In many organizations, creating manuals and instructions is an integral part of the introduction of new software. Logical, because the goal is clear: to help users, to ensure that everyone can work independently and to reduce the pressure on the service desk.
However, this does not always go smoothly: despite the effort put into it, user queries keep coming in. Employees prefer to find out “what happened again” themselves, ask colleagues for help, or contact the service desk. The instruction? It's stored somewhere in a folder that no one looks at anymore.
Why are software instructions so often ignored? And more importantly: how can you take a smarter approach so that employees are actually helped and software is used effectively? In this article, we discuss five causes and provide tools for improvement.
A common problem is that instructions are written as comprehensive documents — often in Word or PDF — containing as much information about the software as possible. Although that makes sense from the maker's point of view (“better too much than too little”), it's actually unclear and discouraging for the user.
Users are rarely looking for a complete overview. Above all, they want to be helped quickly and in a targeted manner with one task. For example, “How do I create a report?” or “How do I add a new employee to the system?”
If that one task is only explained on page 17 of a document, chances are that the user has already dropped out.
Another stumbling block is findability. Instructions are often in different places: in SharePoint, on a network drive, in a knowledge base, or as an attachment to an email. Users then have to find out for themselves where which information is — often under time pressure.
The larger the organization, the greater the chance that documentation is fragmented. And if the user feels that it takes more effort to find the right instruction than to try it himself, he often opts for the latter.
Software changes continuously. New functionalities, a different interface, updates from the supplier — and therefore instructions become obsolete very quickly. But update? This takes time, gets out of the picture quickly and is often overlooked.
The result: the instructions are no longer correct. Buttons are somewhere else, an option has disappeared, or the screenshots don't match. This is confusing and frustrating for the user — and the next time, the instruction is simply ignored.
Instructions are often written by IT specialists, functional administrators, or key users. Although they know a lot about the software, they often speak a different language than the end user. Terms such as “interface,” “back-end,” or “rights structure” may be unclear to users.
The order of explanation is also far from always in line with practice. What makes sense for an expert isn't necessarily logical for someone using the software for the first time.
Ultimately, users want one thing above all: doing their job. They don't want to browse through a document, but want immediate help when they get stuck somewhere. Long manuals are at odds with the need for speed, clarity and context.
Especially in a busy work environment, it is important that information is available at the right time — without anyone having to actively search for it.
The way we provide software instructions largely determines the success of software use within organizations. When instructions are not in line with practice, users become frustrated, systems are not used optimally, and the pressure on the service desk remains high.
The solution? Create instructions that are short, task-oriented, visual, and always up to date. Deliver them where they're needed, at the right time, and in the user's language. This way, you really support employees and increase the success of software implementations.
With Self Guide you can easily create step-by-step instructions that are always available within the software you use. Quickly found, easily customizable, and tailored to the user.
