Technical communication

• Analysis of current documentation
• Definition of the folder structure
• Definition of metadata
• Subdivision of documentation into information classes
• Definition of a guide on style for structure, grammar and writing

Reuse is the key to success: Documents are divided into reusable modules and are saved in a very clear folder structure.

The modules can be divided into:

• Standard chapters
• Standard sections
• Sections with defined properties
• Fragments

But what are these properties?
The properties define your modules. These properties are metadata. Metadata help you to recognise and filter modules and information faster. We also have to divide the modules into information classes.  But what are information classes? They define the type of module. Is the module a description? Is it a task sequence? Or a maintenance table? The information classes have different structures that are defined as a guide on style. The rules of grammar and style of writing allow the different technical communicators to write consistent modules. Except for the fragments, the modules are organised in such a way that they are independent. Thanks to this method you can create different types of documents according to the puzzle principle. This principle is based on reusing the modules in different positions within the documentation without having to make any changes.

• Analysis of current documentation
• Choice of the most suitable CCMS
• Definition of a database folder structure
• Definition of possible templates
• Definition of metadata and taxonomies
• Definition of variables
• Subdivision of documentation into information classes
• Definition of a guide on style for structure, grammar and writing

If you want to go one step further and publish multilingual documents in different formats in a short time, you need not only a good folder structure but a Component Content Management System - CCMS. We are here to help you choose the most suitable system for you. Independently from the CCMS the documentation must be restructured in such a way that each individual module can be found and reused.

The optimisation of the technical documentation is definitely a first step. In a CCMS we work in XML, an independent layout format. The modules must be divided in such a way that they can be reused in different documents in different publication formats.
To filter the information, defined metadata and taxonomies are essential and variables speed up the publication of technical data in just a few clicks.

The modules are saved in a database. From there you start with a project. The modules are reused in the project. This also facilitates the automatic correction of errors found during editing. Thanks to the XML format, projects can be published today in PDF and tomorrow in HTML or other formats. Technical communicators no longer have to deal with DTP but can concentrate on the texts to be written.