Deliverables
Define the Deliverables
The term deliverables is used in technical writing to describe the format or formats in which the writer's output will be produced. Traditional deliverables included hard copy owner manuals, product specifications, and other paper based documents. Nowadays, these kinds of documents are often published both on paper and in a pdf file available on the Web. Many companies don't publish hard copy help at all anymore, instead, they may include a CD containing the manual in pdf form. Other companies strictly offer support and manuals on the Web.
As technology enables the affordable production of audio-visual media, more and more audio and video tutorials are becoming available. Depending on the type of product, these can be far more effective methods of teaching people how to use a product than simple words on a page or on a screen. The modern technical writer may find himself producing instructional videos more often than written help. For software products, specifically, screencasting is a growing type of technical help, in which an end user is shown a video on their screen of someone actually using the software. The user can then follow the process visually and this can result in a much better understanding of the product.
The kind of deliverable which is suited for the project varies by product, the type of user, and other factors. Currently, online help doesn't work for the average driver in a car, so car owner manuals are likely to be produced in hard copy for the foreseeable future. Software, on the other hand, is very often downloaded directly from the web, and not purchased in a box from a store. It makes sense for the customer support materials to be available online for these products as well.
In most cases, technical writers will be called upon to package several different deliverables for a single product. A computer may have a printed manual, a shorter quick start guide, an online version of the manual, and an interactive website offering help as well. As the range of media widens, technical writers are looking for ways to single source, to organize their content in a way that allows it to be published in a variety of media without being rewritten. We will cover this issue in more detail in a later lesson.
Organize the Content
As with any major writing project, it is wise to organize the material the technical writer has gathered from S.M.E., other users, personal experience, and so on, into an effective record keeping system. A set of folders on the writer's hard drive as well as a filing system for any handwritten notes and other hard copy data for keeping track of all of the information the writer has gathered about a given project. When the time comes to produce a deliverable, the writer can further organize their content into a project outline, video script, website map, or other blueprint for the finished product. In the case of a single-sourcing system, as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the material may be organized by topic and written in a computer language that will enable it to be published in a variety of sources.
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