creating business procedure searchable manual

[LS]

I would like to prepare a business procedure manual that would be searchable
and give employees other benefits

I was considering OneNote - providing them their own notebook setups while
issuing specific folders for all to use

The goal is to create simple current info, reduce employee info search time
while providing accurate information on the front line with public

as well as a tool that works with Office

New processes emerge regularly - and updates can be frequent -

 

[Kathy Jacobs]

I think this is a rather unique idea for OneNote. I also think that it would
work well. I can see some problems with it though:
Once everyone has the manual on their own computer, how do you plan to push
out updates?
It might be better to put the manual on a shared drive (server) and have
each person open it when they need it.
Which brings us to the next problem: Once anyone opens a section, they can
write to it and change the content. That might be a problem, depending on
your employees.

I would recommend looking strongly at setting up note flags in the section
to facilitate searching for content. Even if the note flags are not set up
in each person's OneNote environment, they will still be able to search and
sort on the flags you create in the section.

Ok, that's my two cents. Let us know if there are specific questions you
want help with

 

[John Waller]

I'm in the process of searching for low cost (not necessarily free) software
to do prepare a Business Procedures manual too.

Our current manual is in MS Word format and 150MB+. Too big to edit or
distribute efficiently via network share.

We're looking for something which will be easily formatted, searchable,
regularly updateable, accepts multimedia, can use hyperlinks between
sections and a relevant section can be downloaded quickly to PC's a LAN via
a web interface.

I thought initially of OneNote but see too many issues with people
inadvertently editing content, formatting, lack of easy or intuitive
hyperlinking between sections etc.

I'm now leaning towards a more structured Help Authoring system (much like
software writers use) such as HelpTron, HelpLogic, HelpScribble or
HelpBreeze.

 

[LS]

I'm new to the product as you may have guessed - I envisioned the password to
help protect but can see that it it unlocks - with time limits

I imagined that folders and sections could be limited to smaller sections
and update only small pieces through this type of organization - then train
employees to accept e-mailed pages to overwrite as updates -

Using a server would be preferred but to date central does not allocate
these resources out - its a struggle to get licensing approved - but as a
manager with staffing reductions and workload increases I need to present
viable solutions - Central is just now considering conversion to current
Microsoft products which are under governmental contract - I hope to ride
that wave to get the products to staff

 

[LS]

Thanks I will look at these types of tools as well - maybe the three of us
can find a cost effective solution

Will keep you posted

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP]

I'm in the process of searching for low cost (not necessarily free)
software
to do prepare a Business Procedures manual too.

Our current manual is in MS Word format and 150MB+. Too big to edit or
distribute efficiently via network share.

We're looking for something which will be easily formatted, searchable,
regularly updateable, accepts multimedia, can use hyperlinks between
sections and a relevant section can be downloaded quickly to PC's a LAN
via
a web interface.

Sounds like you're describing HTML almost perfectly. Publish your manual
to HTML using Word, locate your manual on an IIS server internally and
point your clients to it with their browsers. You can break it down into
more managable pages/sections, build in any hyperlinks or multimedia that
you want.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP-OneNote/Outlook
Operations Coordinator
Stockholm/KSG - Honolulu
Microsoft OneNote FAQ: http://www.factplace.com/onenotefaq.htm

 

[John Waller]

Publish your manual

to HTML using Word, locate your manual on an IIS server internally and
point your clients to it with their browsers.

Thanks for the suggestion, Ben.

That's exactly what I've done so far although the conversion from Word was
less than perfect and the HTML it produces is hideous and un-debuggable (if
that's a word).

I design and develop websites using Dreamweaver MX 2004 but the manual in
question has been in Word format for at least 4 years. So, if we go the HTML
route, I'd aim to port the current manual into clean, semantically-sound,
standards-compliant HTML and update it in HTML too.

I also want to reverse the current publishing method i.e. have the manual
continually edited and revised in a structured environment in either HTML or
a Help Authoring system so it's robust, cross-linked, indexed and quickly
searchable.

From that, we will occasionally produce a printed version, possibly exported
to PDF.

Anyway, time to get back on topic...........

 

[LS]

My gravitation to OneNote plays into Miscrosofts campaign re Information
Workers and Flexibility with personal style

The search capability on the desktop is emerging as an empowerment tool and
OneNote offers individual flexibility

If I create this manual within an independant authoring tool will the search
always be resticted to the initial program/project - while in module
components and proper file structures - I hope to create the core practices
while different staffing groups with subtly diff business application can
enhance their notebooks in separate folders or pages and still tie it
together in search

Then perhaps with further development of desktop search - start bringing
together memos, spreadsheets to simplify analysis and study

 

[John Waller]

Interesting approach.