A TALE OF TWO FORMATS

Transcription

1 A TALE OF TWO FORMATS Creating content with Word and DITA XML Simultaneously VARIAN CATHERINE LONG ONCOLOGY SENIOR TECHNICAL WRITER SYSTEMS 1 VARIAN ONCOLOGY RICHARD PERRY SYSTEMS PSID MANAGER DECEMBER 2015

2 Varian Medical Systems, Inc. Varian is a global medical device company which is FDA regulated. Product Support Engineering (PSE) Service documentation for 3,500 global internal users, as well as some customer documents. Most document types require a security applied to the PDF after released from the CMS. Many documents are an integral part of the design history file. Most documents are rush and need to be released ASAP. DITA implementation is in process. 2 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

3 PSE Document Statistics 100 content developers authors 10 Microsoft Word templates 60 document types 700 new documents per year 800 revisions per year 3 document process admins In service you never know what document type for what equipment and by which content developer will be needed when. 3 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

4 It Was the Best of Projects The tools were selected, purchased, and an information model already created. GPSS global publication team. They schedule their move and we planned to follow shortly thereafter. This was going to fix many problems. We held a training. We picked a document type. We planned to incorporate the new Varian branding. 4 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

5 It Was the Worst of Projects Our expectations were too high. Planned moving to DITA to quickly. We assumed that we could use the existing GPSS style sheet. We made unwise decisions. We chose a document type based on ROI and it was too difficult with many table types, images, and translation. We did not do enough document analysis. We trained the wrong people. Same deliverables plus new project duties. 5 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

6 How We Felt Tacoma Narrows Bridge VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

7 The Problems For at least two years, we tried to move forward with the idea of flipping the switch and moving from Word to DITA XML, then we realized that this would not work for us due to the following: Service never has a schedule. Too many authors to train at once. Too many document types to move at once. Not enough resources. Too much resistance to change. 7 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

8 When We Decided to Make the Change CRASH! 8 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

9 The Solution Two Formats We decided that rather than switch from Word to DITA XML, we would slowly transition and maintain publication processes for both formats. We would bridge the two formats 9 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

10 Strengths of the Plan Minimize disruption of publication. No set dates for service. Conduct multiple pilots for varying document types. Collect and implement feedback. Introduce the concepts with familiar tools and in sections. Begin with ready content and as part of review. Allows contribution from casual (marketing) authors and new employees. 10 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

11 The Plan for Two Towers Desktop Tool Set MS Word Templates (10) Adobe Pro SharePoint/Network drives esign DITA XML Tool Set oxygen Templates (6) Antenna House Ixiasoft CCMS Bookmap Workflows Schematron 11 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

12 The Word Tower We use 10 templates. Updated with styles named for DITA elements. This helps with training and conversion. Matched with DITA XML output. Restructured content for end user. Rewrote the boilerplate content. Added new company branding. Convert to PDF and post to the internal database. 12 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

13 The DITA XML Tower We use 6 bookmap templates with 10 topic templates. Introduction by way of review with converted content rather than total emersion. Instructions within the templates. Customize / simplify environment. Focused internal training. Input from early adopters and key authors. Generate PDF and post to the internal database. 13 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

14 Bridging Two Formats Stilo Migrate for Word to XML Critical tool for maintaining two process. Includes manual clean up and preparation. Converts many of the styles out of the box. Customized rules. Creates a new topic for every heading style. Easy to create. Stilo created more complex rules for us. Works with our bookmap templates. Brings in images. Minimal post-conversion work. 14 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

15 PSID s Part PSID is a team of 5 managed by Rich. Authors pass Word documents. Analyzed by PSID. PSID prepares and converts with Migrate. Developed a work instruction. Post processing. Review is a bit of an issue. 15 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

16 The Document Process For a new document The analysis is a quick check for difficult tables or anything that we are not prepared to handle with our current style sheet. We also check when the document must be released and estimate the time for conversion. 16 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

17 The Document Process Continued For a document revision 17 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

18 Examples DITA Word 18 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

19 Problems We are not fully using all that DITA XML offers. We have conceded some features to match with Word assists with adoption and training. Review and revise has some gaps. Table limitation in XML many outputclasses and customizations needed. Letting go of desktop publishing and page break control. 19 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

20 Future Plans Add a simplified editor. AuthorBridge or other. Continue to train. Internal training. Bring more document types to DITA. Vary output types epub, HTML. Eventually use Word only for casual contributors and new employees. 20 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS

21 Contact Information Catherine Long Richard Perry 21 VARIAN ONCOLOGY SYSTEMS