BABILE TVT COLLEGE

Hardware and Network

Servicing
Level-II

Module Title: - Updating and Documenting

Operational Procedures

Module code: - EIS HNS2 M11 1221

 BABILE TVT COLLEGE @ 2017/2025
Unit one: Technical and User Documentation

1.1. Technical and User Documentation Review

 Documentation may refer to the process of providing evidence ("to
document something") or to the communicable material used to provide such
documentation (i.e. a document).
 User documentation, also known as end-user documentation, is any
form of documentation intended for the end-user of a product or a service.
 The purpose of this documentation is to guide the users on how to properly
install, use, and/or troubleshoot a product.
User documentation comes in all shapes and sizes.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be in physical, paper form.
It can also be a PDF file,
an info graphic, or
even a collection of web pages with helpful resources.
The main goal of user documentation is to assist the end-users by providing
them with clear and comprehensible info about the particular product or
service.
 There are a lot of elements that makes user
documentation great. This includes:
Simple Language: When it comes to any form of technical writing, perhaps the
most important thing is the simplicity of language. This is especially true for
documentation targeted at end-users, who don’t have much technical knowledge.
A Good Flow: The second most crucial element of all successful user
documentation is having a logical flow or outline.
The goal is to deliver a coherent experience to your users in a way that makes
sense, by solving one problem at a time.
There are a lot of elements that makes
user documentation great. This includes:
Use of Visuals
The best user documentation has visuals. Visuals can help simplify a complicated
process and make it easier to understand. To that end, in addition to written
instructions of a process, it’s highly recommended that you also show the users how
it’s down.
Examples of visuals can include illustrations, screenshots, GIFs, or even short
tutorial videos.
There are a lot of elements that makes
user documentation great. This includes:
Accessibility: All the digital documentation should be accessible to
everyone. This includes optimizing your content in a way that it shows
up properly on both desktop and mobile devices, and can be
communicated to users who are blind or deaf.
More Resources: User documentation should include additional
resources that the user might find useful.
Benefits of Effective User Documentation
Simplifies Product Setup
Software implementation is challenging, especially enterprise-level
systems that include advanced features and a variety of use cases.
User documentation guides users through every step along the way,
from signup and user on boarding to continuous training and
development content even after a user becomes proficient with your
product.
Benefits of Effective User Documentation
Improves Product Proficiency and Adoption
User documentation, including customer onboarding guides, how-tos,
and tutorials all teach your users to become expert users of your
product and meet their goals. The more proficient users become in your
product, the more likely they are to use it on a regular basis and
continue to be buyers of your platform.
 BABILE TVT COLLEGE
Benefits of Effective User Documentation
Fulfills User Demand for Self-Help
Most users prefer using web-based customer self-service support tools
over any other forms of customer support. Good user documentation
helps you meet these customer expectations. You can embed or host
your user documentation in places that users can access it without
needing to submit a support ticket, including in your live chat,
FAQ page, knowledge base, and directly in your app itself.
Benefits of Effective User Documentation
Reduces Burden on Your Support Team
Thorough user documentation reduces the need for customers to reach
out to your customer support for every little query.
Reduced customer support tickets takes the pressure off your customer
service team, allowing them to offer faster service with a more detailed
approach to those tickets that require extra attention. This empowers
organizations to take their user support satisfaction to new levels.
 Technical
documentation
Technical documentation is any piece of writing that describes the
application, purpose, creation or architecture of a product or service.

Writing technical documents is usually the responsibility of technical

writers, project managers and members of a development team or experts
on the product or service in question.
 Technical documentation
Effectively written documents help the intended audience by educating
them on details that are necessary, such as for the operation of a product
or the understanding of a topic. Examples of technical documents
include:  Software manual
 User instructions
 Operating instructions  Presentation
 Servicing instructions  Broachers
 Installation manuals  Memos
 Report
 Audience for technical documentation
The specific audience of technical documentation depends on the type of document. Many
technical documents accompany products and are intended for end-users.
E.g. A computer, for instance, may come with a small booklet written in multiple languages
that provides directions for first use, suggestions for maintenance and warnings against
activities that could damage the product.
Other types of documents are for internal audiences, such as senior stakeholders and
development teams, or for clients.
The purpose of internal or client-minded documentation is to inform others of the technical
aspects of a product or its development process. Such documents are useful for keeping
member’s current on details necessary for decision-making or other professional tasks.
 Types of technical documentation
These are the main categories of technical documentation.
 Process: Process documentation describes the development of a product.
The audience for this type of documentation comprises internal members
and clients. There's usually some documentation describing every stage of
the development life cycle. For example, at the beginning of a project, there
are project proposals and then plans that include timelines, milestones and
data about the budget. Later, the project manager might submit progress
reports or documents detailing step-by-step procedures
 Types of technical documentation
These are the main categories of technical documentation.
 User: User documents, which are also called product-based documents, relate
to products in their finished state.
 The audience for user documents is usually the end-user.
 The documents may explain how to install, start-up, troubleshoot or repair a
product. Alternatively, they may describe the various features and how to use
them or answer frequently asked questions.
The documents are useful for transferring knowledge to others, who can then work
on improving or modifying the product.
 Importance of technical documentation
 Technical documentation is important because it provides essential information
about a product or service to a person or organization that needs it.
 For end-users, the goal might be to enjoy a product while optimizing its
functionality and maximizing its life span, which well-written technical
documentation allows them to do. Meanwhile, the company may save money
on customer service and replacements if end users follow the documentation
use the products correctly and refer to the user guide to troubleshoot their own
problems.
Importance of technical documentation
Internally, technical documentation can increase productivity and
efficiency.
For example, in product development, a technical document might
explain how to carry out a procedure.
If the document is clear and easy to follow, it helps to ensure accurate
adherence to the steps with no time wasted. Then, as developments
progresses, the documentation can help align the goals and
understanding of the various teams involved.
 Best practices for writing technical documentation
Effective technical documentation not only provides you with essential
information but is also easy to understand and follow. To create technical
documentation that's helpful to your audience, consider these tips and best
practices:
Have a plan
In technical documentation, a plan is an outline that addresses the task ahead,
helping to ensure that you don't leave out anything important. Before you begin
writing, understand and record all the components you should or might include in
the documentation.
Best practices for writing technical documentation

Have a consistent style

Consistency refers to maintaining a unified look and tone, which helps
readers to focus on the content with the distractions of shifting
appearance or style. Aim to use the same or similar layouts, formats,
throughout a document or across multiple documents. The idea is to
clarify that your documentation is an extension of your organization's
brand.
Best practices for writing technical documentation
Understand your audience
Understanding who your audience is can help you determine not only what kind
of technical documentation to write but also how to write it. For example, if
you're writing software documentation for end-users who are computer
programmers, you can expect to write a user guide that includes advanced
industry terminology. In contrast, if your audience comprises stakeholders of a
project who may not be familiar with the concepts of the work, you might be
writing proposals, outlines or progress reports that feature general, easy-to-
understand terminology.
Best practices for writing technical documentation
Be as concise as possible
Being concise helps with understanding by introducing the main point
immediately and removing unnecessary language. Achieve concision through
careful proofreading and editing. Read through your documents to determine
which words or phrases may be affecting the clarity. Remove or rephrase excess
or ambiguous passages. Be careful not to remove too much, as this can cause
confusion by providing too little information.
Best practices for writing technical documentation

Optimize for different platforms and devices

Users may access online documentation on various platforms. To maximize
accessibility to users, make sure to optimize your documentation for each. Test
the accessibility on different web browsers, computers and mobile devices to
ensure that it appears as it should and remains easy to view.
Review current version of technical and user
documentation

Documentation Review used for

 Overall improvement
 Accurate and up-to-date documents
 Increases credibility
Review current version of technical and user
documentation Cont.…..
Review Objectives
 Evaluate the documented information
 Accuracy = Correctness
 Completeness = wholeness
 Conciseness = shortness
 Reduce the defect percentage
 Improve the quality of documents
 Focus on correcting the defects
Review current version of technical and user
documentation Cont.…..
The Need
 Technically correct document
 Concise Information
 Avoid Chaos/disorder
 Timely Delivery
 Satisfaction
 Types of document reviews
Peer Review
o Review by people who have coordinated knowledge and skills.
o Provide a list of exactly what you need them to review
o Assess peer review practice
o Prepare procedure documents
o Formulate a program agenda
 Types of document reviews
Presentation Review
Review amongst the technical writers
Subject matter expert review
Review for technical information
Overall Review
Review by the testing team for detecting defects.
 The Review Process
 Plan the review process
 Develop a clear, focused charge for each reviewer to identify
important issues and invite suggestions for improvement.
 Prepare and maintain a review record.
 Make recommended changes to document and respond to the
reviewer’s comments.
 Technical and User documentation
accuracy
In order for the documentation to be considered accurate and effective,
it must be following the indicated format for the type of document that
it is considered.
Documentation is created to find a solution for any problematic
situation competently and without panic. This is a fundamental principle
when thinking over the content and structure of any technical document.
Here is the list of qualities to pay attention to when
testing the accuracy of the documentation:

 Ease of understanding
 Structure, easy document navigation.
 Grammar.
 The sequence of actions.
 Scenarios efficiency.
 Accuracy of links.
 Completeness.
 Relevance.
 Correctness.
 Document inaccuracies
Document Error means a failure of documentation to accurately describe a
program function contained in the specification for that a program or a failure of
documentation to meet the agreed requirements for that documentation, or a
failure of documentation to enable reasonably competent users to correctly
operate.
In order for the documentation to be considered accurate and effective, it must
be following the indicated format for the type of document that it is considered.
Along with the proper formatting techniques, the appropriate media must be
maintained for the documentation in question
Unit Two: Operational
Procedure
2.1. Operational Procedure
Requirements
Chapter Overviews
2.1.1. Operational Procedure
A. Components of Standard Operational Procedure
B. Types of Standard Operational Procedures (SOP)
C. Need of Standard Operating Procedures
D. Operational Procedures Development
E. Update operational procedure
F. Proposed operating procedures are submitted to appropriate person
 2.1.1. Operational Procedure
 A Standard Operating Procedure(SOP) is a set of step-by-step
instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry
out routine operations in a clear and consistent manner.
 Standard operating procedures provide the policies, processes
and standards needed for the organization to succeed.
 They can benefit a business by reducing errors, increasing
efficiencies and profitability, creating a safe work environment
and producing guidelines for how to resolve issues and
overcome obstacles.
[Link] of Standard Operational Procedure
The standard operation procedure should include:
Title page: the common title page components are;
 Lists The Title Of The Procedure,
 For Whom It Is Intended,
 The Specific Role,
 Department,
 Team Or Agency,
 Its SOP identification number and
 The names and signatures of the people who prepared and approved the
manual.
[Link] of Standard Operational Procedure
The standard operation procedure should include:

Table of contents: A table of contents helps summarize the

document structure and acts as a guide for the reader to quickly
jump to sections relevant to him/her.
Provides easy access to the various sections in large SOPs.
[Link] of Standard Operational Procedure
The standard operation procedure should include:
 A step-by-step list of the procedures:
Includes explanations of the task's goal, roles and responsibilities, regulatory
requirements, terminology, descriptions of what needs to be done to complete each
step and a discussion of decisions that must be made. This section will make up
most of the SOP.
• Purpose: Describe the goals and objectives of creating the document and how
it will benefit the user and the organization.
• Scope: describes the limits of the document and helps the reader understand
the boundaries of the SOP. It clearly states what the document is about and what
it accomplishes.
 [Link] of Standard Operational Procedure
 A step-by-step list of the procedures: Cont.
….
• Glossary: It’s helpful to include words, abbreviations, or acronyms you may
have used in the document that may not be familiar to your audience.
• Roles and Responsibilities: Identify key stakeholders (employees,
managers) who have to follow this SOP and what responsibilities they would
have. This helps avoid confusion and keeps everyone accountable for their
actions.
• Procedures: This will form the bulk of your SOP document as this section
will describe the step-by-step explanations of how to perform tasks and any
additional information needed to complete the tasks.
 [Link] of Standard Operational Procedure
 A step-by-step list of the procedures: Cont.
….
• Related Documents: Include a list of related training materials or reference
guides to your SOP.
• Health and safety warnings: Your SOP should have a separate section
describing the things your employees need to avoid and perform the operations in a safe
environment. This not only protects your employees from potential dangers but also keeps
your company away from liabilities.
• Revision History: Add a revision history to ensure your readers that the SOP they
are reading is the latest one.
• Approval Signatures: If your company requires an authorizing officer to sign off
on SOPs.
B. Types of Standard Operational Procedures (SOP)
Standard operational procedures can be written according to your
organizational needs; a conventional SOP follows one of the following
methods:
Checklists are one of the simplest methods of writing a standard
operating procedures (SOP) document.
Step-by-Step List Similar to checklists, a step-by-step bullet
list works in the same way where you describe a procedure in
relevant, easy-to-follow steps.
B. Types of Standard Operational Procedures (SOP)
 Hierarchical Lists If your procedures are more complex and need
additional info, you can create hierarchical checklists or bullet lists.
For example, if your SOP’s Step 1 tells an employee to create a new account,
then Step 1(a) can say “enter your username”, while Step 1(b) can ask them
to input their password.
 Process Flowchart is a wonderful way to represent how a process works
visually and help give better context around the workflow.
A flowchart also shows how one step is related to another, helping employees
conceptualize the whole concept and have a better understanding of the work
they are doing.
C. Need of Standard Operating
Procedures
 Time-saving
 Ensure the safety of employees
 Ensures compliance standards are met
 Improved communication
 Enhanced accountability
 Provides consistency
 Maintains Organizational Knowledge
 Provides a guiding hand
 On boarding and training
 Operational Procedures
Development
Standard operating procedures require a ton of effort and planning before even begin to
document procedures.
The key steps need to follow to develop a robust standard operating procedure document are:
 Generate a list of your business processes
The first thing you need to do in order to develop an SOP is to find out which tasks, processes,
or workflows, you need SOP for. This will form the basis of your list for the standard operating
procedure (SOP) document. Once you have gathered a list, you can review it with other
managers and look for any repetitions.
 Start with why
Once you have your list ready, it’s time to note down your objectives. Having a clear answer to
why you are creating the SOP document should be your number one priority.
 Operational Procedures
 Choose a format Development
Chances are that your organization already has some SOP documents written for past
procedures. You can refer to those documents as templates and guide your current SOP.
 Identify your audience
Knowing your audience is key in creating an awesome SOP document. Ask yourself the
following questions in order to get an idea about your audience:
 Are they new employees?
 What’s the size of the audience?
 What prior knowledge do they have?
 Does an SOP already exist?
 Operational Procedures
Development
The more information you have on your audience, the better you can understand their points of
view and create an SOP that will be relevant to them.
 Collaborate with employees
Standard operating procedures (SOP) are written with the end-user, i.e, the employees in mind.
Having employees collaborate with you in this process is a no-brainer.
 Get down to writing
Once you have spoken to your employees and have enough data points to start, immediately
move to your document editor and start adding your notes. Once done creating the document,
you can go through the document with your employees and management and ask for their
feedback and input.
 Operational Procedures
Development
Make it interactive: Add screenshots, screen recordings, images,
flow charts, videos- anything that’s relevant to the step being talked about.
Distribution: After you are done creating the SOPs, you’ve come to the
most essential part of the process: distributing them to your employees. It’s
crucial to find a place to store all your standard operating procedures (SOP) and
other training material in one place for employees to access as and when they
like.
 Operational Procedures
Development
Make them “living documents“ While many organizations
view creating SOPs as a one-time process, that’s hardly the case.
As processes and workflows are often changing and ever-evolving in the hopes of
making them more efficient, standard operating procedures quickly become
outdated.
This is why SOPs should be converted to living documents that get reviewed
periodically (ideally after every three months) so that they don’t get out of sync
with the process or workflow they are describing.
 Update operational procedure
Updating SOPs provides a method to communicate the process changes to
employees.
Another great reason you need SOPs in your organization is for the benefit of
communication.
SOP needs to be updated if any of the following events have
happened:
 The nature of the hazard changes. For example, a previously unknown
hazard is identified, use of vacuum or pressure has changed, there is an
increase/decrease in temperature, etc.
 Update operational procedure
SOP needs to be updated if any of the following
events have happened:

Any chemical-related changes. For example, new chemicals are

added to the inventory, a quantity increase or scale-up, an increase in
concentration, new chemical supplier, etc.
 SOP needs to be updated if any of the following
events have happened:
 The equipment changes.
 An unexpected outcome occurs, like an unanticipated rise or fall in temperature, increased
gas production, unexpected color change or phase separation, etc.
 At a minimum, every three years.
Proposed operating procedures are submitted to appropriate person
Operational Procedure is issued under the authority of the Assistant Commissioner (General
Counsel) and should be read together with the ACNC Policy Framework, which sets out the
scope, context and definitions common to our procedures.
 SOP needs to be updated if any of the following
events have happened:

Proposed operating procedures are submitted to appropriate person

Operational Procedure is issued under the authority of the Assistant
Commissioner (General Counsel) and should be read together with the
ACNC Policy Framework, which sets out the scope, context and
definitions common to our procedures.
 Unit Three: Documentation
Feedback appropriate changes
Feedback is an event that occurs when the output of a system is used as input back into the
system as part of a chain of cause and effect.
Providing effective feedback is an intricate process that requires skill, practice, and graceful
execution.
If executed properly, effective feedback can have a major impact on the efficiency of the
workplace, employee engagement, and the bottom line.
Better communication with employees through effective feedback leads to better employee
engagement which, in turn, improves company-wide relationships with customers.
Effective feedback has benefits for the giver, the receiver, and the wider organization.
 Feedback appropriate changes
e are five reasons why feedback is so important.

1) Feedback is always there

If you ask someone in your organization when feedback occurs, they will typically
mention an employee survey, performance appraisal, or training evaluation. In
actuality, feedback is around us all the time. Every time we speak to a person,
employee, customer, vendor, etc., we communicate feedback. In actuality, it’s
impossible not to give feedback.
 Feedback appropriate changes
ere are five reasons why feedback is so important.
2) Feedback is effective listening
Whether the feedback is done verbally or via a feedback survey, the person
providing the feedback needs to know they have been understood (or received)
and they need to know that their feedback provides some value. When conducting
a survey, always explain why respondents’ feedback is important and how their
feedback will be used.
 Feedback appropriate changes
ere are five reasons why feedback is so important.

3) Feedback can motivate

By asking for feedback, it can actually motivate employees to perform better.
Employees like to feel valued and appreciate being asked to provide feedback
that can help formulate business decisions. And feedback from client, suppliers,
vendors, and stakeholders can be used to motivate to build better working
relations
 Feedback appropriate changes
Here are five reasons why feedback is so important.

4) Feedback can improve performance

Feedback is often mistaken for criticism. In fact, what is viewed as
negative criticism is actually constructive criticism and is the best find
of feedback that can help to formulate better decisions to improve and
increase performance.
 Feedback appropriate changes
e are five reasons why feedback is so important.
5) Feedback is a tool for continued learning
Invest time in asking and learning about how others experience
working with your organization. Continued feedback is important
across the entire organization in order to remain aligned to goals, create
strategies, develop products and services improvements, improve
relationships, and much more. Continued learning is the key to
improving.
n order to be effective, feedback must be:
 Specific: Feedback must be concrete and relate to a specific, measurable
performance goal. It should also include clear expectations for the employee
and their performance.
 Timely: Employees must receive the feedback as close to the event as possible.
Employees who interact with customers over the phone should be monitored
and provided immediate feedback once the call has finished.
 Appropriate: Feedback should be presented in a positive, tactful and non-
threatening manner. The employee providing feedback should remain calm and
professional throughout the process. Although negative feedback is both
necessary and helpful, it should be given in private.
n order to be effective, feedback must be:

 Focus on behavior, not personality: Always provide feedback that is based on

behavior, not the employees’ personality or characteristics unless absolutely
necessary.
 Proactive: Don’t delay or avoid providing feedback. Identify issues and provide
feedback before they become problems or have a large impact on the company.
 Guiding: The information given to the employee should be used to either
confirm or correct their performance.