CREATING & MANAGING CONTENT on the ITS Website and ServiceNow Knowledgebase ITS Web Team IT Strategy, Governance & eServices Yale Information Technology

CREATING & MANAGING CONTENTon the ITS Website and

ServiceNow Knowledgebase

ITS Web TeamIT Strategy, Governance & eServicesYale Information Technology Services

Managing Content: ITS Website & SN Knowledgebase

Welcome, Authors and Editors

Our missionTo capture, maintain, and protect

the knowledge of the organization.

Our goalTo elevate our reputation andbuild credibility by providing

the foundation for excellent service.


AGENDA

Part I — Overview

• Roles, responsibilities, and expectations• Editorial standards and style• Content types

Part II — ServiceNow

• ServiceNow Knowledgebase

Part III — ITS Website

• Introduction to Drupal• Creating new content for the ITS website• Editing existing content for the ITS website


Part I — Overview

Workflow at a Glance

ITS Website

Knowledgebase

Author Editor

I write content.

I edit, approve and

publish.


Part I — Overview

Author and Editor Responsibilities

Authors

•Research and write Knowledgebase (KB) and web content

•Update content

Editors

•Research, write and update content

•Approve new KB articles

•Approve new pages and content on website


Part I — Overview

Expectations for Authors and Editors

• Take ownership of your subject area: Actively identify need for new content Update and correct content as needed

• Maintain editorial standards

• Adhere to style guidelines for consistency

• Protect integrity of the KB and website


Part I — Overview

Editorial Standards & Style

Writing Goals

•Be clear, concise, and organized

•Follow Yale and ITS style

•Put reader understanding first

•Aim to minimize questions and the burden on Help Desk


Part I — Overview


Example #1: Too little information

SEP 12.1.2 is available in the software library. This version provides support for Mac OS X 10.8 and Windows 8 desktop computers.

?!?!


Part I — Overview


Example #1: More complete information

Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) 12.1.2 is now available in the Software Library (authentication required). This version provides support for Mac OS X 10.8 and Windows 8 laptop and desktop computers.

If you are running Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or Windows 8, please install SEP 12.1.2 as soon as possible. If you are not running either of these operating systems, you do not need to upgrade your Symantec Endpoint client software at this time.

Symantec Endpoint Protection provides your computer protection from viruses and malware. The software is available at no cost to all Yale faculty, staff, and active students.

http://software.yale.edu/Library/chooseOS


Part I — Overview


Example #2

An administrator tells a recently hired faculty member that she must complete a Data Self Scan. “What the heck …?” she thinks.

Task #1: Write a short list of questions she might have.


Part I — Overview

Editorial Standards & Style: Exercise

Possible Questions:

•Am I required to do this?•How do I start?•What application do I use?•Where do I get it?•How long will it take?•Will this delete or change anything on my computer?•What is the scan looking for?•What do I do if it finds something?•What if I need that information to do my job?


Part I — Overview


Example #2 (continued)

Searching the ITS website, she finds a page called “Scanning for Confidential Data”:

http://its.yale.edu/node/251

Task #2: Discuss with your group how well the page presents information and addresses her questions.

Task #3: Suggest a better way to organize the page.



Business Operations Communications

Know, Feel, Do: Bottom Line of Communication

People are listening for one thing: “How does this affect me?” Tailor your communications to the needs of the receiver.

1.KNOW

What’s the one thing I want people to know, believe, understand, learn, or question?

•FEEL

How do I want people to feel about receiving my message?

While you can’t mandate how people will feel, this reminds you to prepare for the emotional impact of your words, possibly changing your delivery.

•DO

What do I want people to do as a direct result of my communication?

(adapted from a Business Operations presentation)



Part I — Overview

Write for Understanding

• What do you want the reader to do?o Be informedo Call to action

• Know your audienceo What level of knowledge do they have?o What questions might they have?

• How can I best present the information:o Organizationo Formattingo Imageso Links


Part I — Overview

Editorial Standards and Style

• Simplicity• Succinctness• Consistency• Acronyms• Numbers vs. bullets• Type styles (bold, italic, underline)• Headings• Screen shots• Photos and clipart (must be licensed!)


Part I — Overview

So Now You’re Ready to Write …

•Does the content already exist?

•Has the content been properly vetted with the subject

matter expert (SME)/process owner?

•Is this client-facing or internal?

•Who is the audience for this content?

•Where does this content belong?


Part I — Overview

Where Does Content Go? New Content

ITS WebsiteServiceNowKnowledgebase

News

Centers

Audience Page

About ITS

Workshop/Event

Advice

Services

How To(if client-facing)

(if client-facing)


Part II

ServiceNow Knowledgebase

Dorothy OrtaleKnowledge ManagerIT Service Management


Part II — ServiceNow Knowlegebase

Knowledge is not a tool.It is part of the process.


Part II — ServiceNow Knowledgebase

Knowledge Articles•Write articles by running through the process.

•When you learn something new, write it down.

•Never make a new article by copy the text and images from

a Microsoft Word document.



Images in Knowledge Articles•Images can help in the instruction of a Knowledge article

but are not required.

•Never copy and paste images into Knowledge articles.

•Always attach images to knowledge articles.



Templates and Knowledge Articles•Templates store populated versions of a form for reuse and

can save time by reducing the amount of time spent filling

out forms by Tier 1 support.

•Templates ensure that key fields are populated with the

appropriate data.



ITS Website:Workflow and Drupal Basics

Dave BroggiITS Web TeamIT Strategy, Governance & eServices



Workflow Overview: New Content

Drupal-topiaEveryday World

AmazingDrupal

Universe



Workflow Overview: Updating Content

Editor makes changes

Note: Page must remain published; do not move page into “draft” mode

Humdrum Everyday World



What is Drupal?

Drupal is a content management platform powering millions of websites and applications.

•Modular and extensible•Open source•Ease of use (for content managers)•ITS website based on Drupal 6•YaleSites now offers Drupal 7

Learn more at drupal.org and drupal.yale.edu



DEV Environment vs. Production

DEV: http://its-dev.yale.edu

• Your training and testing sandbox• Does not push to Production• Periodically overwritten by Production• Generally, not a place to store or work on new content

Production: http://its.yale.edu

• New content is created in the live website• Only one version of each page exists• Pages should never be taken down (unless retired)• Not possible to save in-progress work on published pages



Drupal Basics (hands-on)


ITS Web Team

ITS Web Team [email protected]

David Broggi [email protected] Liu [email protected] Livingston [email protected] Ngim [email protected]

Dorothy Ortale [email protected]

Documents

CREATING & MANAGING CONTENT on the ITS Website and ServiceNow Knowledgebase ITS Web Team IT Strategy, Governance & eServices Yale Information Technology