Documentation Success Stories
Standardized documentation reduces development costs by 80%
A major government agency was struggling with information overload: rates of communication were increasing, and critical information was often being overlooked in the flood of paper and online communication.
To maximize the effectiveness of this communication, they needed a way to get everyone "speaking the same language." Their first step was to partner with Information Mapping. By training hundreds of key communicators in the Information Mapping method, they were able to create a uniform information architecture across the organization.
These newly trained "Mappers" redesigned over 60,000 pages of text and data. An internal government report boasted that this effort took 80% less time to complete than it would have previously, with a total cost savings of over $17 million.
U.S. Navy makes information clear, accurate, and accessible
The U.S. Navy has been using Information Mapping's products and services since 1990. They have trained over 200 people in a wide variety of areas within the Navy. Below is a brief summary of how two areas of the Navy have used Information Mapping.
With the goal of making information as clear and as accurate as possible, the Navy's Bureau of Personnel is using Information Mapping in the development and maintenance of the Navy's new Personnel and Payroll Manual.
The Management Systems Support Office develops and provides the Navy with systems and application software for the various fleets. This division also provides management information to the command. Information Mapping has been used to develop the Procedure Guides for system software installation and all associated technical documentation, making procedural information readily accessible and easy to understand.
U.S. Air Force gets great results
The U.S. Air Force has used Information Mapping since the late 1960s to develop curriculum and training materials that are easy to understand and use. More recently, the Air Force has been using Information Mapping in the following ways:
The Information Management Division at the Air Logistics Center at Robins AFB uses Information Mapping to develop Systems Operating Instructions, Software Description Documents, Statements of Work and Specifications.
Other areas at Robins are using Information Mapping for Engineering Reports and Proposals and Air Force Regulations. The response from the field has been outstanding.
The Air Force Special Investigations group at Andrews AFB is tasked with doing security checks and evaluations of both personnel and installations. They have used Information Mapping to develop training materials at the Investigations school at Andrews AFB and have had great results using Information Mapping for their internal policies, procedures, and security evaluations.
U.S. Army cuts word count and improves readability
In 1992, the U.S. Army, a long time user of Information Mapping, did a formal test of the effectiveness of documents developed using Information Mapping.
The study showed that documents created using Information Mapping had 50%-60% fewer words than other documents. But, more importantly, the readability of the material was greatly improved. The reading level was simplified from an 11th grade level to a 7th grade level. As a result of this study, TRADOC recommends Information Mapping for the creation of training and administrative documentation.
