Understand the Content Lifecycle: Make it Work for You Mollye Barrett Leigh White
Goals � Recognizing the content lifecycle helps to identify how content must be treated, handled and processed. � Applying the content life cycle presents opportunities for automation, areas of workflow improvement, ways to measure cost and a means to make a tacit technical publication process explicit. � Important considerations for technical communicators managing a project or preparing for a content management system. � Review several existing content life cycle models, discuss core similarities and differences, and focus on how each can be applied to specific use cases, including a DITA project.
Agenda � Scope of the content lifecycle � Small, medium, large clc � Examples � Yesterday, today and tomorrow � Breakout, identify, work and sketch your clc
Why a Content Lifecycle? � Things that have lifecycles � Living things (amoeba, frog, people) � Inanimate things (house, cars, organizations) � Lifecycle is a process, it’s happening � Some aggressive, some passive � Benefits of an explicit clc � Order, predictability, balance � Identifying a content lifecycle requires observation and understanding: analysis � Knowledge worker activity � Use what we learn to form a content strategy
Skills Needed for CLC? � Analyze data to establish relationships � Assess input to evaluate complex or conflicting priorities � Identify and understand trends � Make connections � Understand cause and effect � Brainstorm, think broad (divergent thinking) � Drill down, create focus (convergent thinking) � Produce a new capability � Create or modify a strategy
It Takes a Knowledge Worker Drucker and factors for knowledge worker productivity: � Knowledge worker productivity demands that we ask the question: "What is the task?" � Self ‐ directed, responsible for their productivity � Continuing innovation must be part of the work, the task and the responsibility � Must always be learning and teaching � Productivity is not primarily based on quantity of output; quality is equally important. � Productivity requires that the knowledge worker be seen and treated as an "asset" rather than a "cost."
Focus on content, not software A recent listserv post: My supervisor has finally permitted me to look into what is required for us to move forward with single ‐ sourcing. I am new to the issue although I do understand the concept and its benefits from a top ‐ level. We are looking for any information or links to information that will allow us to fully understand what Single ‐ sourcing is, how it works, how to get started and how to create an ROI. A sample ROI would be most welcome. I am currently looking at Madcap Flare and Author IT. Any feedback and either of these applications would be welcome. Also, if there are any other applications that exist for this purpose, please feel free to share. We would like to know if the developers of these applications are in for the long ‐ haul or fly ‐ by ‐ night. What they can offer us that the others cannot, etc.
What’s in the CLC? Information People Technology � Items of info � Audiences � Tools to be � Contributors � Platforms delivered � Team � Methodologies � Ways to get members to those � Stakeholders items and sponsors
Thought Leaders on the CLC Authoring, Repository, Assembly, Delivery, Archive Ann Rockley Capture, Manage, Deliver, Store, Preserve AIIM Authoring, Repository, Assembly/Linking, Publishing JoAnn Hackos Collect, Manage, Publish Bob Boiko Creation, Editing, Publishing Gerry McGovern Production, Delivery Tony Byrne
Directional Wheel www.cdgroup.com/EX2/images/Content_Lifecycle. gif
Circles with Arrows
Circles in Circles http://www.langsolinc.com/cf/LANGUAGE/ContentFiles/Global%20Content%20Value%20Chain.png
Map
3 ‐ D www.acsltd.com/Web/CMSLotDom.nsf/weblinks/MGLY-5EWQX9?OpenDocument
Puzzle
http://metatorial.com/images/poster_big.jpg Flowchart
Translation View
What is at the core of a CLC?
What is at the core of a CMS?
Content Management Activities � Collect � author, acquire, convert, aggregate, collection service � Manage � content databases, content files, configuration files � Publish � publication services, web, other (static, print, syndication) Automate work wherever reasonable and possible
Exercise: Email CLC � Create � Edit � Recipient/sender � Send � Subject � Translate � Body � Forward � Branding � Archive � Images � Delete � Signature
References � Peter Drucker, Management Challenges of the 21 st Century � Bob Boiko, The Content Management Bible � Ann Rockley, Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy � AIIM ‐ www.aiim.org � Content Management Professionals ‐ www.cmprofessionals.org
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