RE: Word: Workgroup Templates Question

[Ole Andersen <ora -at- dita-exchange -dot- com>]

Hi Deborah,

The easy solution here is to add Microsoft SharePoint to the equations. SharePoint was been built to handle this problem (and a lot of other stuff). It comes with check in/out, version history, access right management and what have you - and it can be downloaded for free from Microsoft.com 

We use this mechanism in DITA Exchange (managing DITA XML content on SharePoint - authoring XML content via Word 2007 (via templates)) a lot, and it works...

Good luck...


Best Regards
>< Content Technologies ApS
Ole Rom Andersen
Director, Co-founder
Katrinebjerg Science Park | Aabogade 15 | DK-8200 Aarhus N | DENMARK | Cell: +45.4044.0553 | Fax: +45.6980.3578 | Skype: olerom | ora -at- dita-exchange -dot- com | http://www.dita-exchange.com | 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+ora=dita-exchange -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ora=dita-exchange -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Deborah Hemstreet
Sent: 16. juni 2010 9:52
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Word: Workgroup Templates Question

*Hi All,

I'm wondering if you would advise me about a Workgroup Templates issue relating to MS Word 2003 and possible 2007.

I'll give the background, and then the questions:

Background
I have built numerous Word templates for corporate use. In the past, the recommended means of deployment has been via a shared network drive. In Word 2003, users map via the Options dialog box, to that drive, and then they can create new documents based on the template.
I am not sure where or how this is implemented in Word 2007.

While this solution works for most employees, some work on laptops and take them home. When working from home, they connect via a different method, and the drive changes. So, either they open the document and work offline and cannot access the template functionality, or they copy the template to their local drive or they connect to the network and reconnect the template.

Problem
When the employee returns to work, they have to REMAP to the original template location. Or they send the document to someone at work who mapped their template differently to the network, and so somewhere down the chain, linkage to the template is broken and has to be redone. Some people know how to do this, others don't, and all complain that this is tedious and a pain.
(I agree)

Is there any way to map a template in Word in such a manner that the link to the template is not broken when the user works from home? Is there any way this can be done without copying the template locally to their computer?

Does anyone have any suggestions, ideas? My client does NOT like the idea of having to remap to Workgroup Templates every time they work with at work, vs from home.

What are the differences for this functionality in Word 2007?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and advice.

Deborah
*
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