Supporting the elimination of personalization in product manual creation and the realization of visualization of usage status

* The logo of the architectural equipment CAD "FILDER SiX," which is the subject product of this case, is displayed.

Interview Cooperation:
Mr. Kuge, Technical Manager, HAS Development Group, Development & Technology Department, Electronic Systems Division, and Mr. Shibata, Quality Assurance Representative

Daikin Industries, Ltd. Overview

・Established: October 25, 1924

・Capital: 85,032 million yen

・Business Activities: Air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, chemicals, oil machinery, special machinery, electronic systems

Services Utilized

・Manual Reconstruction and Web Manual Implementation Support
・Manual Creation (HTML Format)
・Search Log and Access Log Analysis Support

Challenges Before Implementation

――HS: Please tell us about the background of your request.

Development Representative: The Electronic Systems Division develops and sells facility CAD. While planning a large-scale development of the facility CAD in 2025, we also wanted to renew the manuals accordingly. Until now, the manuals were in PDF format and were created through trial and error by internal staff, but there was an imbalance in the level of detail in the content, raising concerns that the information we wanted to convey might not be reaching the users.

Three Challenges We Wanted to Solve

――HS: Please tell us about the challenges you felt at the beginning of the project.

Development Representative: Looking back, I think there were three major challenges.
The first was the "personalization" of the manual creation work. Since only specific personnel were updating it, others could not make revisions.
The second was the concern, "Are the manuals really being used?" After creation, we had difficulty feeling that customers were actually utilizing them.
The third was "Not knowing customer needs." We could not see which functions customers frequently used or what problems they were facing.

Reason for Selecting Human Science: "Ability to Accompany"

――HS: Among the multiple companies you considered, what was the reason you chose our company?

Development Representative: We ultimately reached out to three companies, but the deciding factor was whether they would "accompany us throughout the process." This was a large-scale project spanning a year, involving the renewal of a PDF manual originally over 840 pages. We needed a partner who would empathize with our intentions and development schedule and move forward together with us.
There was a sense of trust in their proposals, initial meeting responses, and communication. The biggest reason for selection was the feeling that "this company will surely see it through to the end."

Implementation Effects and Evaluation of Human Science Co., Ltd.

1. Elimination of Personalization and Promotion of Information Sharing
Previously, only specific personnel understood the contents of the manuals, making improvements and utilization difficult. Through this project, structured documents have become usable within the Electronic Systems Division, creating an environment that prevents knowledge from being personalized.

2. Visualization and Effective Utilization of Manual Usage
By switching to a web manual, the question "Are users really viewing it?" was visualized through data. Analysis of access logs and search keywords revealed which functions users frequently use and where they encounter difficulties, enabling data-driven improvements for the next steps.

3. Contribution to Improving Work Quality
The manual is also utilized in the development and quality assurance fields. For example, the detailed procedures with images are used as standard reference materials for product verification and inspection tasks, enabling a state where "it is sufficient to perform checks according to the manual."

4. Schedule Management and Flexibility in Response
Especially in the final stages of the project, with successive releases of new features, we were required to respond within a tight schedule. However, tasks were flexibly carried out each time, progressing with strict adherence to deadlines. We truly felt the value of the collaborative support.

Post-Delivery Feedback: From "Worry About Non-Usage" to "Sense of Utilization"

――HS: After delivery, what effects did you notice and how was the internal response?

Development Representative: First, by enabling direct access to the manual via the F1 key, we were able to visualize where customers were getting confused during use. We also became aware of the frequently used functions, which gave us the feeling that "they are really looking at it." From the search keywords, the points where customers are struggling also emerged, leading to the discovery of development needs and improvements in sales methods.

Quality Assurance Representative: From the quality assurance perspective, we were very grateful that the operation procedures and results were documented with images. The content was such that it could be used directly as material for test checks, and it is actually being utilized within the company.

A Sense of Security in Operations

――HS: Were there any impressive points in project management?

Development Representative: What left the strongest impression was the smoothness during your company's organizational changes. Although there were personnel changes during this long-term project, the handovers were extremely smooth, and there was no disruption to the project progress whatsoever. I felt that this well-organized management system reflects your company's style of "running alongside the team."

Quality Assurance Representative: This was my first time outsourcing manual creation, and I truly realized, "So much can change when you rely on professionals." From the stage when the layout and story were first proposed, I felt confident that it would improve.

Future Prospects

――HS: Do you have any ideas for future use or expectations for our company?

Development Representative: Based on the analysis results of the manual, we would like to add operation examples and the like to the frequently viewed sections. Also, when new features are added and operations different from the conventional ones are required, we would like to continue consulting with your company.

From Human Science Representatives

In this project, we are deeply grateful not only for the document production but also for being able to accompany Daikin's strong desire to "eliminate personalization and realize manuals that customers can actually use."
Our company supports data-driven business improvements based on manual access logs and keyword analysis through the utilization of IT and TC (Technical Communication). We hope to continue being a reliable presence that customers can count on whenever they need us.