Administrators’ Guide – Simplifying User Experience

A lot of effort goes into providing users a quality experience while they use a product or service. While effective user guides ensure that a user is happy with the initial purchase and installation experience, an administrator’s guide guarantees continued customer satisfaction and grievance redressal.

Who are System Administrators?

Since the digital revolution has taken over the world, System Administrators (SysAdmins) have toiled to maintain the accessibility and uptime of your most important IT services. And, while the rise of DevOps and cloud computing has led to more people with a hybrid SysAdmin/Developer skill set, the primary duties of a system administrator will always be required.

A system administrator’s role has undergone a paradigm shift in the last decade. Today’s system administrators are knowledgeable in both hardware and software – configuring resilient, secure architecture to ensure the success of the business.

System administrators are normally tasked with the installation, maintenance, configuration and repair for servers, networks and other computer systems. They work across both hardware and software applications, while operating across programming and scripting tasks as well. This helps them execute tasks and actions across their applications and infrastructure.

How to Write an Accurate Administrator’s Guide?

Opt for Tables & Matrices

A SysAdmin can significantly improve presentation and usability by displaying information via tables and role-based matrices. This content hierarchy helps SysAdmins find information faster, making the documents more useful, and reduces calls to other support channels.

Use White Space Judiciously

By making better use of white space, the Administrator’s guide becomes easier to read. This negates the need to constantly refer to supporting or explanatory text. Old-school System Administration Guides were quite difficult to read. This made users vary of referring to them, while causing unwillingness to consult the guides for information.

A Readable Font is a Must

An administrator’s guide is meant to convey maximum satisfactory information at minimum time. Opting for flashy or aesthetically alluring fonts will not cut the mustard. If a SysAdmin isn’t able to read, understand and communicate the content to the user satisfactorily, the entire purpose of this guide is nullified. Stick to a simple and readable format, always.

No Fillers Please!

The idea is to do away with unnecessary articles, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, and other descriptors when possible. While these do embellish an article, we must remember that the reader wants to find an exact piece of information right then. A cluttered page beats this end. Literary aesthetics can wait; a customer’s concern cannot.

Eliminate Redundant Words

Instead of saying, “in the event of”, write “if” instead. Do away with the flab and keep it crisp. In introductions, look for phrases that add little value and clog up the page. Systematically remove them. Stick to a brief introduction and try to shift to the main content: this is where the solution lies.

More Short Words are Welcome

Just like sentences, words should also be shorter and easier to understand. This not only reduces the word count, but also keeps the quality of communication intact. Remember, your success lies in addressing a user’s issue successfully and not in showcasing your command over a language.