Technical documentation to support efficient dredging
- The PALLIETER, a trailing suction hopper dredger built by IHC Merwede, equipped for efficient dredging with automation systems of IHC Systems. Techmace cooperated in producing the operating manuals in time.
In early 1997 Techmace was asked by IHC Systems to assist in the development and production of technical documentation for instrumentation and automation systems on board of dredging vessels such as hopper dredgers. At that time, a PC with Microsoft Word, a black and white laserprinter, a photocopier, a pair of scissors and glue was the standard equipment of the technical writer/editor.
Improved documentation workflow
While supplying capacity for producing customized operating manuals and other documents in time for ships sliding down the slipway, we started to investigate what better ways of working and tools were available. We advised to improve the documentation workflow by using different software tools and standards, and a better defined role for all relevant players, such as subject matters experts, writers, editors, illustrators etc.
As a result IHC Systems as well as Techmace invested in Adobe FrameMaker as a layout tool, and Adobe Acrobat (PDF) as an output format for print and digital distribution. At that time, we are still in 1997, PDF wasn't the de facto standard as it is now, and FrameMaker was used mainly by big companies such as Boeing, the produce technical manuals for the Boeing 777. So this was an advanced step forwards, especially compared to other players in the dredging industry.
- The flexibility of the workflow for technical documentation was reconfirmed once again during the corporate identity transition of the IHC Holland group of companies to the new IHC Merwede group.
Changing corporate identity, changing templates
As for any company or organization, the only constant factor one can rely on is change. So change came, several times, but that didn't matter much to the template-based workflow that had been developed for IHC Systems. The power of FrameMaker as compared to other, more general, layout tools lies in the ease of adaptation to a new situation. The style of manuals can be changed quickly by changing one template, and applying the new template to the FrameMaker source files. This way, all older manuals could be converted easily to match new corporate regulations.
The road ahead, a peek into the future
Until this day, spring 2009, we together with IHC Systems have been using the FrameMaker/PDF workflow with great satisfaction. It could continue to be used for several more years, no doubt. But the way we communicate keeps on changing. While increasing technological complexity in society demands that we need to know and understand more in order to stay innovative, people tend to read less. Books and newspapers are being replaced by Wikipedia, Youtube and MSN. So how does this affect technical communication in general, and to be more specific to the case described here, technical documentation such as operation manuals?
What is clear to us is that the "Book" paradigm is facing competition from other media and technologies. We could ignore that fact and keep on publishing our information in books and manuals. That will certainly work for the years to come. But what will happen when "Generation Einstein" enters our workplace?
At this moment we at Techmace are doing research to this important question. For instance, can an eReader or eBook replace a whole set of operating manuals (from different suppliers) on board of a dredging vessel? If you would like to know more about it, please do contact us.
This page was last updated on Tuesday, April 14, 2009.