How systems thinking methods increase usability of user manuals — a case study

Applying system thinking methods for solving problems with poor user manuals proves to be fruitful. The applied methods were the "5 Why", "What is the problem?" "Storytelling", and "Links and Loops". This investigation shows that the poor usability of system user manuals is a management issue. With a system design centric view of the system-of-interest (Sol) there is little feedback on the content and efficiency of the manuals from the system users to the technical writers. When designers update or correct the program code due to a trouble report, they forget to inform the technical writers. The descriptions of system features and functions are made with an internal view of the system, since designers have written the descriptions. A system administrator is using the GUI of the system and need a process-oriented system manual written from an external system view in order be successful. The lack of both macro-structure and micro-structure in the system manuals lead to the situation that it is easier to create a new system document than updating or adding information to a number of existing documents.