It is changing production processes and workflows across all industries. Topics such as Industry 4.0, networking of information from different sources, digital twins and the use of AI are on the minds of an increasing number of our customers. For this reason it is only logical to get started on the automation of technical documentation.
Manufacturers of standard products with a large number of versions and numerous options may find that compiling precise customised product manuals can be a daunting challenge. Even if all the required information is available, it must be manually brought together to create an individual document for each product configuration. Wouldn't it be great if it were possible to automate manual compilation?
This is where a modern and powerful content management system which combines all this information comes into play. With metadata and taxonomies it is possible to tag all existing building blocks in the database with information on product links and dependencies. Interfaces to ERP, DMS or other customer systems allow an automatic flow of data between the various platforms. For example, an interface between an existing product configurator and the content management system makes it possible to publish custom device manuals – fully automatically, as soon as a member of the sales team creates a new job. To this purpose the individual product combination is imported directly into the content management system from the configurator. A filter is automatically created by means of information mapping. This filter is used to publish a document using the large number of building blocks in the database that correspond exactly to the respective product configuration.
Automation projects are complex and highly individual. This is why DOGREL attaches great importance to thorough preparation and advance planning. The first step in a project is to carry out a site assessment to understand the customer and their long-term strategy and that also serves to gauge the current state of the technical documentation and the level of process maturity. The next step is to define the exact automation target as well as the non-targets. To successfully automate a process it is necessary to understand all process stages. For this reason the next step is to work with the customer to record all procedures and interfaces that were previously necessary for the manually controlled process. At this point it is also important to discuss any possible ways that the process can be optimised. Once this basis has been laid down, the next step is to modify the content management system. To this purpose the required automation modules are installed, interfaces set up, custom product taxonomies and version filters created and templates as well as monitored directories are established. The final step is actual automation. The designed workflow is implemented and tested so that it runs smoothly and automatically.
When it is used intelligently, automation in technical documentation compilation has the potential to lower costs, enhance quality, define clear responsibilities and at the same time make processes more transparent – and, if necessary, even optimise these processes by looking at them more closely. It also means that employees are not faced with carrying out repetitive tasks.
Sabine Fröwis
Technical Documentation