What is technical documentation software?

Technical documentation software is a tool or platform that allows technical writers and subject matter experts (SMEs) to easily create, manage, translate and publish documents that explain how to use a product or service. These documents are also called technical documentation. The application can have a single purpose like authoring, translating or publishing, or it can encompass all the necessary functions for managing the complete documentation lifecycle from authoring to publication.

When authoring content with technical documentation software, editors typically work with structured content. This method of writing is different from authoring a monolithic document in a word-processing tool, as editors define content components which can be reused as needed and apply metatags to components so that authors and reviewers can find content faster. Also it enables search engines and AI (artificial intelligence) applications to interpret the content more precisely.

What is technical documentation software used for?

Technical documentation software has been adopted by technical writers and SMEs across a wide range of industries and use cases. It’s used to create user manuals, product guides, instructions for use (IFU), API documentation for software products, wiki pages and knowledge bases, to name a few. In the manufacturing and high-tech industries, technical documentation software is vital for controlling documentation versions simultaneously across product lines, markets and languages and managing the entire content lifecycle, sometimes for multiple decades. It is also used to support the creation and management of regulatory and compliance documentation for the medical device and financial industries, as well as for the development of self-service portals so that customers can find the information they are looking for whenever they need it.

Why is technical documentation software useful?

The purpose of this software is to offer structure to the content that authors create and make it easy for people to find the information they are looking for, whether they are content editors or content consumers, enhancing overall user experience. It saves time and reduces errors by providing a centralized intelligent content platform for documentation creation, review, management, translation and publication. For highly regulated industries, it improves time-to-compliance with industry standards and regulations. For customer service teams, it helps reduce the number of submitted tickets and time-to-resolution by offering a self-help portal for customers. Overall, using technical documentation software helps content creation and management teams reduce content costs and time-to-publication while improving customer experience.