Outline of Any White Paper:
A white paper in the high-tech industry is a technical document that describes how a technology or product solves a particular problem. It's a marketing document and a technical document, yet it doesn't go too far in either direction. A good white paper is informative and is designed to show off the advantages of a product or technology.

White papers are perhaps the most challenging type of technical document to write. They require a deep understanding both of a product's technology and of its application in solving a technical business problem. White papers are tuned specifically to:

· Show that the vendor understands customer problems;

· Describe the vendor's technology; and

· Explain why that technology is the customer's best choice among available products.

Define the target audience/market and the purpose of the white paper, i.e., whether it is to establish authority on a particular topic, or create awareness of an upcoming issue or trend, or to provide information that will help buyers make decisions and differentiate the company from the competition.

Define the message the white paper is going to deliver and ask yourself the reason why anyone would want to read it.

What Does a White Paper Usually Contain?

1. Current industry problems/trends: Begin with a description of the broadest issues and trends in the industry that will introduce the reader to the topic. Then move on to discussing the specific attributes of the solution.

2. Technology: Description of the technology if necessary.

3. How the service offered or the new technology or business model works.

4. Benefits/application/ROI/case studies.

5. Visual appeal: Add graphics, charts and images to break the monotony of reading text and also tools to understand the topic better.

6. How to choose a solution/vendor if applicable.

7. Summary.

White Paper Don'ts:

1. Avoid using technical acronyms and other difficult terminology.

2. Avoid technical complexity.

3. Avoid writing a user manual.

Example 2

Creating a customer focused White Paper

A White Paper is a brief report designed to improve your opportunity to win contract work by influencing your customer early. The White Paper may attempt to sway customer preparation of Requests for Proposal (RFP)—a rather near-term activity—or focus on the longer term by endeavoring to guide the customer toward an innovative Independent Research and Development (IR&D) project. But as Lloyd Mosemann (Corporate Lessons Learned) has pointed out repeatedly--thorough knowledge of your customer is critical to winning contract awards. Such knowledge is the basis for a White Paper.

What is contained in a White Paper?

No particular format is required, but the White Paper should contain the following items:

· Provide a carefully crafted statement of your customer’s problem or issue.

· Include a brief history of the situation leading to the customer issue.

· Incorporate a discussion of your method of solving the customer issue. If possible, include examples of related work that have been performed previously—that would solidify your position as the proper, and perhaps only, problem solver.

· Prepare a conclusion from your discussion that summarizes your solution in a form that can be easily understood by your customer.

· Keep the White Paper to 10 pages or less. Clear, simple graphics (not clip art) are good.

What steps are necessary before submission of White Paper?

· It is imperative to arrange for two distinctively separate types of reviews of your White Paper—editorial review and technical review.

· Obtain management approval and buy-in.

What post-submission activity should be pursued?

· Visit the customer—determine the reaction to your White Paper.

· Determine if further refinement is useful—or perhaps modification, or splitting your topic into additional papers.