DITA Success: Small Team Quickly Delivers on all DITA Benefits

Small Team Quickly Delivers on all DITA Benefits

DITA Success

Brian Trombley National Sales Director at Data Conversion LaboratoryBrian Trombley has over 35 years' experience in helping clients implement content oriented processes and technologies for all aspects of publishing across a wide range of industry verticals. An early practitioner of structured content methodologies, Mr. Trombley was at the forefront of the SGML and XML revolutions and has helped clients successfully manage change and convert and leverage content for maximum business value.

Bob Garber DITA Information ArchitectAs DITA Information Architect at Cybex, Bob is responsible for the Cardio equipment product line. The deliverables for the Technical Publications department include manuals, instruction sheets, decals, web content, and other technical information. Bob holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from Central New England College.

Judy Weinzetl Manager Technical Publications at Cybex InternationalAs Manager of Technical Publications at Cybex, Judy coordinates the daily activities including localization for 11 languages and is responsible for the Strength equipment product line. Judy holds a degree in Communications from University of Minnesota.

Introductions

About DCL

Valuable Content Transformed…• Document Digitization• XML and HTML Conversion• eBook Production• Hosted Solutions• Big Data Automation• Conversion Management• Editorial Services• Harmonizer

DCL blends years of conversion experience with cutting‐edge technology and the infrastructure to make the process easy and efficient.

• World‐Class Services• Leading‐Edge Technology• Unparalleled Infrastructure• US‐Based Management• Complex‐Content Expertise• 24/7 Online Project Tracking• Automated Quality Control• Global Capabilities

About DCL…Covering all Industries• Aerospace• Associations• Defense• Distribution• Education• Financial • Government • Libraries • Life Sciences • Manufacturing• Medical • Museums

• Periodicals • Professional• Publishing • Reference • Research • Societies • Software• STM• Technology• Telecommunications• Universities • Utilities

DCL DITA Projects

What we do

• Manufacture over 160 cardioand strength fitness products in Owatonna MN, and Medway MA

• Premium equipment for health clubs, colleges, sports teams, and military

• International - Cybex products are sold in over 90 countries across the globe

Presentation OverviewBenefits of this presentation include:• The ROI• Efficiency and consistency• Discuss realistic timeline for project• Information on how we prepared

for DITA• What we learned about our content

and writing in DITA

The presentation is split into four sections:1. Life before DITA2. Research and Education 3. Implementing DITA4. Life with DITA

How things have changed

Desktop publishing with InDesign• Using the right tool for the job• A lot of cut and paste.

Excel sheets, Word docs• Inconsistency, we thought we were

good, but we had a lot of mixed content• Not efficient, struggle to meet deadlines• It costs $4.00 per page for Desktop

Publishing

Life before DITA 1 2 3 4

Preparing for DITA• We created generic chapters.

Customer Service• We removed callouts from our graphics

and created tables.• But not able to have

model name or partnumbers inheader/footer

Life before DITA 1 2 3 4

Started researching Content Management Systems back in 2007• We found Ann Rockley’s, Content Management

101, Structured Content Management presentation• We were not alone! There were others out there,

with the same issues and problems• We wanted to put all our content in a magic box,

push a button, and everything we need comes out the other end

Research and Education 1 2 3 4

DITA Conference - Providence Rhode Island, April 2013• We knew we needed DITA. We just didn’t know what to do

or where to start• What is DITA? Where do you buy it? How do you install it? • We had no idea what a conref was or what people were

talking about• We kept bugging management that we needed to go check

this DITA thing out, so we came to the show• We met DCL and also got excited about Oxygen XML editor

as an authoring tool and needed a CMS system

Research and Education

What’s DITA?

1 2 3 4

Project Plan and Requirements• Created a project name CybeXML• Proposal to sign off

(April 2013 to February 2014)11 months

• Design and planning (March to May 2014)Project kickoff, define outputs and architecture.

• Baseline implementation (Mid May to June 2014)Create CCMS environment, output stylesheets, test and train

• Deployment (July to September 2014)

Research and Education 1 2 3 4

Executive Buy-In• We learned a lot from the conference and had a plan,

we were ready to present to the Board of Directors• Explained benefits of DITA and how we will have more

flexibility building our manuals and more customer friendly for our web output

• Our manuals and content will be more consistent• We could then create new manuals and add new

languages quicker than before• The board was very excited

Research and Education

We had approval! FULL STEAM AHEAD!

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4Converting InDesign files• For this we reached out to DCL• We packaged up all of our InDesign files• It took a couple of months to get our files back• We then spent September to December cleaning up the

files, fixing tables, converting concepts->tasks and tasks->concepts

• We could have sent less files and had cleaner content to send, but that would have taken more time on our end

Implementing DITA

Training and learning new softwareXML – DITA – Oxygen – XDocs

• Learning these languages and software at the same time was like trying to build a house while your designing it

• Need the whole team on board and working together

• Change of mindset, not focusing on the page layout and design, focus on content

• Do not think of a book as pages 1, 2, 3, we now create topics

Implementing DITA 1 2 3 4

Challenges• We were very comfortable using the tools

we were used to• Current translation vendor could not handle

our XML files• Increase in translation costs

Re-wrote or added new content• Time involved, planned and realistic

11 months from proposal to sign off1 year to train, design, and implement6 months to finish clean up, add a language, and be “fully” functional

Implementing DITA 1 2 3 4

XDocs from BluestreamComponent Content Management System (CCMS)

• Stores all topics, maps, and images• Manages all localized files with Localization module• Export and Import of localized packages• Revision control• Check in/Check out file system• Search• Publishing

Life with DITA 1 2 3 4

Efficiencies and Consistency• Focused on content and consistency• Creating manuals for new product line

Used to take 8 weeks, now it takes 2• Localization

• Packaging up manuals used to take two weeks,now it’s about an hour and a half

• Receiving content used to take two weeks to format, now it’s about an hour Working on batch publishing

• Headcount• Before DITA we were looking to hire two more people

We now have one person retiring and we do not need to replace them


Additional Languages, 2014:Chinese (April), Portuguese (September), Arabic (November)

• Adding a language used to take 16 weeks, it now takes about a week to process once we receive files

• We used to dread adding a new language. Our whole department was affected and required “all hands on deck”. Now it takes one person to manage, others are only involved in publishing.

Additional products• Added 58 new products in last two years


ROI• We no longer pay $4.00 per page for Desktop Publishing from LSP ($15k)• Our labor time is now spent on creating quality content• We spent a lot on converting our content, time spent cleaning it up, then

more to translate our new content• Our headcount went from 6 people to 3.5

[5 F.T., 2 P.T., wanted +1] to [3 F.T., 1 P.T., 1 Illustrator retiring]We invested a lot in the system and localization, will pay off in coming years


What did it cost?• Planning

High level assessment, technology recommendation, project plan, and budget was $8,400

• ImplementationInitial XML training, implementation, conversion, stylesheet development, training, and go-live support was around $106,000

• SoftwareOxygen and Bluestream around $46,000

• HoursOur in-house time spent with DCL was about 180 hours between 2 people


What we are doing• New Output

HTML - Service techs can access all content on their phonesTopics can be accessed through Salesforce Knowledge BaseTopics are always fresh and up to date

Involved Other Departments• Customer Service – Service manuals and other content• Software Engineering – Now authoring user specifications.

Were able to create content offline, then import into XDocs• Marketing – In progress. DITA -> InCopy ->link to InDesign.

Managing localization and consistencyThe future• Continue learning about DITA, more HTML and video content


What we learned• DITA is awesome!• Anyone can do it• It takes time, but well worth it• Need everyone working together• Need training and guidanceWhat would we do different?• Clean up files before conversion• Start learning DITA sooner


Bob Garber – DITA Information Architect, [email protected]

Judy Weinzetl – Manager, Technical Publications, [email protected]

Brian Trombley – National Sales Director, [email protected]

Thank you!