Help with Manual Organization

["Stacy Jackson" <Stacy -dot- Jackson -at- choicepoint -dot- com>]

I support a software product that has basic functionality and several
plug-in options. Currently, there are five plug-ins with more on the
way. I've been told we could have as many as 15 or 20 different plug-in
options eventually. Let me emphasize that these plug-ins are optional. A
very limited number of clients will have all of them. Many customers may
have one plug-in. Some may have a couple. Some may have none of the
plug-ins.

 

For the existing product and five plug-ins, we have an installation
manual and a user manual that includes setup information. The user
manual about 400 pages long and has a PDF size of 10 MB. I would like to
divide the manual to make it/them a smaller size both by number of pages
and file size. 

 

The division options seem to be: 

1.	Separate the setup and user information and keep the plug-in
information embedded in each document.

Advantages: Only three manuals to maintain; users have only three
manuals to find information in; this is a common division of information
among software manuals; promotes plug-in products by putting them in
front of the clients whether they want to see them or not.

Disadvantages: User must contend with plug-in product information that
doesn't apply to them; documents still may become so large that future
removal of plug-in information is necessary later; there is no one place
to go to see everything about a plug-in.

2.	Separate out the plug-in information and keep the setup and user
information together in the same manual.

Advantages: Once plug-in "guides" are created, they will need little
maintenance because unlike main product, they probably won't change
much; clients won't have to see information that does not apply to them;
if this information will eventually be separated out, it's easier to
remove now; guides could be used during Sales process to demonstrate the
plug-in functionality.

Disadvantages: Clients will have more places to look for information;
may disturb flow of instructions in main manual - to complete steps must
refer to separate guide.

 

I've done an informal survey here at work and the preferences are split
right down the middle.

 

Anything other things I should consider? Any strong feelings about which
would be a better division?

And any sage advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thank you,

Stacy

 

 

 

Lead Documentation Specialist

stacy -dot- jackson -at- choicepoint -dot- com
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