Technical Communication as a Marketing Tool (Part 1)

by Bill Harrison

PART ONE

I worked for Atlas Copco Wagner for 2 years at the corporate headquarters in Portland Oregon, where the company designed and manufactured diesel powered underground mining trucks and scoops. As the Technical Publishing and Document Control Manager, I took a chance, and my gamble had paid off. Our technical communications initiatives had met with worldwide success.

In front of me was a new box of MT5010 Service Guides that I had just opened. The books were coffee table quality and had over 200 pages of bright color photos and illustrations. We found that our service guides were working as effectively for a sales rep on the showroom floor as they did for a mechanic deep within a mine.

The ACWagner Service Guides must explain, to a diverse audience, procedures for maintaining high performance mechanical, hydraulic and electronic systems, including remote control automation. Our large binders included documentation from engine, transmission and other component suppliers including Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Clark, and Allison.

The ACWagner Service Guides supplied critical information, specific to a given vehicle model, for the systems that supported and controlled the engine and drive train. The guides were comb-bound, 3-hole punched, and fit into the large binders. Each vehicle model was designed from the ground up to accomplish categorical tasks within the confines of an underground mine. Therefore, systems had to share very limited space. ACWagner designed and manufactured the superstructure of the vehicle and the electrohydraulic solutions for steering, braking, dumping and hoisting.

The service guides identified the physical location of components, recommended maintenance intervals, described complex maintenance procedures, and explained the theory of operations for many proprietary systems. Since many of the systems presented dangers that could lead to serious injury or death, it was important that procedures were written correctly. The ACWagner Operators Guides described the safe and efficient use of the vehicle within the mining environment, and also covered safe transport of the vehicle to the mine. The books became highly prized by mechanics and service technicians because the content was current, accurate, and contained detailed views of complex assemblies and adjustments.

Recent advances in digital photography and in color laser printing on enameled papers combined to make short-run, on-demand printing production feasible and cost effective. Without a doubt, calculating the return on investment (ROI) of the printing project was easier than dealing with the preconceptions shared by many within the company about the way a service manual should look. Initial reaction to the books included ridicule and rejection.

It was only through patience and a solid analysis of ROI that development efforts were able to gain momentum within the company. The project eventually gained the support of all major departments within the company, including engineering, marketing, service, and manufacturing. Ultimately, the books became the cornerstones of a new and unique approach to marketing.

The lead sales engineer for large trucks requested a set of our new ACWagner Service & Operators Guides before he departed for northern Canada. The books helped him to close a sale on several new vehicles, worth over a million dollars in gross revenues. The ACWagner customer base included the most productive mines in Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, Russia, China, India, and Australia. Throughout the following weeks, I received additional requests for books from our sales companies throughout the world. They all wanted to use the ACWagner Service & Operators Guides as a sales closing tool.

The next two installments of this article will tell about the ROI analysis and the development efforts required to implement the strategy that led to the new service guides.

After receiving his BS in Graphic Design from PSU, Bill Harrison pursued his interests in graphic arts technologies and communications theory by marketing services for trade shops within the local printing industry. He worked with leading advertising agencies and graphic design firms to produce world class advertising and collateral materials. He also worked with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies to develop systems for channeling the flow of targeted information. Today he emphasizes that communications is not a one-way street, as he looks for ways to empower those who depend upon technical content.