moving the organization_apr2012
DESCRIPTION
Moving the Organization to Collaborative or Structured AuthoringAudience: Project managers and other technical communicatorsPresented 25 April 2012 as part of STC webinar seriesOutline:- What is collaborative or structured authoring?- The steps for planning and executing the transition from traditional authoring- Putting it all into perspectiveTRANSCRIPT
Moving the Organizationto Collaborative
or Structured Authoring
Larry Kunz@larry_kunz
25 April 2012
About me
• 30+ years in Tech Comm• Writer, architect, manager• STC Fellow
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Outline
• What do I mean by collaborative or structured authoring?
• Moving the organization (stages)• Putting it all together
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Structured authoring
Principle 1: Collaboration• You’ll work on pieces instead of whole
documents.• Multiple writers work together on the same
sections (chapters or appendixes).
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Structured authoring
Principle 2: Elements and attributes• Content has associated semantic
elements and attributes.• Styles are applied when the content is
published.
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Structured authoring
Principle 3: Reuse• Develop information once and use it in
multiple places• Topic- or element-level• Benefits: efficiency and consistency• Sometimes called single-sourcing
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Structured authoring
The business case• Cost savings through:
–Efficiency–Single-sourcing–Lower translation costs–Automated publishing process
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Structured authoring
The business case• Customer satisfaction through:
– Greater number of output formats– More nimble publishing process– Community-generated content
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Structured authoring
What it means to the writers• Probably new tools• The business case• Collaboration• Topics, not books• Different ownership model
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Methodologies for structured authoring
Two examples
• DITA http://dita.xml.org/
• S1000D http://www.s1000d.org/
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How do I move the organization?
1. Evaluate
2. Architect
3. Refine processes
4. Train
5. Roll out
6. Assess
7. Adjust
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Evaluate
• Future needs/business objectives• Needs of the audience• The financial landscape• Skills you have in-house
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Evaluate
• Current content• Current workflow• Current information flow• Current pains
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Architect
Is there a content strategy?• If so, align with it• If not, collaborative/structured authoring
makes it easier to devise one
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Architect
Architect for:• Topic structure• Relationships among topics• Reuse• Expected publishing formats• Content management
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Refine processes
• Planning• Authoring• Editing• Reviewing• Approving• Translating• Publishing
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Refine processes
• Find the gap between existing and ideal• Prioritize (pick your battles)• Ensure new processes allow for
collaborative, topic-based writing• Get buy in for all changes from all
stakeholders• Align new processes with current workflow
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Refine processes
• Have an implementationroadmap
• Communicate the roadmapto all stakeholders
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Refine processes
Reviews and approvals:• Not too rigorous, not too light• Must meet legal and regulatory
requirements• Use the software
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Refine processes
• Pick the right tools for the job• One size does not fit all• Consider:
–The current environment–How the tools work together–The workflow you’ve developed
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Train
Training is indispensible!
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Train
• Tailor to each set of stakeholders• Like a marketing campaign• Don’t rush it
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Illustration: www.startwithwhy.com
Train
For the writing team:• Structured authoring fundamentals• Practical, hands-on training• Soon enough, but not too soon
For the technical staff:• Description of XSLTs, schemas
For SMEs and reviewers:• Processes & tools for reviews/approvals
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Roll out
• Time it to align with project schedules• Pilot projects are ideal
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Assess
• Be sensitive to the mood• Relax: You won’t get everything right the
first time
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Adjust
• Have a Plan B in your desk drawer• Fall back to the old way• Leave some processes alone for now• Recalibrate and try again
I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
- Thomas Edison
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Putting it All Together
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Evaluate
Architect
Refine processes
TrainRoll out
Assess
Adjust
Putting it All Together
It doesn’t all happen overnight• Set a realistic timeline• Manage expectations• Monitor and assess constantly
Don’t be deterred by failure
DIY or hire a consultant?
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Q&A
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