Product Documentation Program Management

The Home Depot

Overview

The Home Depot (THD) was looking for a partner to establish product documentation standards for its growing line of private label products and then, working with its suppliers, ensure compliance with these standards on an ongoing basis. Contiem created a set of templates for each of THD’s private label brands and an all-brand style guide to ensure a consistent look and feel and a positive experience for the consumer.

Contiem and THD targeted 7,000 private label SKUs to adopt the new standards. It was essential that Contiem initially work with THD to develop the workflow, program reporting, and project management structure:

• Contiem uses a combination of THD internal processes and systems and Contiem systems (e.g., project management and tracking metrics that support the key performance indicators such as unit cost and time to complete) to establish the workflow and processes.
• Contiem quickly and efficiently handles the instruction manual needs of hundreds of THD suppliers, while giving them confidence in our program expertise by providing cost- and time-effective solutions.
• Contiem provides language translations as an optional service.

The Contiem Program Manager oversees the workflow, manages the production team, and handles escalations and process changes in order to adapt to the dynamic THD environment.

Contiem has a team of technical writers and illustrators who development the documentation or review manuals that suppliers have created using the templates and style guide Contiem provides them.

Communication

Contiem works with suppliers as well as THD Global Operations Managers, Product Engineers and Managers, Brand Managers, Product Development Managers, Senior Quality Engineers, Product Development Merchants, and Onsite Packaging Managers to meet onboarding and shipment deadlines.

Contiem tracks all manuals that are developed or reviewed and provides details to THD as needed. Communication takes place daily with suppliers, and since Contiem owns the process, THD is able to maintain a “hands-off” relationship with their suppliers’ product documentation.

Support

Contiem has worked with hundreds of suppliers that are located largely in the U.S., Canada, China, and Mexico and has developed and reviewed thousands of Use & Care Guides for a variety of products. The Contiem approach allows the suppliers to enter the process in a number of ways: THD suppliers can ship a product so that Contiem can complete, then document, the product assembly and operation; Contiem can work with engineering drawings and specifications; Contiem can ensure that supplier-created product documentation adheres to the THD standards. Contiem has worked with:

• Outdoor/Indoor furniture
• Bathroom furnishings
• Garden and patio equipment
• Holiday products
• Digital meters and inflators
• Ceiling fans and lighting products

Results

Contiem typically processes documentation for over 100 products per month for THD. Throughout the THD/Contiem partnership, Contiem has been able to create efficiencies in two main areas:

• Reducing the number of THD customer complaint calls by 80% due to the development streamlining and accuracy of the consumer documentation.
• Reducing the time to complete the documentation, which also simplifies the onboarding process and allows products to reach the market more quickly.

Contiem continues to work with THD and its suppliers to accommodate highly urgent projects by providing cost- and time-effective solutions.