Here at Startup Central we make and enable process models.
Now, before your eyes glass over and you stop paying attention, let me try to explain that in terms you'll understand. (Yes, I know, that sounded condescending, but just remember that this is the only way I'll ever understand what it is we do too. If you want a better explanation, go ask
Metagrrrl. She's my boss and she knows this stuff inside and
out.)
Anyway, what this means is that a customer comes to us with a process that they'd like streamlined somehow, like hiring/
firing laying off, processing orders, tracking sales leads, etc. We draw up a model of the process and see how much of it can be automated using email and web pages and such, and then we make it happen.
What we're mainly concerned with is making the whole thing easy - nay, brainless - for our end customers to use. They wouldn't use it otherwise, and then where would we be?
My issue right now is that I'm being asked to draw up the documentation for this super-duper easy-to-use system that we've designed and I don't even know where to start. I mean, it's so intuitive, what the hell am I supposed to tell them?
1) Open a browser
2) Fill out the web page, click Submit.
3) Twiddle your thumbs or eat bon bons as you wait till you get another email.
4) Repeat.
Yeah, right.
Update:
Metagrrrl fixed everything. She can make anything look better - she took the above instructions and made them sound intelligent and important and needed. Darn sight more than I could do with 'em.
She's good with resumés too.