Good technical documentation helps you to reduce support costs, and helps users to maximise the return from their investment in your product.
Often, technical publications become the product specification, which can be used by developers or quality assurance personnel during later product releases.
The role of a technical author is to grasp and then communicate the technicalities of a system. If you require good technical publications, best results are always achieved by using a specialist.
A good technical author spends a significant amount of time analysing the system in depth. Focus is essential. Developers or other personnel within the company are unlikely to be able to devote their time and thoughts in this way. Using a technical author frees up personnel to carry out their primary tasks.
Investing in a full-time technical author may be a solution, but most companies find that it is more cost-efficient to outsource the work, particularly if the development work comes in peaks and troughs.
We develop all types of technical documentation. The "Example Publications" page provides a few examples.
We can upgrade existing in-house documentation or create brand-new publications. We can include images such as technical illustrations, diagrams, screen captures and photographs.
Yes. We create multimedia e-learning videos for training and product marketing. Go to our "About E-Learning" page to find out more.
Yes. We can provide content in formats such as EPUB, Kindle and Mobi.
Based just off the M5 in Worcestershire, we benefit from good links to the Midlands, the South East and South West of England. Our clients include organisations located in London, Reading, Slough, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Bristol and Bath.
Our competitive rates deliver real value for money and our pricing policy is flexible. Depending on customer requirements, we can work to an estimate or fixed price.
Yes. Most of the documentation we develop is written for users in the US.
Yes. For example, we write documentation that can generate an HTML help system or PDF user guide from the same source material. Before a project begins, it is important to know whether single-source documentation is required, as certain effects available in one media type may not be available in another.
We have developed our own sophisticated software tools to assist with the translation of online help systems. These isolate the translator from RoboHelp or HTML and enable all translation to be carried out using a word processor such as Microsoft Word.
Our software extracts the text from the RoboHelp source files and places it into a Microsoft Word file for translation. Once the translator has returned the translated Word file, our software replaces the English text in the RoboHelp source files with the translated text, while maintaining all hyperlinks and text formatting. This approach completely isolates the translator from HTML and allows the localised help system to be customised further in RoboHelp, if required.
We are also able to generate screen captures using a localised version of the operating system and add these to the RoboHelp project.
A translation memory is maintained to prevent the unnecessary translation of sentences that have not changed between product releases.
Yes, of course they do! We live in the Information Age! How many times have you needed information and found it through Google or a manual provided with the product?
It's a common myth that people do not refer to technical information if it's available, written well and provides the required information. People often prefer not to look for information, but will do so if it's necessary.
The secret is to ensure that your technical publications are complete, easy to access, up to date and written well. If you fail in any of these areas, it's more likely that people will lose confidence and obtain the information in other ways, such as by calling Technical Support. Worse still, they may give up and stop using the product altogether or switch to another product.
Our clients range from some of the largest multinational companies in the world to small start-up businesses. Most clients operate with technology sectors. We have also worked for UK Government agencies and educational establishments.
Caltek Technical Services has a proven track record for producing accurate, readable documentation since 1987. Clients receive added value with our product-testing and free consultancy services, and return time and time again.
Many companies employ contract technical authors, who appear at the start of a project and disappear at the end, never to be seen again! This is not our approach. Instead, we work closely with our clients to ensure that our time is scheduled to be available for when the client requires it. Our approach ensures that the knowledge the client invests in us is available for the next project. Many of our clients have been with us for many years.
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