From Excel to DITA and back: Documenting hardware panel error messages
- Fachvortrag
- Inhaltsbereitstellung
-
Dia Daur
- A-Jour-Net Inc.
Inhalt
The device shows an error message! What do I do?
- If I am a customer, I search the manufacturer’s help website or call support.
- If I am a call agent, I explain to the customer how to troubleshoot and refer to my instructions for that specific error.
- Sometimes, I redirect the case to a service technician, who repairs the device, replaces a part, or does whatever is necessary to fix the error.
- The service technician may have been alerted on the app that the device needs maintenance or will show the error soon.
In all the cases, I expect correct, up-to-date documentation on each error.
The company manufactures hundreds of devices with thousands of error messages and troubleshooting scenarios. How do we keep it all up to date? And what if our engineers like to record information in spreadsheets, but our documentation system is DITA-based?
This presentation explains and demonstrates how a simple custom-built tool can save company time and money converting from Excel to DITA and back, shortening the documentation development cycle and ensuring that all error troubleshooting docs are up to date.
Das lernen Sie
You can automate the most tedious part of creating and maintaining error message documentation.
Vorkenntnisse
The presentation is targeted at technical writers. documentation team leaders who use DITA, and anyone who dabbles in programming helping technical writing teams.