A manual delivers value only when it reaches its users
You put thought and time into creating a manual. Creating it is a good start, but if you have no way of knowing whether the manual is actually being viewed, you cannot tell whether users are properly making use of it. A manual only delivers its true value once it reaches the people who need it.
To encourage users to make use of manuals, it is first important to understand how they are being viewed.
Understanding viewing activity is the first step toward measuring effectiveness and making appropriate improvements
Let's look at what becomes possible once you understand viewing activity, from the three perspectives of "administrators, creators, and decision-makers."
1. Benefits for administrators: Capturing changes in user behavior
By checking which manuals have been viewed by whom, and how frequently (or infrequently) they are being viewed, you can identify the factors behind manual effectiveness and consider appropriate measures for improvement.
2. Benefits for creators: Increased motivation to create manuals
Creators invest time in producing manuals. Being able to see the impact of their work in concrete numbers provides motivation when creating or revising manuals. Quantifying the results also makes it easier to secure the time needed for the creation process.
3. Benefits for decision-makers: Making informed decisions about renewing the Teachme Biz contract
After implementing Teachme Biz, a time will come to report usage status to decision-makers. By consistently monitoring viewing activity and working to embed the tool in day-to-day operations, renewal decisions can be made appropriately and smoothly.
As illustrated above, in order to judge whether manuals are being properly utilized, it is extremely important to visualize "viewing activity" as a KPI. Conversely, no matter how good a manual is, it cannot be effective if it is not being viewed.
Now let's look at specific methods for understanding viewing activity.
3 methods for understanding viewing activity
1. Use "Reports" to get a broad overview of viewing trends at the overall or folder level
Using the "Reports" feature in Teachme Biz, you can check the viewing count trends for all folders or for individual folders over a selected time period.
You can find instructions on how to use it here.
For example, by viewing daily view counts like the example below, you can establish a baseline for daily viewing activity.
The above is an actual example from our company. With approximately 100 users, we can estimate that in March there were about 8 views per person per day, and in April about 10 views per person per day.
In the early stages after implementing Teachme Biz, you can easily track adoption trends on a daily or weekly basis.
If more than six months have passed since implementation, viewing the monthly trends over the past year allows you to identify increases or decreases in viewing activity and confirm whether a culture of reading manuals in Teachme Biz has taken hold over the medium to long term.
If viewing counts are stable or increasing as shown above, there is no issue. However, if viewing counts show a downward trend, that is a warning sign.
The above analysis uses "All Folders," but if folders are organized by type of work or by department, you can use "Select Folder" to check viewing activity for each one individually.
Looking at the folders for our Customer Success department and Sales department, you can see that the adoption and utilization status differs between them.
If you are building out manuals for a specific folder (department or type of work), you can easily check adoption status by following this kind of process.
2. Export the manual list as a CSV to check viewing activity at the individual manual level
By exporting the manual list as a CSV, you can check the total number of views for each manual, as well as view counts for the most recent 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year.
For example, as shown in the image above, you can extract from the manual list CSV those manuals with low view counts.
If a manual has been available for several months or more and has few views, it is possible that end users in the field are not making use of it.
※ However, even if a manual has relatively fewer views compared to others, if the target audience or the frequency of use is inherently small, it may still be considered actively utilized.
You can also perform a variety of analyses using Excel functions.
3. Check viewing activity for individual manuals
In Teachme Biz, you can also view the viewing trends for individual manuals*.
By tracking the view count trends for each manual, you can measure how well newly created or updated manuals are being adopted.
Especially in the early stages of implementation, it is important to build the habit of reading manuals in Teachme Biz.
A highly effective initiative for building the habit of reading manuals in Teachme Biz is to create "killer content."
Killer content refers to content with strong draw that is used to promote adoption in a specific area.
In other words, in this context,
a manual that is expected to be viewed by a large number of people or viewed frequently serves as killer content to promote adoption of a specific tool (Teachme Biz).
A manual with a high number of viewers is, for example, one that covers tasks performed by many employees.
By tracking the growth in view counts for killer content, you can confirm whether the habit of reading manuals in Teachme Biz has taken hold.
For example, in our company's case, the manual for "How to Apply for Domestic Business Trips" serves this role.
Employees who visit clients, such as those in sales, need to submit an application and file an expense report each time they take a domestic business trip.
Because the input fields on the application change depending on the frequency of trips and the type of trip, there is a tendency for employees to need to reference the manual frequently to verify what to enter.
As shown in the image above, tracking the view count trends for each manual allows you to gauge the level of adoption.
Even if viewing has not progressed as expected, you can use the data as a basis for deciding whether to implement improvement measures.
This report lets you check the read/unread status of each user and the date and time of their last view, which can serve as a reference when reaching out individually to users who have not yet viewed the manual.
When views increase for manuals covering "tasks with many target viewers and high frequency of use," the habit of reading manuals in Teachme Biz will become established.
Next actions after understanding viewing activity
Understand the current state of utilization and take action to further promote the use of manuals.
Identify the factors behind viewing activity
Conduct interviews with both high-frequency and low-frequency viewers. If there are many people, interview a few from the highest-viewing group and a few from the lowest-viewing group.
[Example interview questions for high-frequency viewers]
- In what kinds of situations do you most often use manuals?
- Has using manuals ever been particularly helpful to you?
- Have you encountered any difficulties when using manuals?
[Example interview questions for low-frequency viewers]
- Do you know how to access and view manuals?
- Are you aware that there are manuals relevant to you?
- Can you picture the kinds of situations in which you would use a manual?
For high-frequency viewers, hearing specific stories about how they use manuals makes it easier to understand and communicate the benefits of utilization.
Additionally, by asking about any difficulties they have encountered, you can capture and accumulate as knowledge how those challenges were overcome, if they were.
For low-frequency viewers, the goal is to identify where the issue (or bottleneck) lies. Determine whether the problem is with how to access manuals, whether they are unaware that the manuals exist, or whether there is a disconnect between the intended purpose of the manuals and the users' own understanding.
Consider and implement countermeasures
Once interviews are complete, consider countermeasures based on the identified factors.
Taking the example of interview questions for low-frequency viewers:
Do you know how to access and view manuals?
→ If they do not know or are unclear on how to view manuals, share guidance on how to log in and how to search for manuals. It is also important to help create an environment in which they can view manuals as part of their daily work. Confirm that they have access to a device and internet connection for checking manuals when needed.
Are you aware that there are manuals relevant to them?
→ If they do not know a manual exists, they will not think to look for it. There are two main countermeasures.
First, create opportunities to share the manuals you have created. Sharing them helps align everyone's awareness and perspective.
Second, try incorporating manual QR codes or URLs into the workflow itself. Placing them somewhere visible encourages people to check them even if they were unaware of them, so it is important to make the effort to put them where they will be noticed.
Can they picture the kinds of situations in which they would use a manual?
→ If they cannot picture how to use manuals, try sharing examples of how high-frequency viewers use them. It is important that they understand the purpose and value of using manuals by learning how someone close to them actually uses them.
Summary
Understanding viewing activity and confirming that the manuals you have created are reaching the people who need them leads to deeper and more lasting adoption of manual usage.
To increase viewing activity, proactively create opportunities to share the benefits of using manuals, drawing on your own experiences and insights gathered through interviews.