10 Ways DITA Can Help Drive a Unified Strategy
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The document discusses how DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) can enhance a unified content strategy in enterprises by promoting structured content, improving content reuse, and increasing localization efficiencies. It outlines the benefits of adopting DITA, including vendor neutrality, integrated work sharing, and the transformation of content into a valuable corporate asset. Overall, leveraging DITA can lead to more efficient content management, better collaboration, and significant cost savings across various departments.
10 Ways DITA Can Help Drive a Unified Strategy
- 1. Bernard Aschwanden www.publishingsmarter.com [email protected] 10 Ways DITA Can Help Drive a Unified Content Strategy
- 2. About the Presenter 18:03@aschwanden4stc Publishing Smarter: President Content strategist, publishing technologies expert, author, and geek-enough Certified Technical Trainer Content management Topic-based writing Structured content (e.g. DITA) Society for Technical Communications Past President STC Associate Fellow 2
- 3. 10 Ways DITA Can Help Drive a Unified Strategy 18:03@aschwanden4stc 3
- 4. Drive the Strategy 18:03@aschwanden4stc 4 From planning and creation to reviews and delivery We’re the experts in the room Actually, we’re the experts in the enterprise Structured content is the best way to strategically optimize your content Separates content from format Frees content from format, and from any tool or proprietary format Allows intelligent reuse, multi-channel publishing, efficiencies in translation, and all sorts of enhancements when delivering to end users Provides a mark up of content Semantic elements and metadata Lead to high levels of consistency and lower maintenance efforts Ready for XML… ‘behind-the-scenes’ XML gives structured content all of its superpowers In technical communication that means DITA
- 5. DITA 18:03@aschwanden4stc 5 There was a time we could not do much when it came to Strategizing with the rest of the enterprise Pooling our tools, processes, and content We are seeing DITA adoption from many expected and unexpected divisions, from Training and Support to Academic Publishers, Aerospace, Logistics Operations, Manufacturing, Development, Medical Devices and Services, and Insurance
- 6. Why DITA 18:03@aschwanden4stc 6 DITA is the accepted industry standard for creating structured content Intuitive and friendly approach to guided authoring Breaks content down into manageable, reusable, information-typed blocks Authoring and reuse benefits far outweigh the initial investment and effort of transitioning Separates content from format DITA is perfectly poised to bring a much-needed evolution to enterprise content making it easier to deliver The right information To the right people At the right time In the right format Enabling the right decision
- 7. Enterprise-level Impact 18:03@aschwanden4stc 7 A unified, DITA-driven, enterprise-wide approach to content can have a profound impact on the enterprise Content created by the enterprise must be treated as a valued and valuable corporate asset It’s a win-win-win situation More efficient for the enterprise Easier for the content creators End users reap the real benefits; what they need, when, where and how they need it
- 9. Reuse 18:03@aschwanden4stc 9 Content reuse is the most obvious benefit You can reuse a small (or large) chunk of content or image wherever you need it without having to copy/paste DITA’s reuse model versus the old copy/paste method is equivalent to the difference between attaching a document in an email and referencing documents stored on a server Think about updating and maintaining those documents over time There are distinct advantages to storing a document in a shared repository and having everyone access it in a collaborative manner
- 10. Reuse and DITA 18:03@aschwanden4stc 10 DITA takes this idea further by storing content outside of the typical multi-page document and in small bits, called topics Anyone can assemble these topics in any order and in any combination This assembly can then be published to any format When a source topic is updated, it gets updated everywhere it is used
- 11. Enterprise-level Reuse 18:03@aschwanden4stc 11 A good unified content strategy considers all the assets and all the possible ways they can be reused across the enterprise Marketing, training, support, and technical documentation all likely have significant overlap in the subjects they create content for, although the level of detail and the end user can differ DITA’s flexibility can handle both the similarities and the changes
- 13. Content vs Format 18:03@aschwanden4stc 13 DITA separates content from format An author or translator doesn’t have to manually format text They use semantic tagging Let publishing tools format Immediate and large savings when it comes to localization Translators don’t consider the look and feel of the content They just translate the words
- 14. Translation and Reuse 18:03@aschwanden4stc 14 Combine DITA’s reuse: translators only translate content once no matter how many places you use it Cost and management of translation are reduced Savings in this area can be phenomenal—with careful planning and implementation
- 15. Translation and Graphics 18:03@aschwanden4stc 15 SVG (Scalable Vector Graphic) images can ensure translating graphics is easy Provide a text layer distinct from the image layer No more re-creating the graphic with translated content Smarter, more efficient ways of dealing with content for translation introduces profound savings, multiplied by the number of languages translated to
- 16. Translation and a CCMS 18:03@aschwanden4stc 16 A CCMS (+DITA) can help automate management of translated content Introduce more sophisticated translation mechanisms, such as automatic alerts when source language content has been updated You know when translation is required Can be an integrated delivery mechanism with the translation vendor Translated packages can be delivered, translated, and re-integrated
- 17. 3. Vendor Interchange and Tool Neutrality 18:03@aschwanden4stc 17
- 18. No One Owns DITA 18:03@aschwanden4stc 18 DITA is an open standard Managed and maintained by OASIS committees made up of industry experts working as volunteers DITA is not a tool—it’s a framework that can be used by anyone and any product that supports it
- 19. Vendor Neutral 18:03@aschwanden4stc 19 DITA’s position as a vendor-neutral standard means that you use the tools you need without risking vendor lock-in No proprietary formats There’s an array of DITA tools for various parts of the content lifecycle In general, quality DITA tools help you author, manage, review, and publish content They do so without adding any proprietary code You can link tools together—use a suite of tools, passing the DITA XML from one to the other, to achieve the result that works best for your enterprise
- 20. 4. Integrated Work Sharing 18:03@aschwanden4stc 20
- 21. Share the Work 18:03@aschwanden4stc 21 Long documents become small, modular pieces Assemble at publish time Content ownership changes and one person is no longer directly controlling content throughout its lifecycle Introduce the modular writing of DITA Dive into collaborative, workflow-controlled content creation Share review processes broadly Allows many individuals to contribute to a single “document,” while maintaining consistency Add a good CCMS and authors have access to shared content and allow subject matter experts to contribute by creating content or providing reviews (or both!)
- 22. Review Content 18:03@aschwanden4stc 22 Reviews on DITA content, enabled by a DITA CCMS Real-time and collaborative Comments and suggested changes occur on a centralized, shared view One or more serial or concurrent reviewers Reviewers see each other’s comments in real time Supports interactive discussions Allows them to track items accepted or rejected Connect content to workflow Everything follows your desired processes Nothing falls through the cracks Collaborative workflows solve quite a few business problems Attach deadlines and due dates Control access Track history
- 23. Content Metrics 18:03@aschwanden4stc 23 Having centralized control of the content lifecycle as a project lets you have visibility into the metrics around each step in that lifecycle Provides a deeper understanding of the cost and effort the enterprise puts into creating and approving content
- 24. 5. Content as a Business Asset 18:03@aschwanden4stc 24
- 25. The Information Age 18:03@aschwanden4stc 25 Content was once an after-thought Considered to add no revenue to the enterprise Seen as a cost center Today there is enterprise-level awareness of value of content Part of the product and of the customer’s journey Helps to generate new revenue Benefits extend to all content created by the enterprise Content has inherent value like any product or service Managing enterprise content in an efficient and consistent way benefits both internal and external users
- 26. Content as a Consistent Asset 18:03@aschwanden4stc 26 Templates, consistency, tools, storage, retrieval, and quality become the driving force behind creating quality Infrastructure and tool enhancements are introduced enterprise-wide Content can be created, maintained, and delivered efficiently and effectively Enterprises that treat content as an asset Break down silos Enable content sharing
- 27. Leveraging Content 18:03@aschwanden4stc 27 Common cross-overs include Marketing Training Support Technical Documentation Other departments now adopt more sophisticated content management Operations Legal Business Processes Finance Sales They can be writing in DITA and not even know it—they just know that it’s now easier to create, share, find, review, and publish content
- 28. 6. Templates and Tools for Authoring 18:03@aschwanden4stc 28
- 29. Create Within Limits 18:03@aschwanden4stc 29 As tools that allow creating DITA content improve, an assisted authoring environment is possible DITA provides an infrastructure for creating topics but no formal rules on how to Write in those topics Consistently use elements Tools provide structure which guides authors to write Clearly Consistently Based on the topic type
- 31. 7. Manage Content Releases 18:03@aschwanden4stc 31
- 32. DITA-optimized CCMS 18:03@aschwanden4stc 32 Introduce managed content releases into content lifecycle Automate and control the release of content to end users Publishing occurs after content is approved Audit trail of content changes is automated satisfies governance requirements for more controlled industries Track and recreate any publication, complete with who made changes (and when and why each change was made) down to the sentence level
- 34. The Right Format 18:03@aschwanden4stc 34 End users need content in many formats They want to access it from the device of their choice The more accessible content is, the better the experience DITA can publish to many formats from one source Use the right tool(s) to Publish to all the formats your end users need Avoid duplicating content Simplify creation and management Layout and design of each published deliverable is automatic, enforcing consistency and branding
- 36. Customize Content 18:03@aschwanden4stc 36 Customize information automatically Attributes like @product, @platform, and @audience allow content customization Authors write a complete set of content once (and maintain it in just one place) but create deliverables are tailored to a specific need on the fly For example, a team writing Policies and Procedures May have details that only apply to some roles or divisions Doesn’t create separate, mostly duplicated content for each role Creates all the content, just once, then filters out the right details for the right people
- 37. 10. User Experience of Content 18:03@aschwanden4stc 37
- 38. Design for the Journey 18:03@aschwanden4stc 38 UX is a growing area of interest about understanding and designing for the consumption of content End users undertake a journey when making a business decision; this typically involves 1. Problem Recognition 2. Information Search 3. Evaluation and Selection of Alternatives 4. Purchase Decision 5. Post-Purchase Evaluation Your content plays an important role here Even if content creation spans different departments in the enterprise, for the end users, it is all just your content
- 39. Consistent Journey 18:03@aschwanden4stc 39 Consistency of the customer journey is the driving force Messaging: No more information discrepancies; describe products and features in a similar way, with differing levels of details and goals. This should be in one voice across the enterprise. Voice: Everyone hears the same message, from the same source, no matter where they are listening. Everything your company creates and delivers is consistent, on-brand and focused on the client. Branding: Your branding, from logos to font choice, is automatically applied throughout, ensuring a consistent brand no matter what part of the customer journey they have reached.
- 40. Conclusion 18:03@aschwanden4stc 40 DITA’s strengths are focused on flexibility and extensibility Create the content you need regardless of the type of content or who your end users are Content management is better, faster, and more effective when backed by a well-planned unified content strategy, which can save enterprises millions of dollars Resources can develop, build, plan, and innovate freely because the content lifecycle is now automated, transparent, and well-managed Although DITA’s adoption began with technical communicators, it’s now primed and ready for a wider adoption by all content creators in an enterprise
- 41. Next Steps 18:03@aschwanden4stc Consider exploring how Adobe and DITA work Tools like AEM and FrameMaker work in harmony Create, edit, manage, and publish all your content for a unified content strategy using tools in a unified communications suite http://www.dita-world.com www.publishingsmarter.com 41
- 42. Download the Whitepaper 18:03@aschwanden4stc 42 https://offers.adobe.com/en/na/marketing/landings/ xml_documentation_for_aem_whitepaper_10_ways_dita_ can_help_drive_a_unified_content_strategy.html https://bit.ly/2n0j6vA Or scan the QR code with your camera www.slideshare.net/PublishingSmarter
- 44. Contact Information 18:03@aschwanden4stc 44 905 833 8448 (Eastern Time) [email protected] www.linkedin.com/in/bernardaschwanden www.publishingsmarter.com