For security and control reasons, system flowcharts, logic flowcharts, and program code listings should not be part of the operator documentation. We saw in chapter 2 that the activities of programmers and operators should be separated. Consistent with this segregation of duties of duties issue, operators should not have access to the details of a system’s internal logic
User Documentation. Users need documentation describing how to use the system User tasks include such things as entering as entering input for transactions, making inquiries of account balances, updating accounts, and generating output reports. The nature of user documentation will depend on the user’s degree of sophistication with computers and technology. Thus, before designing user’s degree of sophistication with computers and technology. Thus, before designing user documentation the systems professional must assess and classify the user’s skill level. The following is one possible classification scheme:
Novices have little or no experience with computers and are embarrassed to ask questions .Novices also know little about their assigned tasks. User training and documentation for novices must be extensive and detailed.
Occasional users once understood the system but have forgotten some essential commands
And procedures. They require less training and documentation than novices.
Frequent light users are familiar with limited aspects of the system although functional they tend not to explore beneath the surface and lack depth of knowledge this group knows only what it needs to know and requires training and documentation for unfamiliar areas
Frequent power users understand the existing system and will readily adapt to new system they are intolerant of detailed instruction that waste their time they like to find shortcuts and use macro commands to improve performance this group requires only abbreviated documentation
User handbook with these classes in mind user documentation often takes the form of a user handbook as well as online documentation the typical user handbook will contain the following items
An overview of the system and its major functions
Instructions for getting started
Descriptions of procedures with step-by-step visual references
Example of input screens and instructions for entering data
A complete list of error message codes and descriptions
A reference manual of commands to run the system
A glossary of key terms
Service and support information
Online documentation will guide the user interactively in the use of the system.