Technical Author Services: Background Skills and Experience

The Author's Technical Skills

Skills and Education

Technical Authoring; Online Help files; writer of Manuals, Help Notes, & Procedures

Philip Tory, BSc(Hons), Dip.M. - Senior Technical Author

Philip has worked for companies in many branches of industry: from electrical, electro-mechanical and electronics engineering to quality control; civil and military fly-by-wire flight control systems to car park control systems; from leisure centre management computer systems to diesel generators and floodlighting equipment; photography to pensions administration...

Education

He has studied at 5 universities

Bachelors Degree with Honours in Applied Physics, majoring in Electronics; at Bath University.
Masters level studies in Control Engineering at:
- University of Warwick at Coventry;
- University College of North Wales at Bangor;
- University of Sussex at Brighton.
Diploma in Management with the Open University

Also he has general scientific and technical interests across a wide range of subjects from astronomy to photography, from building PCs to restoring clocks.

Software used

He has a high level of computer skills and is a power user of the PC. The following software packages are used extensively:

RoboHelp Advanced Help Authoring software, to create computer-based Help files.
MS FrontPage 2003 for web site design.
Microsoft Office 2003, particularly Word and Excel, including use of macros to automate tasks.
Windows 95 / 98 / ME / NT / 2000 / XP Pro.
Paint Shop Pro 7 and 10 used extensively for graphics and image processing;
Mind-Mapping
Internet Explorer v 6 & 7.

Useful experience of:

MS PowerPoint presentation software;
Building PCs from scratch, and upgrading them.

He understands the concepts of software programming, having been a Software Product and QA Manager for some years.

Additional Technology used:

Smart Cards; (electronic stored-value chip, embedded in plastic cards).
Touch Screens.
Ticket or receipt printers.
Plastic card printing by thermal transfer.

Career over 30 years

His career has covered:

Technical Authoring, both in full-time employment and as a contractor, normally reporting directly to senior management or director level.
Creating software Help resources as Windows or browser Help files.
Writing user manuals
Producing technical product specifications
Carrying out technical Investigation of products and producing reports.
User notes for substantial software upgrades, to a customer base of 450 network software systems.
Support and Help Desk documentation.
Graphics Design for sales and technical leaflets.
Year 2000 project responsibility, documenting hardware and software systems company-wide.
Training Manuals on electronic and electro-mechanical equipment.
Production of in-house newsletters.
'Look-and-Feel' usability testing of a range of software products.
Thorough testing of software to eliminate bugs before authorising release.

Other areas of experience include:

Responsibility for supporting capital systems sales to key accounts, often requiring written system descriptions running to over 100 pages. Reporting to Managing Director.
Sales franchise management with budgetary responsibility, reporting to Sales, Divisional and Managing Directors;
Drawing office management, reporting to the Technical Director;
Analogue and digital electronics design, reporting to Technical Director;
Field trouble-shooting on electrical, electronic and electro-mechanical equipment, reporting to Technical Director.

Previous know-how covers design and QA of analogue, digital and power systems; of electronic, electro-mechanical and mechanical equipment; from drawing board through to production, installation and field trouble-shooting in both the UK and abroad.

He ahs over 30 years' experience in photography, and this is useful for including photographs of equipment, assembly methods, maintenance etc.

Technical Author for Abingdon, Avon, Bromsgrove, Buckinghamshire, Bucks, Burford, Cheltenham, Chippenham, Chipping Norton, Cirencester, Cotswolds, Devizes, Droitwich, Evesham, Faringdon, Glos, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Gloucs, Great Malvern, Hereford, Herefordshire, Hungerford, Kidlington, Lechlade, Ledbury, Malmesbury, Malvern, Marlborough, Melksham, Newbury, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Oxon, Pershore, Redditch, Stow on the Wold, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stroud, Swindon, Tetbury, Tewkesbury, Wantage, Warks, Warwicks, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Wilts, Wiltshire, Witney, Woodstock, Worcester, Worcestershire, Worcs, Yate