IETM is a technical manual authored in a digital form on a suitable medium, by means of an automated system designed for electronic screen display for the end-user
A large volume of technical data is generated in technical fields like engineering and aerospace development. Implementation of Interactive Electronic Technical Manual/Publication (IETM/IETP) formats can make the process of development, maintenance, and deployment of technical data easier.
Today, the traditional paper-based manuals are becoming older and several organizations are moving away from this technique and moving towards the conversion of technical documents to digital format. The older generation of IETMs followed a conventional book format that had a table of contents, numbered pages, and indexed data. On the other hand, the modern technical publication is much more data-driven rather than being page-oriented. This exhibits evolution over the years.
The content follows a hierarchical structure in Class IV and V IETMs which is precisely designed for electronic manual and is cross-referenced for easy recuperation. Furthermore, the data is stored in a relational or object-oriented database, ensuring that the updated information is disseminated throughout the system, unlike the older IETMs where changes were needed to be done individually in the target sections.
In this regard, Sonovision Data Conversion and IETM solutions have been designed to provide a higher level of functionality, leading to greater user productivity and efficiency. This efficiency is taken to another level with the manual being delivered electronically and its deployment and distribution becoming more effective. There are also other tangible benefits of IETMs and IETPs from the business point of view.
Electronic manuals, for instance, reduce or eliminate the costs of printing and shipping and also speed up the distribution of information of importance to the users and the support personnel. Another remarkable benefit is the data reusability since the content only needs to be written one time and reused in other sections. This saves both time and money.
Properly authored IETMs enable operators to locate information more effectively than paper manuals. The elements of technical information constituting the technical manual are so complex and interrelated that the user’s access to the information is facilitated to a large extent and is achievable through many paths. Another characteristic of IETMs is that the display devices can function interactively in providing procedural guidance and navigation, directions, and supplemental information.
Hence, in this way, IETM enables easy access to technical information, illustrations, and videos, allowing the users to access it quicker than the paper manuals.
