Collin Canright

Technical communication is a critical part of many industries, including software development, engineering, and manufacturing. Effective technical communication requires clear and concise language, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of the subject matter. Unfortunately, there are several common mistakes that can undermine the effectiveness of technical communication.

In this article, we will discuss the top five most common mistakes in technical communication and how to avoid them.

Using jargon or technical terms that are unfamiliar to the audience

One of the most common mistakes in technical communication is the use of jargon or technical terms that are unfamiliar to the audience. This can be particularly problematic when communicating with non-technical stakeholders or end-users who may not be familiar with technical terminology. To avoid this mistake, it is important to use clear and concise language that is appropriate for the audience.

Failing to provide context or background information

Another common mistake in technical communication is failing to provide context or background information. This can make it difficult for the audience to understand the purpose or importance of the information being communicated. To avoid this mistake, it is important to provide sufficient background information and context to help the audience understand the subject matter.

Overloading the audience with too much information

Technical communication can be complex, and it can be tempting to include as much information as possible to ensure that all bases are covered. However, overloading the audience with too much information can be overwhelming and can make it difficult for them to understand the key points. To avoid this mistake, it is important to focus on the most critical information and present it in a clear and concise manner.

Failing to use visual aids effectively

Visual aids such as diagrams, charts, and illustrations can be incredibly helpful in technical communication. However, failing to use these aids effectively can be a common mistake. This can include using poorly designed visual aids, failing to provide clear captions or labels, or using too many visual aids that can overwhelm the audience. To avoid this mistake, it is important to use visual aids sparingly and to ensure that they are clear, concise, and relevant to the subject matter.

Ignoring the importance of formatting and layout

Finally, ignoring the importance of formatting and layout can be a common mistake in technical communication. This can include using inconsistent formatting, failing to use headings or subheadings, or using a font size or style that is difficult to read. To avoid this mistake, it is important to pay attention to formatting and layout and to ensure that the communication is easy to read and navigate.

Solid technical communication is critical to the success of many industries. By avoiding these common mistakes and focusing on clear, concise, and effective communication, you can ensure that your technical communication is effective and valuable to your audience.

To learn more about our services, contact us at collin@canrightcommunications.com

2023 is the year realtime payments come into their own in the United States. Realtime payments, also known as instant payments, promise faster processing times and improved security compared to traditional methods. In addition to the continued growth of the RTP and Zelle services, the Federal Reserve is preparing to release its FedNow service in July.

With e-commerce accelerating, the ability to continually push purchases, sales, and deliveries calls for faster liquidity management. Realtime payments can enable a corporate treasury to maintain flexibility and immediate turnaround on the day-to-day needs of an enterprise.

It’s a significant change in liquidity management. Banks processed payments in blocks at designated times throughout a five-day workweek, which made predicting liquidity relatively easy. Increasingly, transactions can move 24/7, 365 days a year.

Businesses and consumers can both take advantage of immediate payments, either by avoiding late fees for bill payments or receiving good funds immediately. The new instant payment systems may take time to manage effectively, but adoption is expected to continue.

Trends in countries that have adopted faster-payment schemes show generally increasing consumer uptake. There is no reason to think that U.S. businesses and consumers would react differently.

While there’s still a lot of work to be done before financial institutions see cash and paper check transactions continue to fade away, realtime payments are here and ready to be leveraged to transform the way treasurers do business.

Noncash payments in the U.S. continue to grow, with the total value increasing at a rate of 9.5% per year from 2018 to 2021, according to the most recent survey data from the Federal Reserve. The survey also found that the total number of noncash payments increased at a 5.6% CAGR over the same period, primarily driven by increases in the value of card payments and ACH payments.

The Federal Reserve’s FedNow is expected to accelerate those trends. FedNow is a new instant payment service that will enable financial institutions of all sizes and communities across the United States to provide safe and efficient instant payment services 24/7, 365 days.

Businesses and individuals can send and receive instant payments conveniently through financial institutions participating in the FedNow Service, and recipients will have full access to funds immediately, giving them greater flexibility to manage their money and make time-sensitive payments. FedNow was designed to provide market choice for clearing and settling instant payments, in keeping with the Federal Reserve’s historical role of providing payment services alongside private-sector providers.

At Canright, we understand realtime and faster payments and can help provide guidance in the matter. Companies planning and offering realtime payments services to financial institutions and corporations will require training materials and product communication. We can help!

To learn more about our services, contact us at collin@canrightcommunications.com

Process documentation is the practice of recording and organizing the steps involved in a particular process, task, or procedure. It’s an essential part of any business, as it provides a way to share knowledge, streamline workflows, and ensure consistency in operations. In this guide, we’ll dive into the key elements of effective process documentation and how to implement them in your organization.

Identify the Process

The first step in creating effective process documentation is to identify the process you want to document. This could be any task or procedure within your organization, from onboarding new employees to managing inventory. Once you have identified the process, move on to define its scope and purpose. This will help ensure that your documentation is clear and concise and that it covers all the necessary steps.

Document Each Step

The next step is to document each step involved in the process. This includes any inputs, outputs, decisions, and actions required at each stage. Be sure to capture the sequence of steps in a logical and easy-to-follow manner. Use clear, concise language and avoid technical jargon or acronyms that may be unfamiliar to others.

Include Visual Aids

Visual aids such as flowcharts, diagrams, and screenshots can be incredibly helpful in illustrating the steps involved in a process. These can help users understand the process more quickly and easily and can also serve as a reference for troubleshooting or problem-solving.

Test and Refine the Process

Once you have documented the process, it is important to test it and refine it as needed. This may involve running simulations, conducting user testing, or making adjustments based on feedback from users. Continuously refining the process documentation ensures that it remains relevant and up-to-date.

Make it Accessible

To ensure that your process documentation is useful, it must be accessible to the right people at the right time. This means making it available through a central repository or document management system, as well as ensuring that it is easily searchable and discoverable. You may also want to consider integrating your process documentation with other tools or systems, such as project management software or knowledge management platforms.

Keep it Up-to-Date

Lastly, it’s important to keep your process documentation up-to-date. As your organization evolves and changes, so will your processes. Regularly reviewing and updating your process documentation ensures that it remains accurate and relevant, and that users have access to the most up-to-date information.

Effective process documentation is an essential part of any business, and can help streamline operations, ensure consistency, and improve overall efficiency. By following these best practices, you can create process documentation that is clear, concise, and useful to users at all levels of your organization.

To learn more about our services, contact us at collin@canrightcommunications.com

As part of our year-end review, we went through our Google Analytics to see which of our posts and articles performed the best. What struck me most in looking at the top five were their content types, as much as their subject.

1. Analytical Article. Disentangling the Crypto Crash of 2022 is a long-form technology brief we wrote to clarify the difference between digital asset technology and cryptocurrency decisions.  I distilled the analysis from sessions at two conferences. Articles like this demonstrate expertise and can be picked up by or placed in other publications. This version of the article appeared in the TabbForum. 

2. Trend Post. Wealth Technology that Personalizes Portfolios follows a staple of media reporting: the trends story. This piece grew out of a series of start-up presentations at the Morningstar Investment Conference. It provides a list of wealth technology firms while providing market context. We published it in our FinTech Rising blog.

3. Event Coverage. New Horizons in Cryptocurrency covers a session of the Chicago Payments Forum, which our firm produces. We use these articles to publicize payments forum events, establish our expertise in the payments industry, and showcase our event follow-up articles. These kinds of articles help build a community and provide post-event content.

4. How-To Explainer. API Marketing Strategy and Tactics is a blog post that grew out of two client conversations. We summarized the problems and presented some basic research in a digestible format. This post is leading us into a new service offering focused on API documentation.

5. Marketing Sheet. Aligning Business Goals with Technology is a straight marketing piece, and we were somewhat surprised to see it in the top five. Yet good sales pieces educate prospective buyers. Our goal here was to explain the concept of business alignment while showing how we approach it from a communications standpoint.

To learn more about our services, contact us at collin@canrightcommunications.com

As a new product or solution comes together, stakeholders may not have easy access to all the proposed software methodologies in one location. A Request for Comment (RFC) paper can help bring all development information together and act as a forum for stakeholders and teams to refine the new product or solution. This process can also help inform further decisions on how to proceed with development or to not continue a project.

Anatomy of a Request for Comment Paper

An RFC paper typically includes the following types of information:

• Overview: The overview includes a high-level description of what the new product or solution does. This section can also include links to any related documents or sites that explain the new product or solution.
• Architecture: The architecture section includes any architecture diagrams for the new product or solution, as well as more in-depth explanations of each part of the architecture.
• Testing: The testing section includes what is tested and how the testing is completed.
• Appendix: The appendix includes a list of the RFC paper recipients and when it was sent out for comment. A sub-section of the appendix lists all of the comments received from stakeholders, as well as any further discussion on those stakeholder comments.

The RFC Paper Process

The Request for Comment paper process begins with gathering all the information for the new product or solution, which might include sourcing existing documentation or developer/subject matter expert interview. This information is then formatted into the Overview, Architecture, and Testing sections as necessary.

Next, a first draft of the RFC paper is sent to any knowledgeable developers or subject matter experts to ensure accuracy. Once this first draft is approved, the RFC paper can be sent out to stakeholders for comment.

Comments are collated into the Appendix section as they are received. Any further discussion that arises from those comments is also included. A Request for Comment paper is considered “complete” when all stakeholders and development team members are able to add comments, discuss those comments further, and resolve issues with any proposals contained therein.

To learn more about our services, contact us at collin@canrightcommunications.com