The documentation debt & the aftersales opportunity

This short article is going to talk to you about technical documentation...don't click that 'x' in the corner just yet. We will also talk about how the improvement of your tech docs can help you realise increased aftersales revenue.

It's true that even some of the biggest organisations are still using outdated technology to create, manage and maintain their technical documentation for products and assets. We're talking large, complex and antiquated documentation systems that require constant review and updates to ensure the data, drawings and instructions are relevant and accurate. Not to mention the reams of information that needs reviewing, updating, archiving or even deleting altogether too.

The documentation debt:

There is a debt associated with doing nothing about your outdated systems and documentation:

1. Financial Implications
2. Operational inefficiencies
3. Reputational damage
4. Competitive disadvantage

But why do so many companies treat technical documentation as an afterthought?

We think it's because updating your legacy systems can seem overwhelming, or even unachievable, and lets not forget there is a cost associated with most digital transformation. Whilst the latter part of that statement can be true, there are significant cost savings to be made through the improvement of your technical documentation.

In fact, reviewing your technical documentation process holds one of the biggest opportunities for business improvement since the expense associated with service can be so significant.

The aftermarket opportunity

Building a robust aftermarket offering starts at the source...accurate and up to date technical documentation. Whether you're looking to improve user experience, deliver top-notch maintenance, service and repairs, or wow with future updates and upgrades, you better have the basics right.

Margins for aftermarket services are typically at least double those of new unit sales and can be up to ten times higher for companies with aggressive models (Source: McKinsey 2023).

Companies that rush into sophisticated aftermarket services without addressing the fundamentals will only realise underutilised value and inadequate returns on significant investments.

We know that the key to effective product documentation for complex equipment is integrated 3D Technical Publications, which provide intuitive knowledge transfer, boost efficiency, improve costs and lead to an overall better experience for the user.??

We recommend Cortona3D RapidAuthor and its powerful cost-effective authoring suite as the perfect solution to producing support documentation such as interactive parts catalogs, maintenance manuals, training materials, work instructions and much more. Businesses can simply reuse their existing CAD data or other 3D source material to create interactive 3D illustrations, allowing the user to navigate intuitive interface to better understand complex instructions and procedures as an easy-to-follow step by step approach.

Taking it one step further, the RapidAuthor integration for Teamcenter can be used to link content components to product source material, making certain that your technical documentation is always accurate, complete and up-to-date.

Technology is only part of the story, you must also consider how to transition from these outdated systems to a new way of working with minimal downtime to your day-to-day operations.

The ideal scenario would be to start from the beginning. By involving design for service and service planning early in the product lifecycle development, businesses can look to achieve greater service excellence and in turn increased up-time and profitability.

However, we know this isn't always possible. Not to fear, we've helped businesses with even the most established processes to achieve best-in-class technical documentation.

You can learn more about digitalised technical content solutions , RapidAuthor , RapidAuthor for Teamcenter and our Technical Documentations Outsourcing services here.

Alternatively contact us via [email protected] to discuss your specific challenges around technical documentation.