supported by the vendor;
- Software that is not compatible with other software or systems;
- Tools that are difficult to use or require extensive training;
- Lack of integration between different tools, causing data loss or duplication of effort;
- Inadequate documentation or support for the tools.
So how could you solve this issue?
Train, listen and fund your writing department
Technical writers can be at a loss without the right funding for new tools or training. When this happens, it can be difficult to find new ways to tackle old problems.
An example of an unsuitable tool is using a word processor to create and format technical documentation. Many organizations, continue to author in MS Word or Google Docs. While the advantage of a simple and easy to use tool, that is accessible to all might be tempting, the huge amount of time creating individual documents for each variation of a set of products is a waste of time.
Add to that, copy/paste errors and the revisions of those documents, organizations should take a step back to evaluate the cost of time wasted and the possibilities of undetected defects being introduced to their content.
Taking this step and introducing some sort of repository based authoring or switching to XML will future-proofs a company’s content, so as to be able to better reuse segments of their content, and easily publish to different document formats, including HTML, PDF etc.
In an age where we have single sourcing, where organizations have a brand and one voice, leaving the look and feel of content to individual writers is not only outdated, it is counter-productive.
Invest in your writers, tools and methodology
From the time Technical Writing became a profession, professionals have sought to standardize practices across the domain. With increased standardization comes the risk of complexity. Technical writers may use a variety of tools, training and knowledge including:
- Structured authoring tools, such as XML editors, and Component Content Management Systems (CCMS);
- Unstructured authoring tools, Help Authoring Tools (HAT) and Desktop Publishing Tools (DTP);
- Project management software;
- Version control software or repositories (CCMS, GIT, SharePoint, or even a simple Subversion SVN implementation);
- Documentation specifications/standards such as DITA, DocBook, Markdown;
- Documentation methodology such as minimalism, Information Mapping;
- Style guides – Chicago Manual of Style, Microsoft Style Guide;
- Graphics editing software.
Organizations of a certain size, with more than one technical writer should look to invest in a CCMS, and in standards such as DITA XML, which allow collaboration between writers, but most importantly, centralizes publishing under one roof. Decisions on the font size of the document, table formats, headers and footers should be defined centrally and applied automatically to all content at publication. Writers can now spend the time previously wasted in formatting the document on creating great content that helps the user.
Lag in Subject Matter Expert input
Another pain point for technical writers is when the subject matter experts (SMEs) are slow to provide input or clarification. The process of writing can grind to a halt when waiting on specifications, requirements or feature descriptions, and it can be difficult to stay motivated during these periods.
So how could you solve this issue?
Set deadlines for inputs and file-freeze dates
One way to combat this is to set a deadline for SME input, and stick to it. If the SME isn’t responsive, the documentation should be released without the new feature to be documented. The concept of file-freeze dates should be applied not just to software code development, but also to the documentation.
Another way to combat this is to use a tool that allows for collaboration between the technical writer and SME, such as an online markup tool. The technical writer can create placeholder content and then share it with the SME for review. The SME can then add their comments directly into the document, which makes it easier for the technical writer to incorporate the feedback, but also allows the SME to see where inputs are missing.
Set expectations up front
The technical writer should explain that they need specific information in order to do their job properly. They should also ask for clarification in a timely manner, and follow up if they don’t receive a response.
It’s also important to remember that not all SMEs are created equal. Some may be more responsive than others, and some may be more knowledgeable about the subject matter. It’s important to prioritize getting input from those who are most likely to provide it in a timely manner.
And don’t forget to keep communication lines open, so that the SMEs knows that you’re still working on the project and awaiting their input.
Lack of knowledge of their end users
Understanding the end users’ backgrounds, expertise levels, and specific needs is crucial for crafting content that is clear, concise, and relevant. Without this knowledge, technical writers risk producing documentation that may be too advanced or too simplistic for the intended audience, leading to confusion, frustration, and ultimately, decreased user satisfaction.
An example is the iFixit guides that are now available for free on the web. The guides were written with a specific audience in mind, Mr. and Mrs. anybody. With lots of pictures and a hand-holding step-by-step procedure, a trained service engineer would quickly get bored, maybe frustrated with the granularity of information in those guides. Steps that they might consider are “common sense”.
So how could you solve this issue?
Meet or survey users
To avoid this, technical writers need to have a good understanding of who their end users are and what they need from the documentation. Allowing the technical writers to employ appropriate language, format, and level of detail, ensuring that the documentation serves its purpose of facilitating understanding and usability for the end users.
How many of you can hand on heart say that they have regular contact with the end users they are writing for? Writing for the radiologist is different from writing for an untrained public. Writing the network router set-up guide for the IT administrator is different from writing the same document for the general public.
Work with other departments
If you are not in a position to meet end users or make surveys, collaborating with other departments can offer valuable insights.
Departments such as marketing, customer service, or product development often have direct interactions with end users or access to survey data that can provide valuable demographic and behavioral information.
Conclusion
Technical writing can be a complex and challenging process, but by following these tips, you can overcome some of the most common problems that technical writers face.
If you can get reviews and feedback on time, establish rules for the review process, include the documentation department in planning, invest in your writers, tools and methodology, and keep communication lines open with SMEs, you’ll be well on your way to producing high-quality documentation that meets the needs of your end users.
Related Componize Blog Posts
- 6 Reasons to Stop PDF Reviews of Structured Content
- Collaborative real-time reviews and editing for Technical Documentation
- Regulated industries: stop the review process nightmares
