e-Cottage WRITING MANUALS

Do you need a thoroughly researched, customized and well-written training manual?

The increasingly complex industrial environment, the rapid pace of technological change, and intense international competition demand a work force which is both highly trained and educated. It has therefore become generally recognized that a programme combining education and training is essential if people in industry are to be equipped to carry out their work effectively as well as have the opportunity to advance to more demanding and responsible work. Manuals often include pictures and graphics to illustrate a task or theory. Screen shots are often captured and inserted if relevant to the topic. Examples of manuals include:

Operations and Maintenance Manuals
Operations and maintenance manuals provide detailed, step-by-step instructions for operating or maintaining machinery and equipment. This type of training manual--designed to be followed as a technical procedure--is usually organized by system, task or simply chronologically.

Orientation Manuals
An Orientation Manual serves as a general overview about the company or organization to help new employees familiarize themselves with the workplace. Aspects include information about the different departments, their function and mode of operation; an introduction to co-workers and key personnel; an outline of required job standards; infornation about company policies, work expectations and performance evaluation methods; employee benefits; job-specific information; and an explanation of how the information relates to the new employee's position.

Policy Manuals
The aim of a policy manual is to ducument the rules and procedures of how an organization is going to operate. Policy manuals are typically organized departmentally.

Procedure Manuals
The purpose of a procedure manual is to document how things are done, such as processing an order, often providing logical step-by-step instructions. While it is taken for granted that the reader is familiar with the topic, he or she might need a step-by-step guide to perform the procedure correctly. Procedure manuals are typically organized by function, system, departmentally or by task.

Reference Manuals
The purpose of a reference manual is to help experienced readers locate specific information quickly and effortlessly. It is generally assumed that readers are familiar with the topic and have a clear understanding of the various aspects of the product or their line of work. Reference manuals are typically organized by menu item, by problem or alphabetically.

Standards Manuals
The aim of a standards manual is to get out how frequently, how fast and how accurately activities or tasks will be carried out. For instance, they may state that " ... all invoices will be settled within 90 days." Company standards are generally integrated with procedures into "standards and procedures" manuals. They are typically organized by task, by system, by function or departmentally.

Training Manuals
- Office Training
- Sales Training
- Craft Training
- Technician Training
- Technologist Training
- Management Training
Training manuals are designed to teach people how to perform a physical skill or summarizing learning in relation of company objectives, without having to refer back to the manual or rely on a colleague for support. A training manual could be self-paced or it may be designed for use in conjunction with a training course or workshop. While training manuals aim to provide a solid foundation upon which a trainee can build, they seldom cover every aspect of the topic. They are typically organized from basic to advanced skills, by task or they may simply present information and ideas coupled with learning activities.
User Manuals
User manuals are for entry-level participants who probably have no prior knowledge or practical experience of the task or procedure. A comprehensive introduction explains what the reader can expect to achieve from the self-paced tutorial; provides information about the basic learning route; introduces lesson plans and the use of aids and resources. The user manual includes strategies to help students with learning difficulties and disabilities; and preparing learners to take part in practical demonstration sessions. Readers are also encouraged to obtain more detailed information from reference manuals or tutorials. User guides are typically organized topically or by task.