What is technical documentation?
Technical documentation covers all information describing a product across its entire lifecycle – from development and operation to disposal. It splits into two areas:
| Internal documentation | External documentation |
|---|---|
| Risk assessment | Operating manual / instructions for use |
| Design drawings, calculations, circuit diagrams | Assembly and installation instructions |
| Test reports and evidence | Maintenance and service instructions |
| EU declaration of conformity (copy), list of standards | Spare parts catalog and parts list |
Internal documentation – the technical documentation in the sense of the Machinery Regulation – must be kept available for market surveillance authorities. External documentation goes to the customer. Both are based on the same product data. That is exactly where proquodo comes in.
Why automate technical documentation?
At many machine and plant manufacturers, documentation is still largely manual: BOMs are exported from ERP, images rendered from CAD, item numbers placed by hand and everything assembled in word processors or layout tools. That doesn’t just cost time – it creates inconsistencies as soon as the design changes.
- Time: documentation becomes the bottleneck before delivery.
- Quality: manual transfer leads to wrong part numbers and outdated images.
- Cost: every language version multiplies effort and coordination.
- Liability: incomplete safety information is a legal risk.
proquodo generates documentation where the data originates – and keeps it in sync with every change.
Creating an operating manual with proquodo – step by step
- Import data: proquodo reads the assembly structure, BOM, part properties and 3D model from your source systems.
- Pick a template: chapter structure, layout, safety notes and standard text come from your template – matched to product family and target market.
- Add content: AI helps with structure and wording; your team reviews and adds machine-specific content.
- Translate: already translated modules and part names are reused; only new content is translated.
- Publish: output as PDF, HTML or XML – or as digital instructions in the online catalog, linked to the specific machine.
Machinery Regulation tip: from 20 January 2027, instructions may be provided digitally – if they are downloadable, printable and available for at least 10 years. All requirements at a glance →
Who is proquodo for?
proquodo is made for manufacturers of engineering-driven products with many variants – wherever documentation is based on CAD and BOM data and needs frequent updates: