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Re: User-maintained docs/Clients customizing help files
Subject:Re: User-maintained docs/Clients customizing help files From:"Debra A. Graham" <Debra -dot- Graham -at- EY -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 20 Jul 1999 11:29:41 -0400
Jennifer -dot- Delmerico -at- TSTNET -dot- COM wrote:
>We provide our customers with soft-copy of the user manual because our
>customers aren't actually the end-users, and they like to "customize," which
>in the past has only meant adding their name to the footer and adding their
>corporate logo to the title page.
>However, we've just gotten a new customer who wants to customize the
>HTML-based help (uncompiled) that we deliver with our browser product.
I'm also interested in the topic of customers who want to customize the online help.
We have a couple very large corporate clients who want to customize the online help--only in this case, it's RoboHelp files.
The application they've purchased is very customizable--customers can change field labels, remove access to functionality that's not germane to their business, change the menu structure, etc. So naturally, they want to be able to make the help match their version of the application. In one case, the customer might be satisfied in adding their own help files to the existing help system. However, the other client wants to be able to modify the existing help files so they can introduce their own terminology--in addition to adding their own help files. This presents a major maintenance headache. If we continue to develop and modify the original help files, how does the client keep up?
Further complicating the situation is that we're not sure what type of personnel they intend to use to customize the files. I'm going to one client site tomorrow in NY to explain to a user how to use RoboHelp in 1-2 hours. I think the user is usually responsible for entering data into the application and has somewhat of an adminstrative assistant position. The person is definitely not a technical writer.
To the credit of the person leading this effort, this is not something that she wants to encourage. Unfortunately, the former project leader made some promises about customizable help. Anyway, what I'm looking for is the experiences that someone has had with allowing a client to customize RoboHelp files and then synching up versions at a later date. Is it within the realm of reasonability or is a nightmare maintenance? If further information is needed, I'll be glad to provide.
Thanks,
Debra Graham
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