"Hello, I want to work on technical documentation but sometimes I am confused if it is the same as technical writing. Can you help me understand this?"

This is the type of question we often get from beginners who are starting a career in technical writing, but want to focus on technical documentation.

If this question applies to you, here is what you need to know about technical documentation. Find out!

What is technical documentation?

"Technical documentation refers to the documents that involve product-related information and data; it holds the details about a technical product or service that is either under development or already in use." - Bit.AI

In other words, technical documentation is any writing that describes the creation and purpose of an application or the architecture of a product or service. Technical documentation is a type of technical writing that refers to various documents containing product-related data and information. It contains information about a technical product that's under development or already in use. You can make it for printing or online viewing.

With technical documentation, it can quickly go from "here's how to use this if you're not familiar with it and have limited experience" to "here's an unabridged transcript of everything our developer told us about this obscure application of our API." With the first option you can use the product right away, while with the second you might have to deal with visual distortions.

Therefore, any document that explains the use, functionality, creation, or architecture of a product is considered part of a product's "technical documentation." Think of it as a step-by-step guide for your users, new hires, administrators, and anyone who needs to know how your product works. This guide is intended for anyone who needs to understand how your product works.

What are the types of technical documentation?

There are three significant documentation types: product, sales, and process.

Product Documentation

Product documentation includes detailed instructions, training manuals, and information that explains to users how a product works or how to use the product. Product documentation may also include information that shows users how to troubleshoot problems with a product. The term "product documentation" is what most people have in mind when they hear the term "technical documentation." Product documentation typically contains instructions and guidance to help end users complete their tasks. They include manuals, illustrations, and reference sheets that cover the following topics:

• Information regarding the requirements or system specifications to run the product effectively.
• Detailed instructions for installation and operation.
• A knowledge base or a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The use of technical writing software and software documentation tools to create user-friendly and helpful product documentation is strongly recommended. These tools can facilitate the use of the documentation.

Sales and Marketing Documentation

Sales and marketing documentation contains information that can help your organization determine its place in the marketplace, and provides sales-building content that helps attract additional customers. Below are some examples of technical texts used in this type of documentation:

• Documents such as market requirements and business plans that assist in laying the foundation for a company
• White papers and case studies are excellent ways to demonstrate how prospective clients use their product or service.
• Requests for proposals (RFPs) and proposals help bring new business partners and secure new contracts.

Process Documentation

On the other hand, process documentation shows an internal team what they need to know to perform a task correctly. It includes plans, schedules, and notes that establish standards and patterns for various processes. This information helps create consistency and accountability in your organization, so it's important to use it. These types of documentation include;

• Internal wiki.
• The reports and metrics track the performance of the project, the staff, and the resources.

Why is technical documentation necessary?

A product with technical documentation has an advantage over all other products because it has what it takes to provide essential information about the product or service to a person or organization that needs it. Here are the advantages of technical documentation;

• It ensures accurate tracking of all aspects of a product and improves the quality of the product.
• Increases the productivity and efficiency of development teams in product development.
• Facilitates user training and assists with the use of the product.
• It makes it easier to understand and maintain code.
• Coordination of work on an internal level is improved.
• In the event of sudden departures of people from the organization, the technical document ensures that knowledge is decentralized, which reduces costs and effort.

How to create a technical document

1. Create a documentation plan: A documentation plan is a brief guide that walks you through the entire project. Clearly define your goals, tools, technologies, writing style, and timeline.

2. Outline your topics and structure: divide the plan into subtopics once you've decided what to write about.

3. Develop the content of the document: After you've created your plan and structure, create the technical document. Use clear and concise terms to explain the product. Keep your target audience in mind when writing and work towards developing content that they'll understand.

4. Create an update and maintenance plan: A technical document is constantly evolving as there may be new updates or versions of the product. The technical documentation needs to be reviewed and updated with new product versions or updates. You must create a schedule for regular maintenance and updating of the company's product.

Conclusion

Technical documentation is essential for providing developers and customers with information about how a product is built and used. As a technical writer, it is very important to know how to create and manage technical documentation, as it is a critical part of a product's development cycle.

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