IN SHORT
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The demand for faster access to information is growing to make life easier. The era of remote working has raised the stakes even further.
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Often finding the right technical information takes too much time and effort and is far from user-friendly. As a result, frustration is higher and productivity lower.
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With the growth in remote working, documentation availability is critical. A machine that is out of action can cost thousands of dollars every minute.
It is a sad fact that most technical content for professional users today is not geared toward a good user experience. Information does exist, but it is often difficult to access. Often, the information exists only as printed paper and the directory is lost or unavailable when it is needed. Or there is a database in PDF format, but it takes time to determine which file is the right one to download in the given situation. It is difficult to determine if this file applies to the correct product version. Even if the content is available, it is too complex and bulky.
The content also frustrates users because it is static and to some extent "dumb. The information does not connect to the user's real situation.
"For example, a machine in a factory that is out of order can cost thousands of dollars every minute. If a maintenance engineer has a 200-page PDF document as documentation with the machine, it takes too much time to find the right solution to the problem. A PDF file is not user-oriented," saysKari Kovanen, Manager of Technical Documentation Tools at Systems Solutions at Etteplan.
The demand for faster access to information is growing to make life easier. The era of remote working has raised the stakes even further.
"In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to abandon their habit of sending field technicians to customer sites for installation and maintenance work. Instead, they must rely on local workers. In many cases, the lack of proper manuals has become a significant problem."
There is hope on the horizon with digital online content
In a digital world, it is strange that most professional technical content is still stuck in the era of traditional print. However, the time has inevitably come to transfer information from paper into bits and deliver it in a digital format. Digitization has been a strong, global trend for years, and every company needs to digitize more and more assets. This also applies to technical information. It must exist in a digital format and preferably be accessible online and not just in the form of PDF files. In the current decade, everyone is used to finding solutions to problems online.
Digitization enables much better information flow and improves the experience. Imagine what a revolution it would be if you had to install or repair equipment for the very first time and you received step-by-step instructions on your phone or tablet. If you wear AR glasses, you can view the object in question via a visualized guide with rotatable 3D models. You can then also immediately be sure that you are following the correct instructions in the correct way. Any confusing or inconvenient information you can feed back directly to the manufacturer.
Clearly, the information needs to be significantly improved to make this happen; just converting to a digital format is not enough. The information must be end-user oriented. For example, the user interface of a device must be simple and intuitive rather than difficult to understand and with a laborious learning process.
If the principle of user-centeredness is followed in content creation, it will cause very less frustration among professional users. They will not be overloaded with far too much information, but will instead receive only easy-to-understand information for performing a particular task or solving a problem. As a result, problems are solved faster.
Is this just a dream? Certainly not!Etteplan has developed a new service calledEtteplan HowTo to address the various problems described here. This service is aimed at promoting a full-fledged digital transformation of technical information. Every time someone wants to know how to perform a certain task, this service provides all the answers for an immediate solution in a user-centric and context-sensitive way.
TIPS
This is the headline
Digitization enables much better information flows and improves the user experience.
This is the headline
While improving the data, focus on the end user. Simply converting to a digital format is not enough. For example, the user interface of a device should be simple and intuitive rather than difficult to understand and with a laborious learning process.
Weidmüller
Weidmüller offers dedicated technology and solutions in hardware & software around Industrial Automation & IoT. Thus, we bring extensive industrial expertise in both hardware components and software solutions.