SmartSignal Corporation

The Client:

SmartSignal Corporation is the leader in Predictive Technology. Their Equipment Condition Monitoring™ (ECM) software,  helps companies assess the health of critical business assets through real-time monitoring and prediction. Using SmartSignal’s software, clients such as Arizona Public Service, Dynegy, Delta Air Lines, Entergy and General Motors Electro-Motive Division, can avoid catastrophic failures, increase capacity, and improve overall return on assets.

The Problem:

When SmartSignal was ready to release an early version of their software, they knew they needed top notch documentation. So, they contracted a documentation team that included LDI. The challenge was to communicate an intricate modeling process to a highly technical audience. In addition to this, SmartSignal wanted to integrate the documentation with their package design.

The Result:

During the document design phase, Logical Directions suggested using a flowchart metaphor in which each chapter included an overview of the flowchart that highlights the reader’s position in the process.

Logical Directions didn’t stop there. When SmartSignal was designing packaging for their software, they wanted to leave room to accommodate an increase in the size of the documentation when future versions were released. However, this left an extra space and SmartSignal was looking for a way to keep the eCM User’s Manual from flopping around in the package. Considering the primary audience for SmartSignal’s products is engineers, LDI suggested that they print pads of graph paper with SmartSignal’s logo.

Other software companies might have filled the extra space with padding, but, with our suggestion, SmartSignal used that space to create an asset with their branding that its customers have a reason to keep on their desk.