[Column] Creating a System for Reducing the Burden on Engineers through Manual Creation

1. Why are engineers struggling with manual creation?

The duties of an engineer include not only coding, but also creating documents to communicate their results to other team members and subsequent engineers, in other words, manual creation. However, this manual creation requires a considerable amount of time and effort, and may potentially take away from the time that engineers should be spending on their primary duty of coding. Therefore, creating systems to reduce the burden of manual creation is extremely important for engineers.

 

So, why do engineers spend so much time and effort creating manuals? Let me explain three challenges that engineers face during the creation process.

 

Effort of Visualizing Information

It takes a lot of time and effort to rephrase and document something that has been expressed in code. Additionally, when inserting figures, tables, or screenshots to convey information that cannot be conveyed through text alone, it takes even more time to create and edit them.

 

The Necessity of Specialized Knowledge

Engineers have technical expertise, but when they need to explain their developed systems or software to others who do not have technical knowledge, they need to include that expertise in the manual. However, explaining that technical knowledge in a way that others can understand requires different skills from creating specifications, and can increase the workload for engineers.

 

Update Load

Technology is constantly evolving and manuals need to be updated frequently to keep up with it. As a result, engineers must update manuals as soon as they are created, taking up even more of their time.

 

To solve these challenges, it is necessary to review the mechanism of manual creation itself and reduce the burden on engineers.

2. How to Reduce the Burden of Manual Creation

So, what kind of mechanisms are there to reduce the burden of creating manuals for engineers? As a professional in creating manuals for IT companies, I recommend the following approaches.

 

Create Manual Templates

The most effective way is to create a template. Create a template for the manual and define the basic structure and format. This allows engineers to easily add or modify content based on the template, rather than creating a manual from scratch, greatly reducing the time and effort of creating it.

 

Introduction of Tools

By introducing documentation tools, you can greatly improve the efficiency of manual creation. For example, by using lightweight markup languages such as Markdown or reStructuredText, you can easily create documents and publish them online. Additionally, Markdown is easy to manage with code repositories, making version control of manuals much easier.

 

Utilizing Collaboration Platforms

Let's use an online collaboration platform to create an environment where multiple engineers can edit manuals together. This will prevent the workload of manual creation from being concentrated on one engineer and improve efficiency.

 

By implementing these mechanisms, it is possible to create manuals more efficiently and reduce the burden of manual creation for engineers.

3. Compatibility between Manual Creation and Modern Front-end

The recommended mechanism for reducing load can be easily achieved by using modern front-end technology. Modern front-end refers to the latest technology that allows websites to be displayed quickly and stably even when the server is under heavy load. This can be achieved by combining various systems. From here, we will discuss how to use this modern front-end to create manuals.

 

Introduction to Static Site Generators

Using a static site generator (SSG), we generate content for manuals. SSG automatically generates static HTML pages based on content such as text, images, and figures. Representative SSGs include Gatsby, Next.js, and Hugo.

 

Generate Manuals from Code Comments

Add appropriate comments to the code base and automatically convert these comments to documentation pages using SSG. This allows you to maintain documentation that is synchronized with code changes.

 

Integration with Data Sources API

The manual may also include information from dynamic data and APIs. With a modern front-end approach, data can be retrieved through API integration and combined with static content to generate pages.

 

Utilizing CI/CD

Let's introduce CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery) tools to support the automatic generation and updating of manuals. This will automate the process of generating and publishing new versions of manuals when changes are detected in the code repository.

 

Creating Automation Scripts

Create a script for manual generation to minimize manual work. The script integrates with the code base, retrieves necessary information, and plays a role in generating and deploying manuals.

 

By using these modern front-ends, manual automation and updates become easier, reducing the burden on engineers!

 

4. Process Improvement for Manual Creation - Example of APRESIA Systems, Ltd.'s Efforts

Have you ever imagined that the challenges of creating manuals for engineers can be solved with modern front-end techniques? However, the actual implementation can be complex and time-consuming, making it difficult for some to allocate the necessary time and resources. In such cases, outsourcing may be a viable option. Human Science would like to introduce a case study of APRESIA Systems, where we have improved the manual creation process to allow engineers to focus on their core tasks.

 

APRESIA Systems, Ltd. provides added value to information system infrastructure as an information system specialized company, supporting our lives and society's development, with solutions for social infrastructure, security, and information system operation management.
Human Science Co., Ltd. has been assisting with the creation of manuals for APRESIA Systems, Ltd.'s Ethernet switch "ApresiaNP Series" since 2015.

 

At APRESIA Systems, we used to create product manuals in-house, but we faced challenges in balancing product development and manual creation. Therefore, we reviewed our manual creation process and decided to outsource it to a specialized external company, allowing us to focus on product development.

 

The three key factors for the success of this improvement are as follows:

 

1. By outsourcing to external vendors with specialized knowledge in manual creation, we were able to produce high-quality manuals.
2. By outsourcing manual creation tasks, we were able to focus our internal resources on product development.
3. Through collaboration with external vendors, we were able to review our manual creation process and improve efficiency.

By making the navigation simple, you can clarify the hierarchical structure of information and allow users to quickly access the information they need.

 

Through this process, we were able to successfully improve our manual creation. Please see below for more details.

Manual Creation Examples|APRESIA Systems, Ltd.|Human Science Co., Ltd.

5. From manual creation to modern front-end web development, Human Science Co., Ltd. can handle everything consistently.

This time, we introduced a system for creating manuals that allows engineers to focus on their original duties. If the burden of manual creation is reduced, it will also lead to an increase in productivity for engineers!

 

If you would like to know more about the contents of this column, please do not hesitate to contact our company. Human Science Co., Ltd. has a proven track record of creating numerous manuals since 1985. We are truly a group of professionals when it comes to creating business manuals. If you have any concerns about creating business manuals, please feel free to consult with us.

 

Features ①: Extensive track record of manual creation for large and global companies
Human Science has accumulated a wealth of experience in manual creation in various fields, mainly in the manufacturing and IT industries. We have worked with renowned companies such as DOCOMO Technology, Inc., Yahoo Japan Corporation, and Yamaha Corporation.

Manual Creation Case Study Introduction | Human Science Co., Ltd.

 

Feature ②: From Investigation and Analysis by Experienced Consultants to Output
The creation of operation manuals will be handled by the experienced consultants of Human Science. Skilled consultants will propose more understandable and effective manuals based on their extensive experience and provided materials. In addition, manual creation from the stage where information is not organized is also possible. The assigned consultant will conduct a hearing and create the most suitable manual.

Manual Evaluation, Analysis, and Improvement Proposal Service | Human Science Co., Ltd.

 

Feature 3: Not only manual creation, but also emphasis on establishment support
Human Science Co., Ltd. not only creates manuals, but also focuses on the important stage of "establishment". Even after manual creation, we support the establishment of manuals through regular updates and manual creation seminars. Through various measures, we support the effective use of manuals in the field.

Manual Creation Seminar | Human Science Co., Ltd.

 

Thank you for reading until the end. I hope this blog can be a helpful tip for creating easy-to-read manuals. Stay tuned for the next column!