The documentation methodology delivers results through five phases, each providing clear value to your organization. Your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) participate by providing necessary information and reviewing the output. However, the goal is to minimize their time investment while maximizing the quality and usability of your documentation.

Plan

The Plan phase lays the groundwork for the project. During this phase, initial meetings are held to gather essential information for planning and coordination. The source material is prepared and cleaned, a change tracking register is created, and internal project workspaces are set up to support content development.

Structure

During the Structure phase, you receive a glossary of technical terms, keywords and the structure of the documentation. The documentation structure comprises five main areas adapted to the ISV application size and type. These deliverables ensure your documentation maintains consistent terminology and provides intuitive customer navigation. Your SMEs review and approve these structural elements before full content development begins.

Write

The Write phase produces content that reflects your application’s functionality. You receive procedures, conceptual explanations, and visual aids for complex topics. All content undergoes rigorous testing to ensure accuracy and usability. The documentation is structured to address the needs of different user types, highlighting essential information while providing supplementary details in the knowledge base.

Review

The Review phase delivers polished, professional documentation that upholds quality standards. You receive content that meets ERP style guide standards, passes accessibility requirements, and has been thoroughly verified by both language experts and your technical SMEs. Multiple review cycles ensure all stakeholders can provide input, with careful tracking of requested changes and their implementation. This collaborative approach guarantees documentation accuracy while maintaining a consistent voice and style.

Publish

During the Publish phase, you receive the documentation that is available online. You also get procedures to update the documentation in parallel with your ISV application updates. The handover process ensures your documentation remains valuable and maintainable long after our engagement concludes.

This methodology is based on Kieran Morgan’s Technical Writing Process. It has been adapted for the ERP docs for ISV applications.