SUMMARY

An experienced technical writer who provides the ability to do HTML, website design and maintenance, hardware and software customer documentation, software help file generation, engineering specifications, and graphic illustration production. Experienced working in a department or performing as a one-person documentation function. Familiar with task analysis, usability testing, and ISO 9000 guidelines for documentation development.

Industry Experience: Power Generation, Telecommunications, POS Electronics, Hot Melt Glue, Software, Freelance, Residential Construction and Pest Control.

Tools:

PowerPoint

Excel 5.0

Word 2000 / 2003 / 2007

FrameMaker 6.0

Visio

RoboHelp 9

Confidential, 6/16/08 – 9/04/09
Sr. Technical Writer
Designed a template for the company’s publications. Produced modular publications for sootblower and water cannon control systems for power plant boilers, refineries, and paper mill applications. This project involved computer hardware, software, hydraulics, electrical controls, VFD drives, pumps, valves and electronic sensors. Also documented the process of tuning the control system to maximize efficiency.

Another part of my duties was reviewing RFQs for new projects. I would review the documents and generate E&I (Exceptions & Inclusions) lists for management.

This was originally a 3-month contract that kept getting extended until I was there a full year.

Confidential, 4/2004– 6/2009
Writer/Website Coordinator / IT Support
Maintained Chesta.com, MascotsandMore.biz, and Softshades.com websites. Changed and updated content, added and deleted email accounts, solved email problems, and produced documentation, when requested.

Confidential, 2/2006– 3/2006
Sr. Technical Writer
Prepared a User’s Guide and a Developer’s Guide for the Ad Hoc softwareproduct. Ad Hoc allows customizing databases by linking common fields in data base tables and runs in an Internet browser. It allows manipulation of any specific information that may need to be pulled from a database and also allows filtering of the fields so that only pertinent fields appear.

Confidential,Alpharetta, GA 9/2004– 11/2004
Senior Technical Writer
Prepared product specifications and functional specifications for clients of IndustriaPLEX.

Confidential,Duluth, GA 3/2004 – 4/2004
Senior Technical Writer
Prepared a product manual for the Jet Mail III Read Write system for Pitney Bowes business application. This product manual included site preparation, hardware installation, software installation, troubleshooting and parts information.

Senior Technical Writer
Prepared instruction manuals for customer’s new product. The manuals describe the hardware installation of the devices and the interface to the software that the user must know to activate the unit. This job involved some disassembly and reassembly of the product, staging of photos, and creation of supporting art.

Sr. Technical Writer

Confidential,Duluth, GA 2000 – 2002
Senior Technical Writer
Consultant for customers of ESP. Prepared documentation on a variety of products, such as cable modem, power supply, video line blanker, cable TV billing simulator, VoIP, and communications gateway. Completed hardware and software installation and software test documentation. Also:

• Set up the first in-house publications function for 25 ESP engineers.
• Produced design documentation to support engineering development (proposals, RFPs, RFIs, specifications)
• Produced end user documentation for hardware and software products.
• Determined formats and developed templates, as needed.
• Initiated project and designed a credit card size marketing CD to replace a $15 booklet. Saved over $6,000 annually.
• Maintained, and developed new content for the company website.
• Initiated the production of graphic illustrations for the information products produced, eliminating approximately $40,000 annually for artwork production.
• Designed and produced software help files using RoboHELP.

The hardware projects involved having hands-on access to the hardware to gain information for disassembly, assembly, repair, and installation instructions.

Confidential,Alpharetta, GA 1998 – 2000
Technical Consultant / Writer
Began as a consultant and was offered full-time employment. Developed publication formats and templates for CD and paper-based documentation. Used FrameMaker 5.5 and Corel Draw 8 to successfully prepare hardware installation, software setup, and software configuration information products. Also produced documentation for PC card kits that involved cabinet disassembly, installation of kit, and reassembly. In addition,

• Produced all the required artwork, including the CD artwork.
• Reduced the shipped product documentation cost by $11 per unit for one product line.
• Reduced the cost of shipped documentation for all company products by going to CD.

Confidential,Duluth, GA 1996– 1998
Senior Technical Writer
Researched, designed, and produced manuals describing pattern controllers, bulk melters, glue guns, and accessory equipment used by the hot melt glue industry. Produced manuals containing, safety, description, operation, maintenance, repair, and parts sections. Also produced smaller operator cards, instruction sheets, and technigrams for the field. In addition, produced software user interface guide for an electronic controller.

• Submitted an invention disclosure for a “Product Programmed Pattern Controller” design.
• Worked within an established department setting, followed existing templates and procedures.

This job involved mechanical and electrical assemblies that had to be disassembled and reassembled for replace/repair procedures.

Confidential,Duluth, GA 1992 – 1996
Senior Information Products Developer
Researched, designed and produced technical publications describing NCR Corporation\'s computer-based electronic barcode scanning products. Publications included: user guides (site prep., hardware installation, operating info., diagnostics, etc), installation manuals (in the shipping carton) repair manuals (disassembly / assembly, diagnostics, troubleshooting), and programming guides (describes programming interface). Also:

• Received award for writing a proposal on quality improvement, which resulted in a prestigious company recognition award.
• Recognized for solving a logistical problem with the company scanners. Developed a means to link the manual for the scanner to the order so that only one book was shipped per order, instead of one book per scanner. The savings amounted to $35,000 the first year. In addition, customer satisfaction was improved by eliminating the extra books.
• Patent pending on “Invention Disclosure for a Consumer Price Verifier Interactive Terminal”.

I did mainly the hardware related documentation; site preps, hardware installation, troubleshooting, and repair manuals. All these involved disassembly and reassembly of the hardware being documented.

Bachelor of General Studies Degree
Associate Degree in Electronics Technology

Additional Courses:

*Basic/Intermediate HTML-based Help

*Microsoft Visual Basic 3.0

*Handling People with Diplomacy and Tact

*Microsoft Word 4.0

*Negotiating Skills Seminar "Getting to Yes"

*Fundamentals of the UNIX OS for Users

*Intro to Microsoft Excel 5.0

*Quality Information Products Process

*Intellectual Properties Seminar

*One Stop Documentation

*Writing Smart

*The Team Leader Course

*Intro to ISO 9000

*Targeted Selection Workshop

*C for New Programmers

*Instructional Design for Course Designers

*Introduction to Nordson Hot Melt Equipment

*Microsoft Project

*Releasing Documentation

*Information Mapping

*Certified for Zenger-Miller "WORKING" Seminar

*ISO 9000

*Effective Teaching Work

*Educational Measurement Works