Recent updates
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The new Zendesk Integration with ScreenSteps Live
Updated onArticleWith the new version of ScreenSteps Live we are changing the way that we integrate with the Zendesk knowledge base. You will no longer publish directly to Zendesk from the desktop software. Instead you will connect a manual on ScreenSteps Live to a Zendesk forum. Then when you publish articles to that manual on ScreenSteps Live they will automatically be created on Zendesk. From that point forward each time you update the article on ScreenSteps Live it will update on Zendesk.
Additional Help Resources FAQs ScreenSteps and Zendesk
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Why your documentation needs to be online - not locked in a PDF or Word file
Updated onArticleA lot of organizations deliver their documentation as PDF or Word files. If you are only using PDF and Word files for your documentation, then you are making a big mistake that is impacting the usage of your documentation and probably hurting the efficiency of your business.
In this article we will regularly refer to PDFs, but what applies to PDFs also applies to Word files, PowerPoint, etc.
Additional Help Resources Best Practices Other articles
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No articles show up in the Salesforce search widget
Updated onArticleIf you have installed the Salesforce search widget and aren't seeing any results here are somethings to check to try to troubleshoot:
Additional Help Resources Salesforce and ScreenSteps Salesforce Contextual Help Troubleshooting
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Evaluating the cost of a documentation system
Updated onArticleEvaluating the cost of a documentation system can be tricky. There are so many options out there ranging from free products to products costing tens of thousands of dollars. How do you know which one you should choose?
With any product you purchase for your business you need to look at two sides of the equation: cost and value. For example if I needed a car for my business, the cheapest cost might be a toy Matchbox car. It has wheels and only costs a few dollars. But it would deliver absolutely zero value because I couldn’t use it do anything.
The cheapest solution may not deliver the best value. The most expensive may not either. So how do you determine the value of a documentation system? You need to look the following areas for the product you are evaluating:
- Will it help get the documentation done?
- Will it help your authors work faster?
- Will it help you keep your documentation up to date?
- Will it help your documentation get used?
- Will it impact your business?
Additional Help Resources Best Practices Other articles
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Creating engaging documentation: Motivation matters more than Learning Styles
Updated onArticleA lot of people talk about developing documentation for different learning styles. If you have unlimited resources then you can spend a bunch of time and money developing content in different formats to match different learning styles. But that isn’t reality for most businesses. Most businesses need to get something prepared that can help the majority of their users.
If you are starting to think about creating material for different learning styles, stop right now. Instead of grouping your audience into different learning styles, start grouping them by their level of motivation.
Additional Help Resources Best Practices Other articles
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How to figure out why people don't use your documentation
Updated onArticlePeople often tell us that they have several hundred pages of documentation already written. They want to talk to us about importing it into ScreenSteps Live. The first question we ask them is, "Is anyone reading it?"
More often than not, the answer is "no." If no one is using your documentation, simply importing it into a new product isn't going to do you much good. You need to first understand why people aren't using your docs.
If you find yourself with a ton of documentation that no one is reading then here is a simple self-assessment you can perform to determine what you need to do.
Additional Help Resources Best Practices Other articles
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Salesforce SAML Troubleshooting: Insufficient Privileges
Updated onArticleUsing ScreenSteps Single Sign-on and SCIM Salesforce
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Setting Your Documentation Goals: Road Maps and Roadblocks
Updated onArticleYou can't be successful if you don't have goals. This applies in life and is especially true when working with documentation.
What is your goal? Is it to just finish your documentation?
That isn't a very good goal. Why? It isn't going to create a positive impact on your business. It just meets a requirement. It doesn't deliver an outcome.
We like to think of two primary goals for our documentation:
1. Provide road maps
2. Remove roadblocks
Additional Help Resources Best Practices A recipe for great documentation
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How to make documentation easy
Updated onArticleThe best way to simplify documentation is to remove the number of decisions you have to make about your documentation. If you think about creating documentation there are a lot of decisions that you have to make. Each one takes time and mental effort. If you remove the decisions then you simplify the process.
You remove decisions by adopting a systemized approach to creating, distributing and updating documentation. When you adopt a system you are able to push all the work of making decisions onto the system, freeing yourself from the mental strain of having to make those decisions yourself.
Additional Help Resources Best Practices Intro
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Determining the Salesforce instance when using My Domain
Updated onArticleIf you are using the My Domain feature in Salesforce then the instance your organization uses will not appear in your Salesforce URL. This lesson shows you how to determine which instance your organization is on.
Additional Help Resources Salesforce and ScreenSteps Adding Contextual Help and Search to Salesforce