Educational Publishers with DITA
Whitepaper by Amber Swope, DITA Specialist
Legacy Data Conversion: Is it Worth the Expense?
The What, Why, and How of Implementing DITA XML
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DCL prepares digital content for electronic publishing, data distribution, and the Web; converting all types of information from all major word processing, typesetting, and document formats, as well as paper into all structured formats, including XML, eBook (EPUB, MOBI, HTML5), and others. We are the market leader, working with complex technical documentation typically characterized by elaborate tables, equations, cross-referencing, special characters, footnotes, and specialized imaging requirements. We support most foreign languages including Latin-based and double-byte characters. Our production is scalable to any level... a thousand pages, a million pages, or more... with each document and each word converted consistently, reliably, and on time. Results are guaranteed!
DCL's proven automated conversion method produces the highest quality, consistently-tagged data, while our 24/7 online document tracking system keeps clients informed throughout the entire process. Our extensive US-based project management team and multi-level QA means our clients do not need to expend internal resources to fix the data after conversion.
Analyze: Identify issues upfront, fully understand the requirements, anticipate the outcome, and identify redundant content for potential reuse.
Conversion specification: Compile a conversion specification and trial samples using our time-tested approach, prepare the project blueprint, and provide a final preview acting as another checkpoint to make certain all is on track to meet the client's needs.
Program configuration: Automated conversion software is configured and live data is run through the entire process as a final check.
Production process design: The process is further refined and configured, ensuring the logistics and quality assurance steps are in place and in sync.
Volume production: Extensive planning and QA ensures production runs smoothly and on time, enabling high-volume, bulk conversions
DCL also provides consulting, project development, and project management services for all do-it-yourself (in-house) conversion projects. Our trained team of professional s is available on a project-by-project basis to help you to determine the correct approach, coordinate internal or outsourced resources, manage your resources throughout the project, perform QA services pre &/or post conversion and more.
Legacy Data Conversion... Is it Worth the Expense?
Legacy Data Conversion: Is it Worth the Expense?
The What, Why, and How of Implementing DITA XML
Subscribe to receive our newsletter covering topics from XML and DITA to eBooks and Social Media, and be informed of all upcoming webinars!
As you begin to evaluate converting your legacy data, you will need to consider several factors which we list below. But first you must realize the advantages for your organization. In certain instances, documents are converted in order to comply with law, industry standards or to support distribution partners and meet consumers' expectations. Generally however, a conversion is most desirable for its potential to lower costs by making material easier to manage, update and reproduce.
The perception: The concept of converting legacy data can be a daunting task and one that can derail many integration projects if the proper process is not in place early in the equation. Many companies fear that it is simply too complex and too expensive to implement.
The reality: Expertise is critical to delivering a successful project accurately, on time and on budget. All DCL projects are managed by our US-based project managers who are specialized by industry and DTD guaranteeing a successful and pain-free implementation. DCL will also make our project managers available for consultation as well as ongoing project management for DIY or outsourced projects.
The value: Converting legacy data is an investment that results in increased revenues and decreased expenses. Not only will having data maintained in a more structured, easily configurable format increase customer service and decrease time to market, but it will allow for expansion into new markets and create data versatility as well. Additionally, publishing and translation costs will be reduced and authoring productivity and information reuse will be increased.
The options: There are three options that present themselves when considering a legacy conversion and calculating an expected ROI. The first is to convert nothing which will result in a delayed ROI. The second option is to convert everything which will result in higher conversion costs and reduced ROI. The third option is to convert "frequently used" documents resulting in some conversion costs and a maximized ROI.
The plan: Preparation and planning are key elements so early expert involvement is crucial. It is important to get your documents ready for the conversion early to save both time and money. Categorizing the content by division, type and topic and prioritizing the content by date, relevance and reusability will ensure a smooth conversion.
The migration: Beyond the tools and conversion, training staff on how to use the new tools and content is a critical step. Believe it or not, people can cause more issues than the technology because the process is a new concept and many people resist change. The migration of your legacy data to XML is an issue of deciding "How, What and When". DCL recognizes that every organization has different needs when converting documents which is why we customize every order per project to find the process that will result in the best conversion solution for our clients.
The conclusion: "DCL turned our conversion challenges into a production process, Thanks to DCL's expertise and dedication, we are converting thousands of pages monthly, from several legacy formats, into richly tagged XML." — John Deere and Company
The What, Why, and How of Implementing DITA XML
Legacy Data Conversion: Is it Worth the Expense?
The What, Why, and How of Implementing DITA XML
Subscribe to receive our newsletter covering topics from XML and DITA to eBooks and Social Media, and be informed of all upcoming webinars!
The Dos and Don'ts
Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) is an XML-based international standard that was originally developed by IBM as a modular, reuse-friendly DTD for software. It is now publically available and is being applied to technical documentation and help guides in many industries. DITA is particularly well-suited to situations where there are multiple variants of a single product and/or the documentation is produced in multiple languages. This is because DITA enables XML content reuse through modular, reusable topics to a greater extent than previous XML standards. As socialization of content becomes more and more critical, so will the need to convert your content to DITA XML.
The evaluation: DCL will perform an in-depth source data and business evaluation to determine if DITA is right for your organization and your data. DITA is best suited to content that is modular and context-independent in nature. Understanding and developing the content business rules upfront will ensure the project will run more smoothly.
The benefit: DITA is ideal for projects in which you want to reuse some of the same content within a document, between documents or even among different projects. Documentation that must be translated, for example, can benefit greatly from DITA's topic-based modules because a given chunk of content need only be translated once, no matter how many times it appears throughout a set of documentation.
The truths: While learning the tools is not a difficult transition, adapting to DITA can be difficult due to to major issues... transitioning to a collaborative and redirecting attention away for formatting.
The business drivers: Many companies implement DITA because they require reduced translation costs, increased content reuse, and have a reduced need for composition. A major goal for most companies is to be able to multi-purpose content without a great deal of effort.
The timeline: With the proper planning and expertise in place, a DITA implementation process can take as little as two years based on a recent study of 12 DITA implementations. The average time was three years with some projects lasting five and others became ongoing when all phases were combined.
The lessons: Preparation, planning and expertise are crucial to a successful implementation process. Converting data to DITA XML is NOT a DIY project. Hire consultants, pros and invest in training for your people. The ROI is huge if you handle the process appropriately.
The DCL capability: DCL will evaluate your data, develop the content business rules, establish a DITA bookmap and glossentry wrappers as well as help with system integration. We will coordinate training for your team and be available to consult throughout the process.