User Support Reference Material

Definition

User Support Reference Material

a document about a supported system or application that the user support agents use as a reference when providing support to its users

Objectives

The typical objectives of user support reference materials are to document the:

• Tasks to be performed by different kinds of users.
• Workflows that are performed by multiple collaborating roles using the application.
• Typical user errors and how to fix them.

Benefits

The typical benefits of user support reference materials include:

• It increases user support agent productivity by enabling them to effectively support users.

Contents

The typical contents of user support reference materials include:

• Application Overview
• User Role:
  • User Tasks
  • Common User Mistakes
• Workflows
• Appendices:
  • Major Issues
  • TBDs
  • Assumptions

Stakeholders

The typical stakeholders of user support reference materials include:

• Producers:
  • User Support Team
  • User Experience Team
• Evaluators:
  • Deployment Inspection Team
• Approvers:
  • Project Manager
  • Technical Leader
  • Customer Representative
• Maintainers:
  • User Support Team
• Users:
  • The user support agent reads the usr support reference manual to understand how to help users use the application.

Phases

• Business Strategy: Not Applicable
• Business Optimization: Not Applicable
• Initiation: Not Applicable
• Construction: Started
• Delivery: Completed
• Usage: Maintained
• Retirment: Archived

Preconditions

User support reference materials can typically be started if the following preconditions hold:

• The construction phase is started.
• The user Support team has been adequately staffed and trained in user support materials production.
• The human interface design document has been largely completed.

Inputs

User support reference materials typically has the following inputs:

• Work Products:
  • System Requirments Specification (use case model)
  • Human Interface Design Document
  • Users Manual
• Stakeholders:
  • Users
  • User Support Team
  • User Experience Team

Guidelines

• Increasing the usability requirements and amount of online help functions decreases the need for separate user support reference materials.

Conventions

User support reference materials are typically constrained by the following conventions:

• Content and Format Standard
• MS Word Template
• XML DTD Template
• Inspection Checklist

Examples

• Example User Support Reference Materials