Case Study: Implementing Single Sourcing – how NOT to do it!

Jo Levitt – Single-Sourcing Evangelist and occasional Technical Writer

How do you choose?

Analyse current problems and requirements Build a business case Look for solutions to problems –preferably by

changing processes as well as tools Try tools where possible

Comparison

Two scenarios, two approaches Common need, different reasons

Case 1 – HP Indigo Division

Why Single Source?

Recognised level of duplication and rework Translation growing, starting to become

unmanageable and expensive

HP Slow Change Process

Careful investigation Needed strong business case

Bouncing solution!

First Author-it Then separate components to create the

best overall system Discovered had to use in-house system

(Cheetah)

Decision not Action

Lull of around 6 months while Cheetah team analysed our doc set

Management and writing team lost interest

Catalyst

Help needed in Chinese/Japanese – RoboHelp not up to it

Suddenly needed a new help system Decided to go with Cheetah This decided the pilot and made the

implementation happen

Implementation

External company converted RoboHelp content to Cheetah XML

Cheetah team developed web help output for us

In-house training from Cheetah evangelists (non-professional trainers)

Implementation

Created process for DB export/import for translation

Translators without XML experience

Cleanup

Resizing images Text in images > numbers and tables Styles weren’t mapped correctly Structure issues One 400 topic help file took about 3 weeks to

clean up

Slow uptake

So we had Help in Cheetah

Much later decided to convert a user guide

Another major cleanup Still only 2/7 team

members using it But not single sourced

Real use

Increasing workload, more languages required – changed translators

Retrained other team members Each new user guide went in Gradually introduced other doc types

Case 2 – BigBand Networks

Why Single Source?

Duplication Help issues Possible web

access

Planned and got on with it

Decided on Author-it with FrameMaker output Chose a small project pilot and agreed that it

looked good Professional training for whole team Reached summer work lull and went ahead with

full conversion

Implementation Planning

Started with pilot but then converted many docs at once ourselves

Brought in contractor for 1 month to help External company to create FrameMaker output

system

Import Process

Took time to develop good import process – pilot hadn’t covered many scenarios

Training didn’t cover import process in depth. This was our first experience of the tool

Large books caused import problems. Importing partial books lost links

Cleaning Up Input

Tables don’t import well from FrameMaker and we spent a lot of time correcting them

Graphics needed resizing Import highlighted our FrameMaker

inconsistencies

Command descriptions – style 1

Command Description – Style 2

Setbacks – Some Expected

Resistance from some writers Not enough support – installation and use Difficulties with graphics Localization slow response Frustrations with output Slow end-to-end process Steep learning curve

BBND Biggest Setback

Frame Output company unprofessional Didn’t investigate our needs Didn’t deliver on time Costing more and more Couldn’t see the end Abandoned it for traditional Word output

Creating Word Output in a Hurry

Don’t try this at home! Thank-goodness we had support from

Tech-Tav Came close to failing deadlines (Thank-you

Miriam and Rose) Now, 3 months later, still need to clean up

Benefits

Changes propagated across books Enormous savings on translation

Benefits

Easy to build new documents from existing elements

Consolidated docs so less to manage Simpler Help development process Possibility of web delivery in future

Lessons Learnt

Every system has bugs Ask lots of questions Talk to people who’ve done it Don’t expect too much from the pilot

Lessons Learnt - Training

Ideally training should teach an explanation of the process from start to finish:– How to bring previously written documents into

the system– How to set the document structure up– How to produce the required output

Lessons Learnt

Try not to be different Clean up as much as you can before

conversion Use translators with experience of (and

preferable access to) your system Keep the momentum going

Conclusion

Both companies now successfully single-sourcing and getting major benefits