How can you measure the impact of your technical documentation efforts on your organization's goals?

1 Define your goals and metrics

Before you can measure the impact of your technical documentation, you need to define what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, you may want to increase user satisfaction, reduce support requests, or improve conversion rates. Your metrics should be quantifiable indicators that reflect your goals. For example, you may use surveys, feedback forms, analytics, or testing tools to collect data on user behavior, satisfaction, engagement, or retention.

2 Segment your audience and documentation

Different types of users may have different needs, preferences, and expectations when it comes to technical documentation. Therefore, you should segment your audience and documentation according to their characteristics, such as role, skill level, location, language, or device. For example, you may have different documentation for developers, end-users, administrators, or trainers. You should also consider the purpose and format of your documentation, such as tutorials, guides, reference, or API documentation.

4 Analyze and report your results

After you collect and process your data from usability testing and other sources, you should analyze and report your results in a clear and concise way. You should use visual aids, such as charts, graphs, or tables, to illustrate your findings and highlight the key insights and recommendations. You should also compare your results with your goals and metrics and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your technical documentation. You should also communicate your results to your stakeholders and document your process and outcomes.

5 Implement and monitor changes

Based on your results and recommendations, you should implement and monitor changes to improve your technical documentation and align it with your organization's goals. You should prioritize the most impactful and feasible changes and test them before deploying them. You should also monitor the effects of your changes on your metrics and goals and collect feedback from your users and stakeholders. You should also review and update your goals and metrics as needed and repeat the cycle of measurement and improvement.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?