http://www.sfbayptcuser.org/blog/2010/05/aug10mtg/

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: dancing that fine line between business requirement and the solution is an area that needs focus

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: even before implementing, we had a corporate course that talked about how use the system (overview, authoring)

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: question: what kind of "homework" should we do before making a decision to leave traditional tools?

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: at one time we had 400 writers in the user community

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: .. and yet notwithstanding go out to meeting" Thucydides

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: "The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike...

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: down to one toolset and one process

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: enabled customer ability to search based on job function, metadata provided an extra dimention to content

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: enabled outsource partners to easily access source globally

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: implemented a robust metadata/taxonomy strategy

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: maximized our single-sourcing and reuse of content

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: improved our delivery for customers

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: improved our delivery channel agility

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: what we set out to do vs what we achieved? We did it all and more.

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: single sourcing systems the benefits far outweigh the costs

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: Very low cost that a single-sourcing environment can be. A single system with a single CMS.

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: business support cost: ~5 people doing support to user community, as little as 2 people to maintain system

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: from a cost standpoint, infrastructure costs for us is around $150K (includes SW maintenance)

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: communication with users, business stakeholders, and vendors is critical

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: the system as a whole was being used globally, so around the clock we had to be aware of changes/downtimes/etc

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: weekly change management meetings to review and approve required changes (inc server maintenance schedules)

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: constant interaction with vendors is critical, understand (and *influence*) their future rollout plans

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: some projects had to go through architecture review board for approval

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: projects prioritized with business leaders

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: core team and/or IT scheduled to work: design, UAT, deploy; progress reports weekly with biz stakeholders

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: change management requests initiated and tracked as projects.

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: Info Arch. team had representatives from each of the Business Units

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: standing committee for establishing writing guidelines and standards, focused on topic-oriented writing

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: profiles very powerful concept. Centrally controlled to get consistentcy acr organizations (req by high reuse)

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: custom scripts to streamline and improve writer tasks added to Arbortext Editor's UI (bulit-in)

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: documentum/Arbortext editor - dtds/stylesheets download to desktop; patch upgrades w/instr. posted to server

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: Largely, deployed to user desktops, citrix for users with performance challenges

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: could get separate files or merged/flattened file that would re-burst into the individ entities in CMS

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: about our CMS. It supported our ability to configure "publishables" or "deliverable" documents

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: it's amazing how much DTD changes drives effort. It can impact all books, all organizations, all stylesheets

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: Arbortext Styler with extensions had much faster compose times

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: went to Arbortext Styler with extensions -- with PTC we had input into product direction

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: DTD development & matching stylesheets is a webinar topic of its own

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: hierarchical structures also give more common look & feel

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: hierarchical structures have more semantic meaning; less flexible but promotes consistent writing

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: downside later on, still need to do the work to go from "unstructred" to "structured" (no escaping it)

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: we wanted people in the system first; we found this was successful

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: unstructured->docbook, topic-based->DITA; changing unstructured to structured can be a stumbling block

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: we took two pronged approach to accelerate data conversion and get in as fast as possible..

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: started with xsl-fo, large docs took (>1500pgs) took excessive amts of time to compose (sometimes hrs)

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: we built an application on Arbortext Publishing Engine that did auto-output to 4 deliverables simultaneously

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: really gets you a lot of efficiencies

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: getting into the world of XML provides a tremendous amount of power over your content

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: "Before there were parsers, it was dark." - Eric Hennum, DITA Architect. No truer statement was made.

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: be articulate in your UAT as a project on it's own (for each component of the architecture)

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: at one point, I was branded "XML evangelist" and that's kind of what happens...

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: you'll get more skillsets around a technology that is becoming very prevalent in the industry

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: keep users aware of "what's in it for them"

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: Even structured authoring in Frame can be different when you take the formatting part away from that..

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: keeping the pace of development is key to keeping the momentum going and migration of new groups in

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: prioritization of groups was based on prioritization of the development

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: setting clear acceptance criteria not only with user community, but with the leadership team as well

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: Hit areas we never expected to see, all along the way, gaps appear when you do prototyping/UAT

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: UAT was something we focused on early on. Get key stakeholders involved in use casing, prototyping

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: getting more and more into the system..

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: getting them up to same level of capability, then extending, then refining formatting issues, then automating

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: first step was to get the techpubs in. They had the best/most informed view on structured authoring

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: we took the approach of prioritizing and grouping into phases, a very large project overall

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: DLM is a link repository to store links so reusable components get help for managing content and reuse

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: DLM to manage links b/c we have tremendous reuse going on w/in project and across project.

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: stored content in CMS based on configuration rules

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: Didn't use DITA - it was a timing thing. Focused on topic-oriented & at the time DITA wasn't ready

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: came at it from an end-to-end solution standpoint

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: xml contains content and metadata leveraged throughout entire process (authoring/cms/delivery)

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: delivery: web portal, dvd, online (onproduct) help

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: Arbortext Editor, Publishing Engine, Dynamic Link Manager & Documentum

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: key requirement to reduce publishing time frame to hours rather than days

#arbortext #ptcuser T.Nowlan: optimize by going to XML-type, single-sourcing solution, topic-based information

#arbortext #ptcuser provide a scalable ECM environment that can handle- Large vol of info, multiple content types, global access

#arbortext #ptcuser get requirements signed off early on by business owners: A lot of communication involved up front

#arbortext #ptcuser Tracking to granular level makes sure your requirements are well understood (even if it's a lot of work).

#arbortext #ptcuser the minute you deploy a new system, it becomes a legacy system.

#arbortext #ptcuser identify current-state business process, derive base requirements and trace them through tracability matricies

#arbortext #ptcuser for large program, get a variety of people involved for best success

#arbortext #ptcuser core business team (3) IT team (4) worked tightly together to develop the single-sourcing system -> ECMS was key

"Deploying and maintaining a large single-sourcing solution" Register & Sign in now! https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/987710090

Todd Nolwan presented to #arbortext #ptcuser this morning. Video/slides here http://su.pr/A2NUaG

Todd Nowlan podcast posted http://su.pr/5wJvsj Benefits of XML publishing and single-sourcing

Todd Nowlan interview posted to PubWright podcast on iTunes http://su.pr/1QwIaT Benefits of XML publishing and single-sourcing