The Power of Reusing Content in Marine Product Documentation
Marine craft and system manufacturers understand that reusing subassemblies and components across different products significantly reduces costs in engineering, quality control, procurement, and spare parts inventory management. Similarly, marine product manuals can benefit from a modular approach where content is structured into reusable components. This method, known as topic-based authoring, saves time and resources in technical writing, illustration, and translation while ensuring content consistency and flexibility.
The Limitations of Traditional Manual Authoring
When traditional software like Microsoft Word is used, documentation often follows a book-oriented approach, which can create inefficiencies. OEMs frequently bundle multiple products into a single manual to avoid rewriting similar content, but this approach can lead to confusion and complexity for end users.
Topic-based authoring, in contrast, allows documentation to be modular and dynamic. It enables each product to have its own customized manual while maintaining consistent and up-to-date content across all manuals.
How Topic-Based Authoring Works
Under this approach, content is broken down into independent modules that can be reused across multiple manuals. For example:
- Anode replacement instructions—including replacement intervals, cleaning of threads, and measuring resistance—would be written once and reused in all relevant boat manuals.
- If an update is required (e.g., a change in maintenance intervals), the source file is updated once, and all manuals that reference the content are updated automatically.
This eliminates redundant work and ensures all documentation remains accurate and aligned with product changes.
The Role of Component Content Management Systems (CCMS)
To facilitate topic-based authoring, many companies adopt Component Content Management Systems (CCMS), which help manage modular content, versions, and language translations. These systems provide:
- Automated content updates across all documentation
- Version control for regulatory compliance
- Efficient multilingual translation management
However, many OEMs hesitate to invest in a CCMS due to high costs and a steep learning curve—especially when their need for documentation updates is infrequent.
Pros and Cons of Topic-Based Authoring
Pros:
✔ Cost Savings – Reduces technical writing, illustration, and translation costs ✔ Content Consistency – Ensures uniform messaging across all manuals ✔ Efficiency – Minimizes errors and time spent on manual updates ✔ Centralized Management – Improves document control and revision tracking
Cons:
✘ High Learning Curve – Requires technical expertise to implement effectively ✘ Complex Setup – Demands detailed planning of product variations and documentation structures ✘ Software Costs – CCMS platforms can be expensive and require training
Conclusion: The Future of Marine Product Manuals
For marine OEMs and shipbuilders, adopting topic-based authoring is a strategic move that leads to cost savings, improved efficiency, and enhanced accuracy in technical documentation. While CCMS solutions may not always be feasible for small-scale manufacturers, customized approaches leveraging structured content can still yield significant benefits.
By implementing a structured, reusable content strategy, marine manufacturers can ensure that their product manuals remain clear, consistent, and up-to-date, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and support efficiency.