1.1.9 Evaluate different methods of providing user documentation

Types of user documentation
• Help files
• Online support
• Printed manuals

Help files
 Files supplied together with the system. They can usually be called up with a button in the system.
• Pros and Cons:
+ Accessible at any time when using the program
+ Give general instructions on how to use the system
+ Give general instructions on how to solve some major errors
– They can only be used after system has been installed. They don't give any help when installing the solution
– They often only deal with very general errors
– They often lack a search capability, you have to look to find help for your problem

Printed manuals
 Manuals printed on paper and supplied together with the system.
• Pros and Cons:
+ They can be read through by users before starting to work with the new system
+ Always available
+ Give help installing the system
– Can be lost
– Often limited to a little booklet supplying little information apart from how to install the system
– May not be updated every time the system is updated

Online support
 Special web service hosted by the system's developer to provide user documentation.
• Pros and Cons:
+ They are often extensive compared to help files
+ They get continuously revised by the systems developer to deal with the problems occurring most often (FAQs)
+ They often provide an option for live support, talking to a real human operator if a problem arises which the user documentation has no answer to
+ They often have search capabilities built-in so that users can easily search through them
– They are useless if users have no internet connection
– Live support does not work quite well with users unfamiliar with computers when they have to explain their problem (”I clicked 'that' button and then something happened!”)