Getting to Yes: Overcoming Barriers to XML Adoption in the Enterprise

© 2009 JustSystems Canada, Inc.

Episode 8Episode 8Getting to Yes: Overcoming Getting to Yes: Overcoming

Barriers to XML Adoption in the Barriers to XML Adoption in the EnterpriseEnterprise

Su-Laine Yeo, Solutions Consultant

in 37 minutes

© 2010 JustSystems Canada, Inc.2

The goalsThe goals

• Deliver content in multiple media (web, mobile devices, print)

• Enable searching and conformance to regulations

• Customize documents for different audiences and contexts


The goalsThe goals

• Minimize costs and delays for maintaining consistent, accurate information in multiple languages


• “We save on average 75% of the time it would usually take to create version variants for our over 200 product manuals.” - Cisco

• “Renault Trucks has been able to cut its documentation production cycle by 70%.” - Renault Trucks

Measurable Business ImpactMeasurable Business Impact


““Staff resistance to change is a Staff resistance to change is a factor that complicates factor that complicates roughly half of all roughly half of all technology implementation technology implementation projects and severely projects and severely threatens about one in ten.”threatens about one in ten.”

- LISA - LISA 2006 Global Business 2006 Global Business Practices SurveyPractices Survey

The challengeThe challenge


In XML implementations, writers are often In XML implementations, writers are often concerned that the new system will:concerned that the new system will:

• Make them lose creativity Make them lose creativity

• Take control over formatting away from themTake control over formatting away from them

• Be hard to learnBe hard to learn

• Be too inflexibleBe too inflexible

- Emma Hamer, 2009: - Emma Hamer, 2009: Embracing the Straightjacket: Learning to Love Structured Authoring

Why do people resist change?Why do people resist change?


• Losing status and Losing status and expertiseexpertise

• Being left behindBeing left behind

• Appearing stupid or Appearing stupid or ignorantignorant

• Being less useful to the Being less useful to the organizationorganization

- Emma Hamer, 2009: - Emma Hamer, 2009: Embracing the Straightjacket: Learning to Love Structured Authoring

Resistance comes from fearsResistance comes from fears


• Understand your team’s needs and goalsUnderstand your team’s needs and goals

• Choose tools and models that meet your team’s Choose tools and models that meet your team’s requirementsrequirements

• Pay attention to usabilityPay attention to usability

• Provide training and time to learnProvide training and time to learn

• Listen to stakeholders in both the planning and Listen to stakeholders in both the planning and implementation stagesimplementation stages

General principlesGeneral principles


• Writers’ concerns are often legitimate

• We can help…

A vendor’s take on these issuesA vendor’s take on these issues


• Giving you more usable tools

• Understand your team’s Understand your team’s needs and goalsneeds and goals

→ Choose tools and Choose tools and document structures that document structures that meet your team’s meet your team’s requirementsrequirements

→ Pay attention to usabilityPay attention to usability• Provide training and time to Provide training and time to

learnlearn• Listen to stakeholders in Listen to stakeholders in

both the planning and both the planning and implementation stagesimplementation stages

We can help by:We can help by:


• Ensuring good training and support are available, even after tools are customized


• Choose tools and Choose tools and document structures that document structures that meet your team’s meet your team’s requirementsrequirements

• Pay attention to usabilityPay attention to usability→ Provide training and time to Provide training and time to

learnlearn→ Listen to stakeholders in Listen to stakeholders in




• Working with you to address concerns


→ Choose tools and Choose tools and document structures that document structures that meet your team’s meet your team’s requirementsrequirements

• Pay attention to usabilityPay attention to usability• Provide training and time to Provide training and time to

learnlearn→ Listen to stakeholders in Listen to stakeholders in




Planning a smooth Planning a smooth implementationimplementation

Assemble your team, then:

1. Analyze your content and determine your reuse strategy

2. Select solution components (tools)

3. Get training

4. Do a proof-of-concept project

5. Optimize your tools


Analyzing your contentAnalyzing your content

• Why is content duplicated? – What duplication could be eliminated through modular reuse? – What duplication could be eliminated through conditional text?

• Could your content be structured as a series of topics to facilitate reuse?

• What “style guideline” rules do you have?– What types of information need distinctive styling?


Selecting a DTD or SchemaSelecting a DTD or Schema

Tip: Use DITA if possibleTip: Use DITA if possible• Excellent feature set in toolsExcellent feature set in tools

• Supports reuseSupports reuse

• Strong communityStrong community

• ExtensibleExtensible


The role of authoring toolsThe role of authoring tools

XML authoring tools are mostly about usability.


Evaluating authoring toolsEvaluating authoring tools

• Do documents display in a clear, readable Do documents display in a clear, readable manner?manner?

• If I change formatting, are my changes If I change formatting, are my changes saved in a meaningful way?saved in a meaningful way?

• How easy is it to write using the application?


• Copy/paste into XMetaL from:– Word– HTML– Excel– E-mail– PowerPoint– other formats

Can I get unstructured Can I get unstructured content into the tool?content into the tool?


Evaluating authoring toolsEvaluating authoring tools

• Does the application make it easy for writers to reuse content?

– Seeing how documents composed of many smaller documents look

– Viewing conditional text


“Frequently, creativity is the work authors put into the layout rather than the content. You need to identify what they consider creativity and what value is being added to the content through that creativity.”

- Ann Rockley, “Educating authors for content management”, The Rockley Report

Creativity: What not to worry Creativity: What not to worry aboutabout


• Writers need to get their thoughts down without fighting with the computer

Creativity: What is importantCreativity: What is important


• Presents documents without on-screen clutter

• Supports copying/pasting from unstructured tools and then cleaning up/enriching the content in XML

• Lets you work with structure without having to think in terms of the underlying XML

Creativity and XMetaLCreativity and XMetaL


• Pay attention to interoperability:Pay attention to interoperability:– Component content management systemComponent content management system– Controlled language checkingControlled language checking– Mathematical equation editingMathematical equation editing

Integrating toolsIntegrating tools


Tight CMS integrationTight CMS integration

• Check-in and check-out directly from XMetaL

• Browse for images to insert

• Create cross-references to other documents

• View documents composed of multiple files


Embedded tools for Embedded tools for controlled language controlled language


• Try a trial versionTry a trial version

• XMetaL AuthorXMetaL Author– 30 day fully-functional trial30 day fully-functional trial

• a watermark appears on PDF output a watermark appears on PDF output

– Call us if you want the trial extendedCall us if you want the trial extended– XMetaL Author Evaluation GuideXMetaL Author Evaluation Guide

Selecting an XML authoring toolSelecting an XML authoring tool


Tip: Use the Tip: Use the vendor’svendor’s time and energy to sell XML time and energy to sell XML to your writersto your writers

• Gather questions and samples for the vendorGather questions and samples for the vendor

• Big organizations may need separate demos Big organizations may need separate demos – End-users, IT, and upper managersEnd-users, IT, and upper managers

Get free help from vendorsGet free help from vendors


• Configuration can make a huge difference for Configuration can make a huge difference for usabilityusability

• For example…For example…

Optimizing XMetaLOptimizing XMetaL


• Optimize how documents appear to writersOptimize how documents appear to writers– Easy, doesn’t need a separate applicationEasy, doesn’t need a separate application

ExampleExample


• Integrate spreadsheets and databases– Requires scripting

ExampleExample


• Add keyboard shortcuts for frequent tasksAdd keyboard shortcuts for frequent tasks

• Add toolbar buttons

ExampleExample


• Optimize word lists in the spellcheckerOptimize word lists in the spellchecker• Copy one file to other machinesCopy one file to other machines

ExampleExample


• Custom metadata form that appears when the user:– Creates a document – Saves a document– Checks a document into the CMS– Asks for it

ExampleExample


Train a few people early to:

• Decide:– strategies for using

metadata– strategies for reusing

content– writing and markup

guidelines

• Configure XMetaL

• Train others

Training for team leadsTraining for team leads


• Training should cover:Training should cover:– Tools such as your authoring tool, CMS, and reviewing toolTools such as your authoring tool, CMS, and reviewing tool– Your DTD or SchemaYour DTD or Schema

• Don’t try to learn all tools at onceDon’t try to learn all tools at once

Training writersTraining writers


• Typical training for writers covers DITA and Typical training for writers covers DITA and XMetaL AuthorXMetaL Author– 3 days3 days– By JustSystems and partnersBy JustSystems and partners

• Customized on-site training – Use your own examples and sample documents– Good for team leads

XMetaL trainingXMetaL training


A typical proof-of-conceptA typical proof-of-concept

• Train a small team on how to use the tools

• Create/convert a representative sample of content into XML

• Test critical features of your tools

• Create output in your required formats and languages


• Experienced support team

• 10-year-old product

• Free, active community forums: http://forums.xmetal.com

XMetaL supportXMetaL support


• Easy to use, lets writers focus on contentEasy to use, lets writers focus on content

• Evaluation-friendlyEvaluation-friendly

• Integrates well with third-party tools and data Integrates well with third-party tools and data sourcessources

• Adaptable to team preferencesAdaptable to team preferences

• Support and training are widely availableSupport and training are widely available

Summary: XMetaL Summary: XMetaL and change managementand change management


• Suggested readings on overcoming barriers to XML adoption: – http://forums.xmetal.com/index.php/topic,530.msg167

3.html#msg1673

- or go to http://forums.xmetal.com and search for “Getting to Yes”

Further readingFurther reading


• July 15, 2010. Watch for an announcement at http://forums.xmetal.com.

Next 37-minute webinarNext 37-minute webinar


• Global Presence

– 700 employees, ‘08 revenues of $135M.

– HQ in Japan; Corporate Offices in Vancouver and EMEA.

• Our Experience

– Established in 1979.

– Market leader with over 2,500 customers.

• Our Expertise

– Global provider of office productivity, information

management, consumer & enterprise software.

– Framework for XML-based DITA content creation, integration,

visualization and delivery.

• Our Credibility

– Gartner “Cool Vendor” in CM 2008.

– KM World “100 Companies that Matter” 2008 and 2009.

– eContent 100 2007, 2008, 2009

– IBM CTO Innovation Award 2006.

2,500 Customers,Marquee Brands

About JustSystemsAbout JustSystems

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Getting to Yes: Overcoming Barriers to XML Adoption in the Enterprise