Re: Ideas for inexpensive manual production?

["K. Toast Conger" <ktoast -at- WOLFENET -dot- COM>]

Maybe this isn't to the point, but Eric you did suggest you had a "small
run" customer base and if not Eric, maybe someone else can use the
suggestion.

A solution several of my clients have implemented is 3-ring binders with
tabs. While initially an expensive investment ($5-7 binder with colored
tabs), the manual can easily be updated section by section as the software
is upgraded or modified. Try to make the initial table of contents as
comprehensive as possible, even including sections for functionality that is
in the pipeline but not implemented. When and if significant changes are
made, you can update and mail out a new index and/or a table of contents.

One of the primary advantages to this approach is a reduction in printing
and mailing costs. Since you are only copying those sections of the manual
that have been modified, you significantly reduce your printing costs. You
also are not paying for binding each time you upgrade your manual. Very
quickly these savings offset the initial investment for the binders and
tabs. In addition, changes to the manual can usually be sent in a single
large envelope thereby reducing postage expensives.

Disadvantages? You have to make sure that the upgrades are sent to someone
who: (1) recognizes them and does not toss them into the trash; and (2) can
be trusted to place them in the existing manual. Unfortunately, this isn't
as obvious as you might think and I can think of at least one client that
returned to the old complete spiral bound method in frustration with their
customer compliance. You would have to gauge your customers.
In addition, it only works for that proverbial "small customer base." If I
had more than say... oh 100 customers... I don't think I'd want to tackle
binders.

        Toast