Help System Changes

We're making changes to your help resources for Datamine Studio products.

Why are we doing this?

Essentially, it's time for a new format that will adapt well to emerging web technologies, to ensure you can get to the support you need as quickly as possible in a growing range of Studio products. Datamine has access to a wealth of authoring and instruction design expertise and technologies, so it's time to make good use of both.

We've listened to feedback from our users over the years and this has determined the direction we're taking with information delivery. Studio help files have traditionally been packed with a high volume of information, collated over many years, and there is a clear need to review the existing content, make it clearer and more concise and make it relevant to day-to-day mining operations. You want to find answers quickly, without have to wade through layers of content that isn't relevant to you at the time.

Our campaign to renew and replace context-sensitive and conceptual documentation is underway, and is part of a bigger initiative to streamline both support and software deployment.

For help files, this means new format documentation that adheres to the following key principles:

  • Simplified technical content: Concise, accurate information. Less words, more content.

  • Improved structure and layout: Access appropriate information easily. Improved search. Web delivery.

  • Procedural documentation: Information on how and whyto use a function, not simply describing what a field, button or other control does. There will be detailed activities that represent a typical or recommended usage of a tool, supported by conceptual topics that provide a deeper understanding. 

  • Information systems access: A more holistic approach to learning, where e-Learning, social media, knowledge base, forums can be accessed from anywhere and any device.

  • Domain-relevant information: Focussing on our software in your operations, help is designed to be relevant to your working day. Of course, we can't cover every possible use case, but we can provide activities and examples that reflect typical application usage.

  • Scalability: We have big plans for our learning resources, including making it easier to connect with a global user base for support and offering a practical platform to share your expertise and feedback. Ultimately, the plan is to bring all learning resources together using a simple, shareable platform.

Note: There are many topics to update (over 5,000) which will take time to review and update. During this transitional phase, you will see help topics appearing in a mixture of formats.