Creating user manuals - the advantages

Documenting business processes doesn't have to mean writing down every single step by hand and wasting hours of your valuable time keeping everything up to date.
datango takes care of this task for you and creates a step-by-step guide while you execute the desired process normally. This way you not only get a comprehensive, understandable process documentation, but also a ready-to-use user manual at the same time.

In our blog article, we reveal what exactly is meant by this and how they can benefit from, usually underestimated, user manuals.

Successful software documentation with datango

With our datango creator, you can record any software application and create comprehensive step-by-step instructions for any number of end users in an automated way that they will actually understand:

To do this, the creator performs the process to be documented on the PC and datango automatically records every click in the background, allowing the user to concentrate on the task without interruption and without having to repeat the recording. All steps are then summarized in a document with screenshots, short explanatory texts and important markings, and translated into over 40 languages at the touch of a button. If necessary, the created instructions can be easily edited afterwards and then exported in various formats - regardless of whether you use SAP, MS Office or your own developments.

With our standardized documentation process, you will never have to document manually again and will benefit from up to 80% less time spent creating documentation, time and energy that can be put to good use elsewhere.

Above all, you increase the chance of a successful software rollout - after all, the investment in new software systems is only worthwhile if employees can understand and use them.

From software documentation to user manual

We always actively advise our clients in strategy consulting to create this as well and thus effectively use all resources in the company. Especially because enterprise software such as SAP and in-house developments are not highly individualized, it is important that each company creates its own manual to successfully organize its internal as well as external processes.

But why spend weeks laboriously creating user manuals using snipping tools and handwritten instructions in Word or PowerPoint, when datango can do it for you automatically? The datango creator is not only the ideal tool for creating documentation, but also the starting point for a successful user manual, because it combines the documentation of all company-relevant processes.

The best thing about it? It is already created after a single recording and is therefore virtually an immediate additional product, which is unfortunately far too often forgotten.

User manuals are an important element of knowledge management and are used specifically to make knowledge, processes and corporate culture accessible and usable for all employees. Consistent knowledge management not only preserves knowledge, but also makes it available to the entire company.

The different areas of application of a user manual

Don't let the user manual become a wasted waste product, but benefit from the numerous areas of application:

A user manual can easily be used as an additional learning medium and thus represents a supplement to e-learning, albeit one that is rarely used. Especially in view of the different learning types, all learners benefit here who prefer to observe entire processes instead of participating in a training course where, for example, texts are increasingly used. Especially the optical-visual learning type gets the possibility to follow the recorded process documentation independently and in peace and to memorize the required contents by visualizing a concrete representation of the learning material. The user manual can be used repeatedly for learning, regardless of location.

Should problems arise during the course of software use, a user manual - in addition to our context-sensitive live help - is also an ideal reference work that offers advantages especially for rare processes. Instead of searching long and laboriously for specific information, users are provided with clear information and thus the necessary know-how. With the help of a concise table of contents, users can quickly find the right answer to their question, allowing them to continue their daily work as quickly as possible.

This means that users, even with processes that are less familiar, are spared both lengthy research and the risk of incorrect information, since all the necessary steps have been completely stored within the recorded documentation and can be retrieved at the moment of need.

A user manual not only helps with rare processes, but also with those that require concrete "detailed information". In addition to normal users and learners, specialists can also get a general overview and at the same time search specifically for individual topics and benefit from the fact that compact knowledge is prepared in a modern and digital way. In this way, users can find their way quickly and reliably even with complex detailed questions.

The amount of data in companies is becoming increasingly complex, and this data is not only the basis for every business decision, but also the fulfillment of important audits, such as the audit. A user manual offers auditors who deal with sensitive accounting and financial issues a practical tool for maintaining an overview and ensuring error-free information retrieval, which in turn enables efficient analysis. In the proper process documentation, it is therefore possible, for example, to check without much effort which authorities the various user roles have, thus facilitating the daily work of the auditors. At the same time, this also ensures conscientious work.

Within process management or business process management (BPM), a user manual is also a useful, additional tool through which important company processes are mapped. In this context, an individual user manual offers the possibility to successfully make interrelationships of end-to-end processes visible and thus contribute to the understanding of the structure by providing an in-depth and clear insight into collective corporate processes. Ultimately, this allows it to be used for the continuous improvement of business processes.

The use of user manuals in your company

The specific structure of a user manual is up to you, as there is no golden rule. The structure depends much more on the company, company divisions, special processes and also different subject areas.

Likewise, there is no general storage location, as they can be stored or retrieved individually within the quality or knowledge management system. Depending on the company and the strategy, there are therefore different locations that make sense - whether in the e-learning system, SharePoint or archive.

We will be happy to advise you on this!

All advantages at a glance

  • Automatically created free add-on product
  • Fast, standardized documentation
  • Central knowledge resource
  • maximum structure and clarity
  • Technical documentation is easy to update
  • Accessible at any time and from any location
  • Efficient onboarding made easy
  • Positive user experience for (external) employees

Create application manuals with datango

User manuals save you both time and money, as everything is created automatically, and also prove extremely useful within process management.

In doing so, in addition to external auditors, they significantly facilitate your employees' daily work and lead to increased employee enablement.

If you have further questions about the basic processes around user manuals, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to provide you with comprehensive advice on the options available to you.

Feel free to use our contact form or just give us a call!

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