TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
RE: Advice for writing a user manual/documenting business process
Subject:RE: Advice for writing a user manual/documenting business process From:John Posada <JPosada -at- book -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 17 Apr 2003 11:50:27 -0400
Hi, Kelly.
First, allow me a tangent. We've been discussing certification and I
included documenting processes. A number of people said "I don't need to
know about processes." Wouldn't it be nice to know that if the subject comes
up, you can step forward and declare "I can DO that!"
RE the GMP or FDA...if the received material is going to be involved, in any
way shape or form with anything under the FDA jurisdiction, you BET there is
an impact. If you were the FDA and trials were based on the reaction of how
1,000 mice reacted to something, wouldn't they want you to document where
these specimens came from?
Anyway...processes....I'm working at a distribution center. Just this
morning, I met with a developer who wrote the application that tracks
incoming bulk shipments of books which must then be used to fill orders and
get shipped to our customers. I'd guess that what I'm doing is pretty close
to what you are.
My approach...find the developer or manager who is responsible for the
process and ask them what they do, step by step. There really is not secret
other than the understanding that EVERY single interaction with
person-hardware-software-database-table-report must be accounted for.
Mine looks something like this:
1) Scan packing list for package ID.
a) Baaed on M, value X from table z in database F populates fields in
application GUI.
2) Was package ID found in system?
3-1) If yes:
a) In tables X in database Y flip flag from R to P
b) Scan items in package
c) Go to 4
3-2) If no:
a) Click XXX button to display "Missing Items" screen.
b) ...
c) ...
4) Does the quantity in package match quantity on packing list?
5) If yes:
a) Click XXX button to display "Order Complete" message.
6) Is order packed correctly?"
7) if yes, ...
You get the idea. Just
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
Barnes&Noble.com
jposada -at- book -dot- com
NY: 212-414-6656
Dayton: 732-438-3372
"Alright, nobody move! I've got a dragon here, and I'm not afraid to use it"
---------- Donkey
> I have been asked to write a user manual and document the business
> processes associated with receiving and tracking packages at a
> pharmaceutical company. They receive everything from ordinary
> packages, to
> specimens, to live animals. This system is not used to
> receive any active
> ingredients or pharmaceuticals, so there are no GMP or FDA
> worries that I am
> aware of.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Purchase RoboHelp X3 in April and receive a $100 mail-in
rebate, plus FREE RoboScreenCapture and WebHelp Merge Module.
Order here: http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l/
Help celebrate TECHWR-L's 10th Anniversary starting this month!
Check out the contests at http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/special/contests/
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday TECHWR-L....
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
