VisibleThread Docs Training for New Users - Updated July 2014 (VT version 2.10)

Copyright Visible Thread 2014

1 day Training for RFP & Proposal DevelopmentSuitable for: VisibleThread Docs version 2.10

Updated: October - 2014.


Agenda2

1. Getting Started Notes – Areas covered

2. Is your proposal clear? – is your proposal readable?

3. Creating a Starter Compliance Matrix

4. Is your Proposal risky OR giving a bad impression?

5. Editing & Creating Dictionaries

6. Using Concept Tracking to identify gaps and inconsistencies

7. Collaborating with Discussions & Notes


Some Starting Notes

1. The VisibleThread dashboard is a web based interface to VisibleThread. There is no installation involved.

2. These file types are supported:

a) Word 2003 (.doc)

b) Word 2007 & Word 2010 (.docx)

c) Rich Text Format (.rtf)

d) Excel 2003 (.xls)

e) Excel 2007 & Excel 2010 (.xlsx, .xlsm)

f) Adobe PDFs (.pdf)

3. Your User id is your e-mail address. Your default password is ‘password1’, you can change it later.

4. Online help under ‘User Name’ menu

5. Our support forum at: support.visiblethread.com

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1. Getting Started

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Lay of the Land

1. Navigation Pane on left,

a) folders

b) dictionaries

2. Click in Nav. Pane, detail on right changes

3. Folders

a) are used to group docs

4. Dictionaries are ‘accordion’ i.e. click on one, the other contracts

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Summary Screen on right

Navigation Pane on left


Creating folders and adding documents

1. Tool bar, allowing:

a) Create Folder

b) Upload documents

c) Additional actions under the ‘Actions’ menu apply to a folder or a document

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Tool bar, add removeFolders / docs


General Tabbed Navigation – Selecting a document7

Each tab shows a different set of data for the selected doc

‘LIU Onbord….doc’Just Added. Doc selected


Understanding Folder versus Doc Views

Folder view show analysis for content in a collection of docs

Doc view shows analysis for content in just 1 document

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Folder vs. Doc View – Example: Concept Tracking9

In this case of ‘Concept Tracking’ we can see coverage stats across 8 docs in the folder


Folder vs. Doc View – Example: Concept Tracking10

In this case of ‘Concept Tracking’ we can see coverage stats across 1 doc

Headings where phrases are found

Results Grid showing occurrence of in document


Lay of the land: Dictionaries & Structure Outlines

‘Dictionaries’ accordion bottom left – we will cover usage examples later

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Click ‘Dictionaries’ in bottom left.


What are dictionaries?

1. Used to collect groups of phrases and terms that we will verify exist (or don’t exist) in documents.

2. Why interesting?

a) Allow us check for existence of terms that we expect. In a proposal development context, it allows us validate if we’re compliant:

- Section L & M

b) Allow us to check for negative (waffle) indicators. Pose a risk to winning bid and can impact program delivery

- Lack of completeness, trite, open ended, clichés, legally risky…

3. More later

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and what are structure outlines… ?

1. Enforce consistent structures across documents.

2. Create new documents with expected outline

In context of Proposal Development:

3. Check your proposal has the right structure (headings)

a) Program delivery Plan

b) Quality Plan

4. Creates clean docs quickly based on repetitive structures.

a) Applicable where you have repetition – e.g.: Task Orders

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Exercise 1a: Navigate around

1. Sign into Dashboard

- Use your mail address & provided password (Default is generally ‘password1’)

2. Select ‘Sample Project-IT’ by clicking on it. Notice the tabs on the right

3. Expand the folder by clicking the + icon. Select one of the docs.

4. Click ‘Actions’. Note the drop down men

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Exercise 1b: Create a new folder and upload a document


2. Create a folder / folder. Name this folder with your first name and surname initial, for example ‘MaryN’ OR ‘JohnM’

3. Now add a document to this new doc set

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Add document(s)

Create new Folder


Exercise 1c: Explore Dictionaries


- Use your mail address & provided password (Default is generally ‘password1’)

2. Select ‘Dictionaries’ on bottom left

3. Expand ‘Concept Dictonaries’ by clicking the + icon. Select one of the outlines.

4. Click Edit on right hand side. Then click ‘Cancel edit’

5. Click ‘Actions’. Note the drop down menu

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2. Is your proposal clear?

Complex statements make a reviewers life hard! And may make your proposal non-compliant

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From: http://www.plainlanguage.gov/examples/before_after/index.cfm

‘Plain Language’ seeks to simplify written language; the result is clear and unambiguous communication.

“When the process of freeing a vehicle that has been stuck results in ruts or holes, the operator will fill the rut or hole created by such activity before removing the vehicle from the immediate area.”

OR

“If you make a hole while freeing a stuck vehicle, you must fill the hole before you drive away.”

Plain Writing Act of 2010 (Obama signed on Oct 2010), E.O. 12866 & E.O. 12988

http://www.plainlanguage.gov/plLaw/index.cfm

Why Plain Language?

http://www.plainlanguage.gov/examples/before_after/index.cfm

http://www.plainlanguage.gov/plLaw/index.cfm

Average words per sentence: 10.5

Hard Words: 2.9%

FOG Index (readability): 5.5

VS

Average words per sentence: 21.6

Hard Words: 5.11%

FOG Index (readability): 10.7


Plain Language Analysis

1. Metrics: Readability, Passive Constructs, Long Sentences

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Metrics: Readability, Passive Language, Long Sentences etc.

Exact Text in document


Sections and paging

1. Color-coding shows content eg: blue for long sentences (> 25 words)

2. Hidden Verbs (also called nominalisations) are green, passive is maroon

3. Sections show occurrences to right

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Sections where violations occur


Passive Voice in context (maroon)22

Prior to making a decision on applying to be registered as a self-insured employer, you should become familiar with the requirement of self-insurance contained within the Code of conduct for self-insured employers under the WorkCover Scheme.


Long Sentences in context (blue)23

A self-insurer must pay a fee as a contribution to the overheads of the WorkCover scheme and this includes a component to cover the liabilities of self-insurers in the event of insolvency


Nominalisations

1. “Please make an application” versus “Please apply”

2. Which is easier?

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Verb or noun to use Nominalisation

advance the advancement of

arrange the arrangement of

complete the completion of

complex the complexity of

decide making a decision

facilitate the facilitation of

implement the implementation of

introduce making an introduction

investigate conducting an investigation

occur the occurrence of

provide the provision of

(re)develop the (re)development of


Nominalisations (hidden verbs) in context (green)25

Prior to making a decision on applying to be registered as a self-insured employer…

OR

Before deciding to register as a self-insured employer… [reduce word count]


Readability – what is it?

1. Flesch Reading Ease Index (Rudolf Flesh - Austria)

2. Attempt to generically measure how readable a document is

3. Formula – number between 0 and 100

4. 0 – most complex, 100 least complex

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Readability for document


Readability – a note on readability in the context of tech documents

(206.835 – (1.015 x Average Sentence Length) – (84.6 x Average Syllables per Word)) heavily weighted towards syllables per word

Score:

• 0–29 (Very Difficult);

• 30–49 (Difficult);

• 50–59 (Fairly Difficult);

• 60–69 (Standard);

• 70–79 (Fairly Easy);

• 80–89 (Easy);

• 90–100 (Very Easy)

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1. For non-tech pubs, readability measure is important. e.g. Consumer Facing Credit Agreements

2. BUT, if you have a tech heavy document you may see limited improvements.

3. Focus more on reducing long sentences and passive voice. These will improve the readability score, but it may not be significant.


Creating PDF reports from the Plain Language view

1. You can export the Plain Language results to a printable format from the Plain Language tab

2. This is useful for sharing reports with colleagues.

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Setting language thresholds for colors (Red, Green, Yellow)

1. Click “Settings >> Clear Language Thresholds”

2. Settings drive the colors

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Exercise 3a: Examine Plain Language statistics(TEAM into PAIRS)

1. Select a sample document

2. Click on ‘Plain Language’ tab at right

3. Review

1. Hidden verbs (nominalisations)

2. Review Long Sentences.

3. Review Passive Language.

4. Choose 2 examples of each & rewrite

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Exercise 3b: Export to a pdf

1. Select a sample document

2. Click on ‘Plain Language’ tab at right

3. Click the ‘View PDF report’ button

4. Open the report, and attach it to a mail. Send to colleagues

Test this by sending to yourself

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Exercise 3c: Export to Excel

1. Click the ‘export’ button in the Plain Language Tab

2. In your browser pop up window, right click and hit ‘select all’

3. Copy to clipboard by clicking CTRL + ‘C’ or clicking CTRL + ‘Insert’

4. Open an empty excel spread sheet. Select cell A1, paste into the spread sheet.

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Comparing Plain Language statistics across multiple documents

1. You can compare how the PL stats compare from the Home >> Summary view.

2. One nice idea is to set goals or benchmarks (using clear novels)

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Our documentsProgressing to better values

The best of Issac AsimovHitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy


Exercise 3d: Compare multiple documents

Click “Home” in the navigation pane

In Summary View, expand a number of folders

See how the stats compare.

Which doc do you feel needs most attention?

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3. Creating a Starter Compliance Matrix

Searching the solicitation for ‘will’, ‘shall’, ‘must’

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What is a Starter Compliance Matrix?

1. Based on keyword searching

2. Analyzes PDF and MS Word docs

3. What it does:

a) Searches for keywords (e.g. will, shall & must etc.) defined in a dictionary

b) Extracts text and context (in MS Word it is the heading, in PDF it is the page no)

c) Allows you export to PDF and/or Excel (or CSV)

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How to - Steps

1. Select document

2. Click ‘Quality Analysis’

3. Click ‘Use different dictionary’

4. Choose ‘Bid – Compliance Scan v5’ or another suitable dictionary

5. Check Boxes to right of terms

6. Click Export >> Export to Excel

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Quick Notes

• Not a ‘fire and forget’ exercise OR magic panacea

• Does the initial time consuming work, get’s you to a starting position quickly.

• Must be vetted to add/modify certain content

• Also can be used to size effort during initial estimation phases

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4. Is your Proposal risky OR giving a bad impression?

Identifying Weak Language with quality scans

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What is Bad Language?40

Examples of Bad Language in different fields...

Trite “best of breed”“world class”“seamless”“state of the art”“unique”… many more

Legal Terms that imply a contractual obligation:“ensure”“insure”“everywhere”“fastest”“fully”“greatest”

Latin Abbreviations “etc”“De minimis non curat lex”“Ad diem”“Ad hoc”“Ad idem”“Ad infinitim”“Bona fide”


Viewing Bad Language in a document

1. Results are presented in ‘Quality Analysis’ tab

2. Check boxes in list of terms show occurrences in bottom grid

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Phrases found in document with number issues found

Headings where risky phrases are found

Results Area showing occurrence of issues in document


Applying a different dictionary

1. Select a document in the navigation tree

2. Click ‘Quality Analysis’ tab to right

3. Click ‘Use different dictionary…’ and choose the specific Bad Language dictionary

4. Click ‘Set Dictionary’

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List of available dictionaries


Interacting with the results

1. Checking the box to the right of a number flags results in ‘Results Area’

2. Checking a ‘category’ e.g. ‘Sexist’ checks everything in that category. Checking the column header checks everything

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Checkboxes – check and the results show in bottom grid


Receiving Guidance

1. When you hover over coloured text, you will receive guidance. NOTE: The guidance is specified as part of the term description in the dictionary. Change it by editing the dictionary.

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Hover over showing guidance


Publishing to PDF

1. You can create a report by clicking the ‘View PDF report’ button.

2. If you have no boxes checked, the report will contain all terms and full content details

TIP: If you want to create with only certain terms check those boxes and then generate the report.

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View PDF report


Exporting to Excel (CSV) for manipulation

1. You can also export statistics from most screens to CSV (Comma Separated Values) by clicking on the ‘Export’ button. Some screens also support native Excel. The export is specific to the results showing in that area.

By default, CSV files open in Excel if you have Excel installed on your desktop.

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Export to CSV button available in different contexts.


Exercise 4a: Run a Quality Analysis Scan

1. Select the doc you uploaded earlier.

2. Click ‘Quality Analysis’

3. Click ‘Use different dictionary…’

4. Choose ‘Bid – Review Scan v6’, click ‘Set Dictionary’

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Exercise 4b: Explore detailed Results

1. Once scan completes, look at the results on the right` under the .Quality Analysis tab.

2. Expand categories in the middle list area

a) Click ‘+’ to left of ‘Cliches and Professionalism’, do you see any hits?

b) What about the rest?

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Exercise 4c: Export to PDF

1. Select the doc you uploaded ealier in the navigation area. Click ‘Quality Analysis’ tab

2. Check some boxes where there are hits (using the header checkbox).

3. Click ‘View PDF report’

4. Try generating a 2nd report with everything checked, & with nothing checked.

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Exercise 4d: Export & Save as Excel

1. Select the doc you uploaded ealier in the navigation area. Click ‘Quality Analysis’ tab

2. Check all boxes where there are hits (using the header checkbox).

3. Click ‘Export’ on the bottom area.

4. Open result and view in Excel

5. In Excel, highlight the first row with shading and freeze the first row, wrap the content column.

6. Save the result as ‘Bad Language report’ and as an xls or xlsx format

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Comparing multiple documents in a folder

1. You can see how many hits each doc in a folder gets

2. Click ‘folders’ then Quality Analysis tab

3. expand all by clicking the button in the tool bar. Click through to the specific document

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Hits occuring where red font appears

Number shows how many hits


White listing Bad Language

1. There may be cases when you see hits in the Quality Analysis that you consider benign.

2. White Listing is designed to cater for these cases.

3. You click ‘Start Review’ on the grid area

4. Then highlighting specific text and selecting ‘Add to whitelist’ allows specific text to be white listed. Once done, clicking ‘Finish Review’ prompts for a comment.

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Tool bar for white listing


Exercise 4e: Add items to white list

1. If not already done, select the sample doc ‘Iowa-Venturi Cat 1-ITQ-Response’ in the navigation area. Click ‘Quality Analysis’ tab

2. Check all boxes where there are hits

3. In the bottom grid area click ‘Start Review’

4. Position your cursor to the left of a colorised item in the grid.

5. Select it and hit ‘Add to whitelist’

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Maintaining the whitelist

1. White lists are stored at folder level

2. White lists apply to all documents within a specific folder.

3. To modify a white list select the folder in the navigation tree

4. Select the ‘Quality Analysis’ tab & modify the white list in the bottom area

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White List at folder level


5. Editing & Creating Dictionaries

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Creating new & duplicating Quality Dictionaries

1. Go to dictionaries

2. To create a new dictionary

a) Click ‘Quality Dictionaries’ or expand and select a specific scan

b) click ‘Create new ref practice’

3. To duplicate (copy) a current dictionary

a) Select a specific dictionary that you want to copy

b) click ‘Duplicate selected dictionary’

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Create New Dictionary

Duplicate dictionary


Editing Quality Scans (1)

1. Select the scan in the navigation tree

2. Click ‘Edit’

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‘Bid – Review Scan v4’Selected

Set of Phrases / Terms to search for, categorised by logical area

Toolbar for editing. Click ‘Edit dictionary’ to enable this toolbar. Then start adding categories and search terms



1. Select the scan

2. Click ‘Edit’

3. Quality scans have Categories and Markers

4. Markers are the search terms

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Empty scan after you create a new scan

Toolbar allows you add categories and markers, remove categories etc.



1. Click Add Marker or Add Category, enter name and description

(Note: Descriptions are used in the Quality Analysis Tab for hover overs)

2. To change a current marker or category, select it and edit below

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Editable details for selected Marker or Category above

Set of Phrases / Terms to search for with description


Quality Scans (4) –Bulk Import from CSV

1. Use CSV import for batch update of terms

2. 3 steps: Edit in Excel, save as CSV, click Import

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Import terms from a CSV file

Specify CSV File to import


Exercise 5a: Creating and editing a new scan(TEAM into PAIRS)

1. Create a new Quality Scan. Call this new scan ‘Bad Language – [First Name + Surname Initial]’. For example ‘Bad Language - MaryN’ OR ‘Bad Language - JohnM’

2. Click Edit and add 3 categories.

Choose categories that make best sense to you. Don’t worry, you can reuse ‘Sexist’ etc.

3. See if you can come up with new categories.

4. Add at least 3 markers for each new category

5. Edit a marker & marker description, edit a category

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Exercise 5b: Importing from CSV

1. Create a blank Excel spreadsheet

2. In cell A1, type ‘1. General’, copy this into cell A2

3. In cell B1 type ‘low cost’,

4. in cell B2 type ‘ISO certified’

5. Save spreadsheet as CSV, call it ‘Terms’ and store locally.

6. Now switch back to your VT dashboard, create a new dictionary, call it ‘Example Import’ then click Import terms as text file.

7. Specify the CSV file ‘Terms’, click Import.

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6. Using Concept Tracking to identify gaps and inconsistencies

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What is Concept Tracking?

1. Similar to quality scans. But general words/phrases of interest

2. Not necessarily a bad inference if found

3. Defined in much the same way as quality scans

4. The folder view is very different from Quality Scans

5. Can only be run against a folder, so all docs share same concept scan

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A sample Concept List Reference Practice

1. Just like quality, Concept Scans are defined under ‘Dictionaries’

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‘Engineering - Checklist’Selected Set of Phrases / Terms

to search for, categorised by logical area


Applying a Concept Scan for a folder or doc

1. Select a folder in the navigation tree

NOTE: You must always select a folder otherwise ‘Run Concept List Analysis’ option is disabled.

2. Click ‘Use different dictionary…’ and choose the dictionary

3. Click ‘OK’

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Use different dictionary


Concept Tracking at folder Level67

Each column shows a document. The numbers in each column show ‘hits’ in that doc.

Sets of Phrases / Terms being searched. Gray shows no hits.

Exact Text in documents


Interacting with the results at doc set level

1. Checking the box to the right of a number flags results in ‘Results Area’

2. Checking the column header checks everything

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Checkboxes – check and the results show in bottom grid


Shortcut for adding New Concepts to the Concept Scan

1. There is a convenience mechanism that means you can modify concept scans directly from the “Concept Tracking” tab

2. Click ‘New Concept’

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Click ‘Add search term’

Enter new concept. Select a category in the list then click OK


Using Excel to create a concept heat map (1)

1. Exporting from the doc set screen.

2. By default these files open in Excel as a CSV

3. Highlight the cells with data, use Conditional formatting

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Conditional Formatting >> ‘Color Scales’Click

‘Export’


Using Excel to create a concept heat map (1) (2)

1. Tips: Freeze Cell C2, resize width of col A, col B

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Heat map in Excel


Exercise 6a: Run a Concept List Analysis

1. Select a folder.

2. Click ‘Actions’

3. Click ‘Run Concept List Analysis…’

4. Choose ‘Companies Act’, click OK

5. Once scan completes, look at the results on the right` under the Concept Tracking tab.

6. Click around and see results changing in bottom grid

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Exercise 6b: Export to an Excel Heatmap

1. Select the LND-VAF folder in the navigation area. Click ‘Concept Tracking’ tab

2. Check all boxes where there are hits (using the header checkbox).

3. Click ‘Export’ on the top area.

4. Open result and view in Excel

5. In Excel, highlight cell .

6. Save the result as ‘Bad Language report’ and as an xls or xlsx format

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7. Collaborating with Discussions & Notes

Supporting Team Reviews

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Recording observations

1. Notes can be added by section

2. Select a section and click ‘add comment’

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Add Notes here


Exercise 7a: Add Commentary

1. While still in the ‘Plain Language’ tab, find a section to right where there is a long sentence

2. Click on ‘Add note’ button

3. Enter a comment:

a) Title: ‘Long Sentence here: need to fix’

b) Desc: ‘Team, let’s fix’

c) Put a category of ‘Issue’

4. Save Comment

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The Discussion Tab

1. Discussions allow team reviews

2. Each comment is logged with author & categorized

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Record observations and findings, flag these for team. Use color coding to highlight issues…Foster light touch team collaboration…


Filtering, Replying and Closing Discussions

1. Filter discussions by checking on/off

2. Export discussions by clicking ‘Export’ button

3. Close and Reply by clicking buttons

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Tool bar and filters

Reply in a closed comment


Exercise 7b: Discussion Threads

1. Click ‘Discussion’ tab

2. Select the comment that was entered in previous exercise

3. Click ‘Reply’

4. Add this reply ‘Yes reviewed this. Agree we need to modify’

5. ‘Close’ this comment

6. ‘Re-open’ this comment

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Exercise 7c: Discussion Threads – filtering comments

1. Now click ‘Comment’ button to add a new comment

2. Enter a new comment, title: ‘C1’, desc: ‘another comment

3. Categorize this as: ‘Observation’

4. Filter the comments by clicking the checkbox to the right of èach heading type

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If time allows

8. Discovery

9. Structure analysis

10.User Admin

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Useful Links and contact Details

Any questions on usage or any other queries, mail [email protected] OR

Support forum: http://support.visiblethread.com/

Our blog at: http://www.visiblethread.com/blog/

Useful 3-minute refresher demos at: http://www.visiblethread.com/products/demo/

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mailto:[email protected]

http://support.visiblethread.com/

http://support.visiblethread.com/

http://www.visiblethread.com/blog/

http://www.visiblethread.com/blog/

http://www.visiblethread.com/products/demo/

http://www.visiblethread.com/products/demo/

VisibleThread Docs Training for New Users - Updated July 2014 (VT version 2.10)

Business

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understanding folder

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doc views folder view

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proposal clear

proposal risky

proposal readable