RE: Document Control Systems

Subject: RE: Document Control Systems
From: "Fred Ridder" <docudoc -at- hotmail -dot- com>
To: joel -at- efasoft -dot- com, Pamela -dot- Sarantos -at- bigbandnet -dot- com, cturner -at- redflex -dot- com, techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2005 19:31:23 -0500

There are a lot of people doing some form of single sourcing (which
is a seriously overloaded term that can refer to a whole spectrum
of practices) without using XML or SGML.

For example, in our group we produce four different variants of
most of our publications (two operating systems x two platforms)
from the same set of unstructured FrameMaker files. Yes, we use
a CMS (Documentum with the recently discontinued FrameLink
interface) to help us manage everything and keep track of what
publicaiton uses what information modules.

Yes, we could do even more and with less effort if we were using
XML, and that is the migration we're working toward right now.
But it is certainly possible and practical to do single source
authoring and publishing using unstructured (non-XML) tools.

It may also be useful to draw some sort of distinction between
document management systems and content management systems,
although some systems can handle both types of usage models.
Documentum, for example, falls more under the former category.
It's very good for managing access to and delivery of finished
documents; it's less good for managing dozens or hundreds of
source components that are used to compose a final document.
And I've heard that it really shows its limitations when called
upon to manage a myriad of small, independent units of content
as is often the case when working in a structured environment.
For that application, you're usually better off opting for a CMS
that is specifically designed to manage an XML content repository.
Systems like Astoria, Idiom WorldServer, Vasont, and XyEnterprise
Content@, and some other that I can't remember right now.
What Clare seemed to be asking about was more on the document
management end of the spectrum, while Pamela's need seems to
be more on the source management side.

My opinions only; I don't speak for Intel
Fred Ridder
Intel
Parsippany, NJ

From: "Joel Amoussou" <joel -at- efasoft -dot- com>
To: "'Pamela Sarantos'" <Pamela -dot- Sarantos -at- bigbandnet -dot- com>,"'Clare Turner'" <cturner -at- redflex -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: RE: Document Control Systems
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2005 17:45:15 -0500

Pamela,

Single sourcing usually refers to the use of XML and related technologies to
manage content. In the case of book publishing, you will create and edit the
books using an XML vocabulary like DocBook. XML cleanly separates content
from formatting. Once in XML format (the single source), you can transform
the books in a variety of output formats such as web, print, and wireless.
The transformation is performed with XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language
Transformation).

A CMS that supports single sourcing should provide a validating XML editor
and an XSLT/XSL FO publishing engine for transforming the XML documents into
the desired output formats (HTML, PDF, WML, etc.). In addition to standard
features like versioning, workflow and check-in/out, a CMS should also have
an XML repository for storing and querying the XML content.

Kind regards,

Joel Amoussou
450-686-8237
http://www.efasoft.com

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+joel=efasoft -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+joel=efasoft -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of
Pamela Sarantos
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 12:14 PM
To: Clare Turner; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Document Control Systems

Hi, good question, and I believe it relates to a question I was ready to
post.

I believe my question is relevant to Clare's question regarding document
control.

We are currently looking into content management systems, which I believe is
what Clare may be referring to.

I'm trying to understand the relationship between a content management
system (CMS) and book publishing and single sourcing.

For example, does the CMS dictate what publishing software and other tools
you use for book publication and single sourcing?

Thanks,
Pam


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+pamela -dot- sarantos=bigbandnet -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+pamela -dot- sarantos=bigbandnet -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On Behalf Of Clare Turner
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 11:58 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: FW: Document Control Systems

I have been tasked to select 5 "document control systems" and make a
recommendation to our management team for a company-wide "solution".  The
ONLY criteria I've been given are:  "We want to have an application,
preferably web based, that allows all employees to have read-only access to
ALL technical and user documentation based on user access.  We want it
catalogued and searchable in a user-friendly way so folks can easily find
documentation.  We want it to have good version control tracking and good
controls on who has write access to each document.  The issues keep coming
up that we have multiple copies of documents spread all over the network and
nobody knows where to find anything."

At this time, everyone keeps whatever they want (or create) on whatever
portion of whatever server on our "LAN" that they have access to (or on
their own desktop).  We DO NOT have a formal intranet (this is another
subject and one I've been harping about since I started, to no avail).  I
have not been given a price range - only that I should select "2 cheap, 2
middle and one cadillac".  We are a Windows server and XP shop (tho' I think
there are Linix servers, too -  not my area).   Most files created are in
one of the MS Office applications, with the exception of construction
diagrams created in a CAD program (no, I don't know which one).

Finally, because much of our data can be considered evidence in court
proceedings, a hosted solution is not an option.  This needs to be in-house.

Any suggestions/help/direction would be *greatly* appreciated!



Clare Turner, Technical Writer
Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc.
15020 N. 74th St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
480.607.3583

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References:
RE: Document Control Systems: From: Joel Amoussou

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