Technology-packed and network-connected electronic products are designed to make our lives more productive and more comfortable. But sometimes the installation, start-up and simple operation of these products can become a real challenge. Nowadays more and more buyers of computers, monitors, TV sets, printers and mobile phones find that the significantly reduced packaging of their newly acquired product includes only a few sheets of paper with simple instructions on how to turn on the device. Traditional user guide booklets in various languages, warranty forms and other printed technical documentation are missing as manufacturers move towards electronic user manuals in the form of a CD, memory card, USB key, or it may be provided online.
What is an Electronic User Manual?
E-manuals provide users with simple, logical interfaces that present the relevant information in a hierarchical sequence, while still allowing them to directly access details on specific functionalities through menus and search functions.
Alongside computing devices, manufacturers of monitors, printers and TV sets are now increasingly implementing embedded manuals that take the user experience to another level, offering an interactive installation and maintenance experience that enables consumers to customize products based on their specific needs. Regardless of the platform, E-manuals make consumers’ life easier through the use of a more “human” language, supported by interactive media such as images, videos or flash animations that establish real-time communication with the user.
The Benefits of E-Manuals
Besides the more obvious financial benefits by eliminating paper and printing costs, using E-manuals also reduces a product’s packaging size. Furthermore, electronic products undergo changes and require updates throughout their lifetime and this also triggers the need to update user manuals. This is easily achievable through the use of web based or embedded E-manuals that can be updated “under the hood” without the need of any input from consumers. Providing simple walkthroughs and various ways of finding the right answers, including access to customer forums, enables E-manuals to reduce some of the pressures on customer service centers. This leads in turn to further financial and operational benefits for manufacturers and retailers of electrical and electronic products.
SGS is fully equipped to support manufacturers of electrical and electronic products (http://www.ee.sgs.com/electrical-and-electronics-testing-services.htm) with the move from paper based manuals to any type of E-manual.
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