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Subject:Re: need advice on binding From:Richard Lippincott <rlippinc -at- BEV -dot- ETN -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 25 Oct 1994 09:44:01 EDT
Kim Ferri talked about the problems with 3-ring binder format manuals.
I worked on military manuals for about ten years, because of the exact
same situation you mentioned (many updates to existing manuals).
You're right about all three problems, and I can't solve those for you in
any simple manner. I can, however, offer a suggestion or two about the
problem of customers losing pages.
You'll never prevent that, but you can install a tracking method that will
help the customer determine if they have all current pages. In MILSPEC
manuals, it's called an "A-page" (because the pages don't have numbers, they're
tracked by letters.) The A-page lists all the pages in the manual, and also
what date/change is the most current.
For example, the A-page on the basic issue of a 100-page manual might say:
Pages 1-100: Basic issue, June 1, 1994
Three months later, you revise ten pages in the book. You re-do the A-page
to read:
Pages 1-67: Basic issue, June 1, 1994
Pages 68-79: Change 1, 1 September 1994
Pages 80-100 Basic issue, June 1, 1994.
I can provide written examples, and more details, if you wish. It doesn't
help the overhead problem, but it it a tracking tool
Good luck
Rick Lippincott
Eaton Semiconductor
rlippinc -at- bev -dot- etn -dot- com
