Manual Standardization AI Development Supporting AI Utilization, RAG Implementation, and AI Proofreading Support

Why is there a renewed demand for organizing in-house manuals now? First, let's organize the main background.

1-1. Eliminate personalization and ensure organizational stability
The state of "personalization," where only specific personnel understand the business processes, is a major issue in many workplaces. When operations depend on individuals, there is a risk of variability in service quality, as well as stagnation of work due to the absence or sudden resignation of the person in charge.
By organizing in-house manuals, these risks can be avoided. Creating an environment where anyone can perform tasks with consistent quality not only protects customer trust but also reduces the psychological burden on the person responsible.

1-2. Addressing Labor Shortages, Improving Training Efficiency, and Enabling Diverse Work Styles
The labor shortage caused by the declining birthrate and aging population is an unavoidable challenge. To continue delivering results with limited personnel, new members must be quickly brought up to speed. In organizations with insufficient manuals, training tends to rely heavily on on-the-job training (OJT), but OJT not only places a heavy burden on the trainers, it also carries the risk that the training content will be influenced by the subjective views of the instructors.
Having a well-structured internal manual helps reduce training costs. Additionally, it makes it easier to introduce diverse work styles such as telework and shortened working hours, which can lead to securing talented personnel and improving retention rates.

1-3. Building the Foundation for DX Promotion and Further Evolving Operations
The essence of DX is not merely the introduction of tools, but the transformation of business processes through digital technology. However, implementing systems without internal manuals and without visualizing operations is likely to cause confusion on the ground and make it difficult to achieve the expected effects.
Taking stock of the current business flow (As-Is) and organizing unnecessary steps and redundancies during the manual creation process is an important preparatory step for the success of DX. By understanding the overall picture of operations through internal manuals, it becomes clear where automation (RPA) or new systems should be introduced, accelerating the digitalization of the entire organization.

As such, the development of internal manuals plays an important role in resolving personalization, improving the efficiency of training, and promoting DX. However, in reality, there are many concerns such as "even though manuals are carefully created, they are not used." Why is manual creation so difficult? In the next chapter, let's organize the causes.

Many companies that have started organizing manuals face challenges such as "they are created but not read" and "operations do not run smoothly."
I often hear from clients, "We have created manuals, but they are not being read..." When I actually look at clients' manuals and interview them about how they create and use manuals, there are common "stumbling blocks."

2-1. The Biggest Cause of Stumbling is Ambiguity in Target and Purpose
A fundamental reason why internal manual creation fails is often that, before writing skills come into play, it is unclear "who will use the manual, when, and for what purpose."
If this is not clarified, everything—from the table of contents structure, the selection of information to include, to the terminology used—depends entirely on the author's subjective judgment. As a result, the manual's content diverges from the information the reader seeks, leading to situations where "the information I want is not included" or "I don't know where to read."

2-2. Other Common Pitfalls
In addition to the ambiguity of the target and purpose, manuals that are not used often exhibit the following characteristics.

1. Making creation the goal itself: When the act of preparing the manual becomes the goal, usability in the field tends to become secondary. There are many cases where people are satisfied with creating a thick document, resulting in poor searchability and making it difficult to use in actual work.

2. Writing style and level of detail are inconsistent: When multiple people are involved in creating the manual, it is common for terminology definitions and the level of detail in procedure descriptions to be inconsistent. If one section is written in great detail while another only contains rough information, this variation not only makes the manual difficult to read and understand but may also lead readers to think, "This manual is not trustworthy."

3. Updates and maintenance are not considered: A manual is not something that is "finished once created." If it is not properly updated in line with changes in work procedures, there is a risk that it will become a "negative legacy" that causes mistakes based on outdated information.

So, what characteristics do manuals that are actually used in the field have?
The next chapter will organize these key points.

Manuals that are utilized in the field share several common traits. The main points are as follows.

3-1. The Manual’s Structure Is Linked to the Work Process
It is important that the manual is organized by phases and objectives of the work, allowing intuitive access to the necessary information. Ideally, just by looking at the table of contents, the reader should be able to grasp the overall picture of the work. Additionally, pathways to related materials and required forms should be prepared in advance so that information outside the manual is also accessible.
Organize the structure of information inside and outside the manual so that readers do not have to search around portal sites or servers.

3-2. The granularity and expressions of information are unified
Information varies in granularity, ranging from abstract levels like overviews to specific operations such as "clicking a button." It is important to organize and decide up to which level to describe based on the target audience. Additionally, expressions like "press the button," "push the button," and "click the button" should be standardized throughout the entire manual. This prevents discrepancies in the reader’s interpretation and also improves readability.

3-3. There is a system for continuous updates
Having a system that allows easy feedback submission on the manual, as well as incorporating regular reviews into the business process, are important factors to prevent the manual from becoming obsolete. I often tell clients, "Let's also establish rules for managing the manual after its completion." In particular, it is recommended to decide on the frequency and triggers for updates, as well as appoint a person responsible for leading the update tasks.

3-4. Organizational Quality Standards (Standards) Are Defined
To maintain the quality of manuals, it is important to establish organizational standards. By preparing common guidelines and templates, a certain level of quality can be ensured regardless of who creates the manual.

So far, we have organized the common points of manuals that are actually used. Next, let's look at the specific steps to proceed with manual development. The approach introduced here is practiced by professionals in manual creation.

Step 1: Clarify the Manual’s Target Audience, Usage Scenarios, and Purpose
First, decide "who," "when," and "for what purpose" the manual will be used. Clarify the proficiency level of the target readers (whether they are new employees or experienced staff), the scenarios in which the manual will be accessed (whether it will be read like a textbook from the beginning or used to quickly find specific information during work), and the purpose for creating the manual.
By establishing this framework, you create criteria to determine how much information to include in the manual and the level of detail to provide.

Step 2: Identify and Organize the Information to be Included
Clarify the information that should be documented, such as business workflows and operational procedures. At this stage, simply listing the steps is not enough. It is also important to identify cautions about "what should not be done" in practice, useful supplementary notes, task completion deadlines, and response policies for irregular situations (such as contact points).
If the target audience defined in Step 1 is new employees, include an overview and the overall picture of the work as well.

Step 3: Create the Table of Contents Structure
Instead of starting to write the main text right away, first create the table of contents structure. To help readers quickly find the information they need, set a theme for each chapter and give concise and easy-to-understand headings. By finalizing the overall structure and flow of information at the table of contents stage, you can prevent logical inconsistencies and duplication of information.
A detailed explanation on how to create an easy-to-understand table of contents is provided in the blog below. Please take a look.
[Manual Creation Introduction] Breaking Free from "Can't Find What I Want to Know"! Tips for Creating a Table of Contents that Enhances Manual Searchability | Human Science Co., Ltd.

Step 4: Writing
Once the table of contents structure is finalized, begin writing. Keep the text concise and add supplementary explanations for technical terms and in-house jargon as needed. Utilize diagrams, tables, and screenshots to make the content visually easier to understand.
For those who want to learn more about creating clear and easy-to-understand manuals, please also check out the following blogs.
[Explained by Field Staff!] 3 Key Points for Creating Easy-to-Read Business Manuals | Human Science Co., Ltd.
[Manual Creation Introduction] What Is Clear Manual Design? | Human Science Co., Ltd.
The Importance of Formatting in Manual Production – From the Perspectives of Readers and Writers | Human Science Co., Ltd.

Up to this point, we have reviewed the process of creating manuals that are easy for humans to understand and useful in practical work. On the other hand, in recent business environments, the perspective of organizing manuals with the premise that AI will utilize them has also become important. In the next chapter, we will organize the approach to manual preparation with a view to leveraging AI and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation).

Recently, as the use of generative AI and RAG has rapidly expanded, internal manuals have increasingly taken on the role of not only "documents for humans to read" but also important "data assets" that enable AI to derive accurate answers. Here, we explain the importance of manual quality, which determines the success or failure of AI utilization.

5-1. AI Cannot Correct Errors in Manuals
AI excels at summarizing information and presenting relevant sections in response to questions, but it does not rewrite inaccurate manuals correctly. In fact, if AI refers to manuals containing inappropriate information, there is a heightened risk of outputting incorrect information (hallucination). To effectively utilize AI, it is essential that the manuals it references are accurate and logically consistent.

5-2. The Quality of Manuals Affects the Accuracy of RAG Responses
When building RAG, it is said that the accuracy of its responses largely depends on the quality of the referenced documents and data (including manuals). Duplicate information, contradictions, unclear subjects, or unstructured documents can significantly degrade AI’s processing capabilities. To enable AI to correctly understand manuals, it is essential to properly structure the information and summarize it concisely with one clear meaning per sentence.
The following column also explains how to improve the accuracy of RAG responses. Please take a look.
Introducing Methods to Improve the Accuracy of RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)! The Importance of Document Preparation – Manual Standardization Supporting AI Utilization, AI Development, RAG Implementation, AI Proofreading Support Special Site | Human Science Co., Ltd.

5-3. The Goal: Manuals That Are Easy to Understand for Both Humans and AI
This way of thinking leads to the conclusion that, in the coming era, manuals are not only "for humans to read" but also "for AI to process correctly."

For companies that are about to introduce AI and RAG and aim to further improve efficiency and automation in their operations, standardized, high-quality manuals become extremely valuable data. Especially in the era of AI, dedicating time and effort to thoroughly organize internal manuals will likely be a critically important investment for the successful implementation of AI in the future.

For example, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation has been advancing a fundamental overhaul of their manuals with a view to AI utilization, aiming to build a knowledge management system that enhances productivity across the entire company.
• Background: Dissatisfaction voiced in internal surveys and the limitations of tacit knowledge transfer due to an increase in mid-career hires
• Scale: Approximately 50 manuals, totaling 3,000 pages, were organized over one year
• Effect: The accuracy of responses from the RAG chatbot dramatically improved, receiving high praise from the field for providing "precise answers"

You can read the full interview article with Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation below.
They shared detailed insights about their initiatives, the reasons for selecting Human Science as their partner, and behind-the-scenes of the project that supported company-wide reform. Please take a look!
"Documents Easy to Understand for Both Humans and AI" and the Establishment of a Knowledge Management System | Case Study | Human Science Co., Ltd.

Human Science supports the document preparation for customers implementing RAG from both perspectives of technical communication: "easy for humans to understand" × "easy for AI to process."
RAG Implementation Support – Manual Standardization Supporting AI Utilization, AI Development, RAG Implementation, AI Proofreading Support Special Site | Human Science Co., Ltd.

Human Science provides one-stop support from creating Japanese manuals to English translation. We have a long track record of handling numerous manuals since 1985. If you have any of the following needs, please feel free to contact us.
• Want to improve existing Japanese or English manuals to make them easier to understand
• Considering creating English manuals and want to proceed step-by-step starting from Japanese manuals
• Want to translate internally created Japanese manuals into English for use

Feature ①: Extensive Manual Production Experience Centered on Large and Global Companies
Human Science has accumulated manual production experience across a wide range of fields, mainly in the manufacturing and IT industries. We have served prestigious companies such as DOCOMO Technology, Inc., Yahoo Japan Corporation, and Yamaha Corporation as clients.
Manual Production Case Studies | Human Science

Feature ②: From Research and Analysis to Output by Experienced Consultants
The creation of business manuals is handled by Human Science’s proud, experienced consultants. Skilled consultants propose clearer and more effective manuals based on their extensive experience and the materials provided. Additionally, it is possible to create manuals even from stages where information is not yet organized. The assigned consultant will conduct hearings and create the most suitable manual.
Manual Evaluation, Analysis, and Improvement Proposal Service | Human Science

Feature ③: Emphasis Not Only on Manual Creation but Also on Adoption Support
Human Science focuses not only on manual creation but also on the important stage of “adoption.” Even after manual creation, we support the adoption of manuals through regular updates and manual creation seminars. Through a variety of measures, we assist in the effective utilization of manuals in the field.
Manual Creation Seminar | Human Science
Thank you for reading to the end.
We hope this column provides helpful hints for creating easy-to-understand manuals and utilizing AI.