There Should Be No Technical Writers
Got your attention? That's right, we believe that in an ideal world technical documents would be written by engineers.
In this fantasy world:
- Support engineers would write User Manuals, Installation Guides and Troubleshooting Manuals
- Product Managers would write Product Specifications
- System Architects would write System Specifications
- Developers would write SDKs, Technical Specs and MIBs
- And so on...
Ah, but we don't live in an ideal world. We all know what can happen when an engineer is tasked with writing a technical document (if you don't, then remind me when we meet and I will tell you some horror stories). And even when they are skilled at the art of technical writing, they are rarely available to put time into it.
But how can non-engineers write high-quality technical documents if they are not familiar with the material?
Every JBS Technical Writer is Part-Engineer
Technical Writing requires strong skills in organizing information, writing and presentation, but more important is the ability to quickly come up to speed on your technology. Every JBS technical writer brings a rich background in technologies to your project. Whether it is experience in your exact area (for example, wireless communications), knowledge of infrastructure technologies (such as OSs, monitoring systems or networking) or a background as a programmer or engineer, JBS technical writers offer more!
So, we are half-engineer and half communications specialist. We add value by::
- Understanding your products in-depth
- Becoming familiar with real-life user scenarios
- Having experience with the kind of issues that arise during operational scenarios, so we can clarify them in the documents
For example, when asked to produce a MIB specification or an API we interview product experts to find out the typical scenarios users of the document may need to support. In addition to a clear reference manual we always recommend including a section of Examples and Typical Scenarios with an API, MIB or SDK. And, of course, for any User or Installation manual we produce, we work with the application or actually perform the installation to learn the flow from the user's perspective.
Our experienced team of project managers and technical writers has a deep understanding of technology across a broad cross-section of infrastructures and applications. This enables us to advise our clients regarding the best way to meet their technical writing goals and advise them on what is really required to deliver a successful project.
Contracting Options
JBS offers technical writing services on the basis of:
- Project (limited time)
- Ongoing work
- On-Site technical writer
- Off-site technical writer
- Full-time, on-site outsourced technical writers on freelance basis (JBS employees)
- Placements (technical writers filtered by JBS to meet your needs, employed by your company)