This session showcases how documentation for one of the biggest auto manufacturers in the world was to migrated to DITA allowing for publishing of hundreds of manuals in over a dozen languages. Vehicle documentation (owner’s manuals, user guides, quick reference guides, etc) are as crucial to a car as the brakes, engine, or chassis. Without these a car is not finished, and cannot be shipped and sold. Documentation failure can cost over $100,000 per MINUTE if it results in a line being shut down. Learn about the journey and discovery of concerns, project scope definition and change, trials and tribulations of getting tools to do what was needed, and the net results. Along the way a component content management system, author tools, review processes, and much more had to be planned, tested, implemented, and supported.

1. DITA: FROM “DO I?” TO “DONE IT!”
AN AUTOMOTIVE CASE STUDY THAT CAN APPLY TO ANY BUSINESS

2. From the outline
This session showcases how documentation for one of the biggest auto manufacturers in the world was to
migrated to DITA allowing for publishing of hundreds of manuals in over a dozen languages.
Vehicle documentation (owner’s manuals, user guides, quick reference guides, etc) are as crucial to a car as the
brakes, engine, or chassis. Without these a car is not finished, and cannot be shipped and sold. Documentation
failure can cost over $100,000 per MINUTE if it results in a line being shut down.
Learn about the journey and discovery of concerns, project scope definition and change, trials and tribulations
of getting tools to do what was needed, and the net results. Along the way a component content management
system, author tools, review processes, and much more had to be planned, tested, implemented, and
supported.
2

3. Agenda for Today
3
■ Introductions
■ Program Approach
■ Q&A

4. What you are in for
Case study
■ A major auto manufacturer’s partner uses DITA for content
■ Publishing 100s of manuals in 12+ languages using multiple templates means 1000s of combinations of
output!
Learn about the journey and discovery of
■ Concerns
■ Project scope definition
■ Change, trials, and tribulations
Discussions on a CCMS, author tools, review processes, and much more
An idea of “where we are now” as well as “what we’ve learned” and “what’s around the corner”
Information to help YOU on your journey to a structured solution
4

5. PRESENTERS
Who are these guys? Why are they here?
5

6. Bernard Aschwanden
Publishing Smarter: President
Content strategist, publishing technologies
expert, author, and geek-enough
Certified Technical Trainer
■ DITA
■ Content management
■ Topic-based writing
Society for Technical Communication
(www.stc.org)
■ Past-President
■ STC Associate Fellow
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7. Matthew Cristoforo
MSXI : Authoring System Architect
30+ Years in the Automotive Industry
20+ years in After-Sales Publication
Development
New business development & acquisition
Start-ups and process improvements
Automations to boost efficiency and profitability
of established businesses
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8. CONTEXT
The Case Study
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9. The Scope
“Big 3” OEM changes Owner’s Information Publication provider
■ Content Creation, Print and Fulfillment
■ Pre-Production Vehicles
■ Heavy Security Requirements
■ Legacy content migration was crucial
■ Existing Translation Library Integration
■ Large reviewer base
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10. The Scope
“Big 3” OEM changes Owner’s Information Publication provider
■ Content Creation, Print and Fulfillment
■ Pre-Production Vehicles
■ Heavy Security Requirements
■ Legacy content migration was crucial
■ Existing Translation Library Integration
■ Large reviewer base
10

11. CMS Content Development Collaborative Review Publish CompositionTranslation
A
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System Requirements

12. Customer Review System Requirements
General Customer Requirements
■ Review System capable of managing a large
reviewer community
■ Review task Delegation
■ Individual topic or whole book assignment
■ Reviewer roles
■ Conditional XML formatting based on element
attribute
■ Web based & Off-line requirement
■ Supporting data upload
■ Review completion reports
■ Review closure action letter
■ Review history
12

13. Customer Publishing Requirements
General Customer Requirements
■ Publish complex design layouts
■ Publish multichannel content
■ Reduced staff required for publishing and
composition
■ Resolve conditional content on a publish
■ Denote conditional content on a preview/review
■ Publish in target language as well as bi and tri-lingual
publications
■ Page count reduction
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14. Owner’s Information Program
14
Owners Manual
User Guide
Essential Information Guide
Quick Reference Guide
Supplemental Information
Roadside Assistant Cards
Product Delivery Examples
MSXI Provides digital files only to print partner

15. Doing the Math
15
31Vehicle Lines
15Publications
100sof Combinations
13Markets
28Languages

16. Visualize the volume of unique content
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197Unique USA Publications Annually
+121Unique International Publications Annually
197

17. ISSUES AND CONCERNS TO FACE
The Case Study
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18. Business Concerns
■ Resource onboarding timing
■ Matched quality
■ Short implementation time
■ No authoring/review/publishing system
■ Program scope change
■ Undefined publication style
■ Very specific review system requirements
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19. System Concerns
■ Data migration
■ DITA Transformation
■ Capture publication styles and
specifications
■ Author tool to create/preview/publish
DITA
■ Automate publishing and composition
■ Publishing needed to be quick and server
based
■ Translations and multilingual publishing
■ Time and Budget constraints
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20. SOLUTION OPTIONS
The Case Study
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21. No Author, Review, or Publish System (next slides graphical samples)
Required tools
Author
■ Author friendly and DITA aware
■ Must preview conditions
■ Publish with professional layout/design
Review
■ Must showcase design/layout, and markup
■ Must support commenting on specific info
Publish
■ Demanding template formats
■ Tables of contents, bleeder tabs, etc
Solved by
Author: FrameMaker
■ Structure view, quick to learn, DITA OotB
■ Can show conditions, or even “tag” markup
■ Even the draft was publish preview friendly
Review: PDF and/or AEM
■ PDF via FM retains format/layout & markup
■ Acrobat Reader allows comments
Publish: FrameMaker and/or FMPS
■ Can run standalone or FMPS and AEM
■ Generated content, plus scripts for design
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22. Author [Authors Need DITA Aware Tools]
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23. Author + Review [Preview of Conditional Content]
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24. Author + Review [Preview of Markets and Measurements]
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25. Author + Review + Publish [Publish a Tire Warranty]
Authors see layout/design/format
Reviewers see all content in context
Publishing uses the same template
■ Single column layout
■ Multiple page PDF
■ Traditional looking portrait page
Design rich mix of content
■ TOC
■ Text
■ Images
■ Table
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26. Review + Publish + Quality [Published Owner’s Manual]
Reviewers see all content in context
Publishing uses the same template
■ Now a 2 column layout
■ Multiple page PDF
■ Traditional looking landscape page
Design rich mix of content
■ Text
■ Table
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27. Review + Publish [Publish a User Guide]
Reviewers see all content in context
Publishing uses the same template
■ This has a 3 column layout
■ Multiple page PDF
■ Traditional looking portrait page
Design rich mix of content
■ Text
■ Table
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28. Undefined Publication Styles + Match Quality [Style Guide]
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29. Publish + Quality + Onboarding + Time [Automate Templates]
Required
Delivery type
■ Must support multiple print setups
■ Images of multiple formats
■ With and without crop marks
Templates
■ Many
■ Many
■ Many
Solved by
FrameMaker and one more menu
■ Scripts
■ Moved repeated tasks into a dialog
■ Combined high-level ideas
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30. Publish + Quality + Onboarding + Time [Automate Templates]
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31. Review + Quality + Onboarding [Initial PDF Generation and Feedback]
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32. Author + Review + Publish + Onboarding + Quality [Templates]
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33. Author + Quality [Speaker Info, Author View, 2 column]
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34. Review + Publish + Quality [Speaker Info, Owner’s Manual, 2 column]
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35. Author + Quality [Speaker Info, Author View, 3 column]
35

36. Publish + Review + Quality + Time [Quick Reference, 3 column]
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37. Publish + Review + Quality + Time [User Guide, 3 column]
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38. TECHNICAL RESULTS
The Case Study
38

39. Author + Publish + Review + Quality + Time + Onboarding [One Solution]
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40. NEXT STEPS
The Case Study
40

41. Next steps
Next up for MSXI
■ Looking to reduce overall page count
■ Looking to address review system feedback
■ Address conditions utilizing a holistic
approach
Next up for Publishing Smarter
■ Continue to work with our customers and
with Adobe to improve products
■ Find ways to work with the MSXI team on
the next project they get
■ Develop ongoing partnerships with
companies (DITA, CS, CM, CCMS, etc)
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42. Next steps
Next up for Adobe
Continue to develop DITA support
Deeper connection of FMPS and AEM
Next up for you, the attendee!
Further questions
■ Ask in the session
■ Follow up with us directly
 Email bernard@publishingsmarter.com
 Email mcristoforo@msxi.com
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43. CONCLUSION
Summary
43

44. What we’ve discussed
Case study
■ A major auto manufacturer’s partner uses DITA for content
■ Publishing 100s of manuals in 12+ languages using multiple templates means 1000s of combinations of
output!
Learn about the journey and discovery of
■ Concerns
■ Project scope definition
■ Change, trials, and tribulations
An idea of “where we are now” as well as “what we’ve learned” and “what’s around the corner”
Information to help YOU on your journey to a structured solution
44

45. Questions (and more questions)
As time allows, we are happy to address questions
you may have
If we’ve run tight on time then you can reach out to
us directly (next slide!)
45

46. Contact information
Bernard Aschwanden
905 833 8448
bernard@publishingsmarter.com
www.publishingsmarter.com
Matthew Cristoforo
248 687 7042
mcristoforo@msxi.com
www.msxi.com
Confidential 46

47. www.publishingsmarter.com/ditaworld2019