In industry, the share of turnover assigned to marketing and communication is very low compared to other sectors; nevertheless, companies make sure they have the means to exhibit and sell their products. But what about after-sales? While it’s accepted that the second machine is customarily sold by the after-sales service, there’s no denying that after-sales technical communication tools are often the poor relation of communication. And yet there are professional solutions. Interview with Mr. Yvon Cosandier, Director of RédaTech in La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland).
Every area of our daily lives depends on devices running smoothly, whether for professional or personal use.
Subcontracting the production of technical documents remains a rare strategy, with many companies never having considered it. Why is this? Mr. Cosandier explained: "There is a lot of presumption in this industry, and often companies do not appreciate the added value that an agency like RédaTech can bring".
No superfluous staff Mr. Cosandier told us: "A customer who contacts RédaTech must be able to rely on us completely. This is why our authors are engineers trained in technical writing. They are responsible for gathering information and clarifying and formatting messages. Documents are managed as projects. For the customer, this means their own engineers are relieved of as much work as possible". Our engineers don’t simply format the text from the development engineers; they generate real added value while freeing up the company’s own resources.
The different types of document RédaTech leaves the processing of commercial documents to advertising agencies, specialising instead in producing all types of "after-sales" documents, e.g. manuals and instructions for the following applications:
- installation,
- training,
- commissioning,
- operating,
- programming,
- maintenance,
- after-sales troubleshooting. RédaTech produces its documents using four departments:
- technical writing (engineers),
- 3D and educational illustration (drafters, illustrators),
- technical electronic publishing and formatting (typographers)
- translation (communication engineers and a worldwide network of specialist translators)
Poor document = poor machine/product? This statement is, of course, wrong. However, if a user becomes annoyed each time he uses documentation or if the information is not clear, not only will the function not be performed correctly, but the operator will also be frustrated. If the basic notion that the second machine is sold not by the seller but by the after-sales service (and the user of the machine) is true, at least in part, then "poor document = poor machine" takes on its full significance. Astronomical sums are sometimes spent on marketing, but can we really afford to be so flippant about technical documentation?
To find out more about the added value RédaTech can offer, please contact Yvon Cosandier at the address below.
RédaTech Rue Fritz-Courvoisier 40 2302 La Chaux-de-Fonds Tel. +41 32 967 88 70 Fax: +41 32 967 88 71 [email protected] www.redatech.ch
