Clients

Over the years, I have provided documentation services for companies and organizations from a diverse range, including:

marine survey equipment suppliers

From a background based on electronic engineering in a marine environment, I bring first-hand experience to the creation of detailed technical and user documentation for use within this demanding and highly specialized area of operations.

Equipment used in the marine environment is often safety-critical, and requires careful maintenance to counteract the hostile environment and arduous conditions where it operates.

e-Tech Authoring writes manuals to support this requirement, using a writing style that is clear and easily understood even by end users who perhaps have only a limited grasp of the English language.

Manuals written by e-Tech Authoring are characterized by their ease of use, and by their inclusion of all the right information to ensure the equipment can be installed, used and maintained safely, efficiently and effectively. This approach helps end users to gain full benefit from the equipment, and helps to reduce equipment manufacturers' costs of providing telephone technical support.

e-Tech Authoring Limited has written user, technical and training documentation for the following types of marine equipment:

precision attitude and heading reference systems (AHRS)
GPS-aided inertial navigation systems
detection and survey systems for buried underwater pipes and cables
acoustic underwater navigation systems
control systems for air gun arrays used in seismic survey operations
ring-laser and spinning mass gyrocompasses
shallow seismic processing systems
side scan sonar processing systems

software development houses

Windows Help

I have developed Help systems for a variety of Windows software applications. The most complex systems were to support a documentation and version control application, designed for installation under a Windows operating system on a network, and for use by a large number of users of different levels of ability.

The requirement was for a technically detailed and context sensitive help system for use exclusively by System Administrators; and for a separate and simpler system (also context sensitive) for non-technical users.

To support ease of maintenance, I planned the separate systems carefully to gain maximum advantage from the use of common-source materials.

Working closely with the software developers, I developed the help systems in parallel with their coding efforts, to ensure the software and the help were available for release at the same time. This close liaison with the development team also allowed me to conduct an additional level of software tests, and in many cases I was able to flag bugs and offer suggestions for improvements in usability.

Training

In parallel with the development of these help systems, I also developed a set of training materials to help explain this complex package to Administrators and users of all types, and to help them begin to use it quickly and effectively. The training materials included:

printed guides for course presenters and attendees
a set of presentation slides cross-references to the printed materials
an HTML-based computer training package for completion prior to course attendance

Other help systems

I have also developed Help systems for less complex Windows applications; and an HTML-based technical manual to be embedded within the operating software for a self-contained shallow seismic processing system. This HTML-based manual included all the normal features of a Help system, with a training element built in.

manufacturing

e-Tech Authoring has researched and produced user and technical documentation for products that include:

continuous inkjet industrial printing systems
a laser marking system
hand-held ruggedized computers using DOS and Windows CE operating systems, and a range of peripherals for them including printers and barcode scanners
instrumentation and data logging systems for Formula 3000, automotive, and kart racing

semiconductor data sheets

e-Tech Authoring has been involved in the creation, development and maintenance of a series of data sheets that describe complex system-on-chip (SoC) devices for use in digital set-top-boxes for standard- and high-definition televisions.

Using original material supplied by specialist development engineers, and combining it with information adapted from earlier data sheets, e-Tech Authoring has assisted with the creation of programming manuals and data sheets for use by internal engineers and external customers. In most cases the original material required extensive correction and update to meet Spirit compliance, and required regular contact with information sources and subject matter experts in offices around the world for the purpose of researching and reviewing the material.

finance institutions

I was involved in a year-long project for a major pensions and investment group, to create a series of approximately one thousand detailed written procedures compliant with FSA regulations.

During the project, I conducted detailed interviews with a range of subject matter experts, and included the information they provided in the documents. Subsequent to the interview, I prepared the documents for publishing on the company's intranet.

governmental organizations

I have provided authoring services for a range of central and local governmental organizations.

In one case, detailed written procedures were provided for a central governmental department. These included details of finance policy and full information of the day-to-day operating procedures concerning finance and budgeting. The documents were delivered on time and on budget, as electronic files ready for distribution throughout UK offices.

In another case, detailed procedures were written for the housing and rents departments of a London local borough. As part of the project, I produced a series of Office macros that helped a small team of clerical staff complete their work more effectively and efficiently, and reduced the time taken to introduce a Direct Debit payment scheme significantly.