At a glance, a technical writer’s responsibilities might seem fairly straightforward. An average person may imagine a writer sitting in a room and writing about technology. However, there is much more to technical writing than just, well, writing about technology.

Technical writers also need excellent oral communication skills, often working across teams and departments to satisfy all stakeholders. They are also often responsible for organizing the extensive library of content they create, ensuring anyone can navigate and find the information they need. This is not even counting the research they have to do to line up with specifications, which could range from engineering documentation to legal and compliance standards. 

To help manage the complex and diverse role of technical writing, organizations should consider investing in help authoring tools (HAT).  

Help authoring tools (HAT) allow technical writers to unleash their true expertise

While it might not be the flashiest role in the world, technical writing is critical in helping employees and customers learn about an organization’s products and services. 

The primary goal of this tool is to reduce time and effort for technical writers, allowing them to focus on the work they excel at. They can aid technical writers with the entire writing process, from start to finish. These tools can assist in writing, editing, exporting, and publishing documents. These documents are then surfaced to editors, administrators, and other potential users as needed. Many of these products include all the build tools required and can also be combined with build automation software.

Ease of use is the top priority for G2 reviewers

G2 review data helps software providers understand what software buyers are looking for. The graph below highlights some concrete trends in the demands and expectations of these software buyers.

When reviewing the data, it’s clear that ease of use is top of mind with G2 reviewers. “Ease of Use” was ranked as the clear top benefit, with just shy of half of all reviewers placing it number one by quite a margin. For overworked technical writers, the last thing they need is a complicated system to learn on the fly. 

“Features” was also a prominent choice among reviewers, which makes sense. Considering the diverse slate of functionalities HAT takes on, it is no surprise that users would have specific features they would be looking for. 

“Support” came in just behind, which is also no surprise. While technical writers do write about technology, that does not mean they always have hard technical skills. Good support can help technical writers overcome technological challenges and regain their writing strengths.

The future of HAT

As HAT continues to develop, it will continue to take on more challenging, time-consuming tasks of the technical writing process. For technical writers, these tools can be a time saver, allowing them to focus on their true expertise in writing and creating. Organizations should invest in HAT to allow their technical writers to reach new heights and keep their businesses informed and organized.

Edited by Jigmee Bhutia