What are the key points to establish a business manual in the field?

2. Typical Reasons for Manual Failure

Even if you overcome these challenges and create a manual, there is a major pitfall where the manual may not be established in the field. The main reasons for this are the following two:

●Reason 1: The purpose of creating a manual is not clear.

Have you ever been told by your boss, "We need a manual no matter what!" and created one without proper planning? When creating a manual, it is important to first imagine who will be reading it and in what situations, and then tailor it to fit the purpose and needs.

●Reason 2: Not written from a user's perspective

Have you ever been told, "I don't understand even after reading the manual. It's too difficult"? If the manual is difficult to understand due to unfamiliar terms and expressions for the reader, the manual you have created will be left unused.

3. How to create a manual that will be established in the field?

So, how can we create a manual that will be established in the field? We will tell you the key points when creating it.

●Point 1: Clarify the purpose of the manual

For example, let's first determine "who is this manual for and what is it for" such as "this manual is for those who correspond to △△, to understand the overview and refer to the work procedure for ○○ tasks". Also, let's decide on specific usage scenes such as "for new employees to refer to while performing tasks". By defining the purpose of the manual, readers, and usage scenes beforehand, we can prevent deviations from the direction even as the creation progresses.

●Point 2: Improve searchability with a table of contents

It may be overlooked, but creating a thorough table of contents actually improves searchability. Generally, the table of contents should follow the flow of the business. Depending on the purpose of the manual and the audience, it may be divided into basic and advanced sections, include a troubleshooting chapter, or provide links to reference materials. It is also important to consider a structure that is easy to read and use. Additionally, be sure to include keywords in the headings for better search results. For those who want to learn more about table of contents structure, please refer to the following blog.

[Manual Creation Introduction] Breaking free from "Can't find what you're looking for"! Tips for creating a table of contents to enhance the searchability of manuals.

●Point 3: Manage so that the latest information is included.

To ensure that the manual is always up-to-date according to changes in business operations, we recommend designating a "manual administrator". The administrator will be responsible for informing about any changes and delegating the updating process. It is advisable to determine a specific timing for updates, rather than updating every time, taking into consideration the workload of the administrator. For example, setting a "Manual Update Day" on the first day of each quarter will help maintain the manual in its latest state on a regular basis.

For those who want to create easy-to-search and easy-to-update manuals more efficiently, we recommend using a manual creation tool.

Human Science has partnered with multiple companies that provide manual creation tools, and also offers a service lineup to support the introduction and adoption of these tools. If you are interested, please refer to this page.

Knowledge Management Solution

By following these points, you can create a manual that will be used reliably in your daily work. Let's start from where we can and increase the retention rate of the manual!

4. Benefits of Outsourcing Manual Creation

So far, we have talked about creating and establishing business manuals. Some may think that it will take a lot of effort to actually do it, or others may have realized that it takes more time and is more difficult than they initially thought. In such cases, please consider outsourcing to a manual production company as one of your options.

When outsourcing, there are mainly the following benefits:
①Efficient and high-quality manuals can be created by the specialized knowledge and skills of manual production companies
②Internal resources can be focused on other important tasks

At Human Science Co., Ltd., we have assisted in creating many business manuals. Here, we would like to introduce two examples from among them.

●Case Study 1: DAIICHI SANKYO BUSINESS ASSOCIE CO., LTD.

DAIICHI SANKYO BUSINESS ASSOCIE CO., LTD. aimed to improve the quality of support by creating a manual that is easy to understand and can be quickly searched for information on the contents of the business regulations. Therefore, through seminars, we shared among stakeholders the idea that by being conscious of "who", "when", and "why" the manual is read, we can improve its ease of understanding and work towards quality improvement.

Case Study of DAIICHI SANKYO BUSINESS ASSOCIE CO., LTD.

●Case Study 2: DOCOMO Technology, Inc.

At DOCOMO Technology, Inc., we have implemented a project to visualize internal knowledge and incorporate it into manuals. As a result, we were able to create a foundation for developing high-performing employees' expertise into operational manuals, allowing for smooth transition of specialized and personal tasks to other employees.

Case Study of DOCOMO Technology, Inc.

5. Summary

Business manuals play an important role in maintaining consistency and quality in operations, and improving organizational performance. Many people face challenges in creating and establishing these manuals. In this article, we introduced effective methods to solve these challenges, such as clarifying the purpose of the manual, improving searchability, updating information, and utilizing manual production companies. We hope this information will be helpful in your business operations.