If you are looking to improve on the process of creating and maintaining your technical writing, then utilizing XML content management is a smart method for achieving this goal.
XML stands for Extensible Markup Language and is a way of streamlining the creation and management of your organization’s technical writing. By allowing users to easily and quickly develop procedures, along with reusing existing ones, it provides a simple approval and workflow method that allows a much more efficient publishing process.
This may be all well and good you say, but my company or business does not have the technical knowledge to implement this, what can we do?
Utilizing the experts
Without the experience and knowledge in using XML content management, or another similar system, organizations and individuals often struggle to implement one competently enough to really help with their technical writing process.
This is where it is a smart idea to enlist the assistance of an expert in the field, and if you choose a team that possesses a wealth of experience working within the structured writing industry they will be able to assist with implementing a new XML-based system, while also helping to train users and staff to individually required levels.
Benefits: Re-using content
Improving productivity by reusing previous content is one of the major benefits of using XML content management, particularly when working with technical writing, such as policies and procedures.
By creating a single source of content you can update the master copy of your policies and procedures, for example and this will be replicated in each of the other documents and files which use and display this information.
As a further example, if one of the policies for your company changes, such as a disclaimer sent out to clients, then editing this in the single source document will update it automatically in all other documents which contain this information.
Benefits: Metadata
When creating policies and procedures it can be an extremely time consuming process for users to navigate and find the right ones that they are after. Particularly if you are in a large organization, searching manually through hundreds of documents is certainly not an ideal scenario.
By using metadata, users are able to search with far more ease and efficiency, allowing them to find the right policies and procedures in much less time.
In summary
Many businesses and organizations are finding that once they understand how XML content management can help with their technical documentation, it has made a sizable difference to the efficiency and streamlining of their content process.
Engaging with an experienced company in the field paves an easily accessible route into XML content management for your business. So why not explore XML and how easily it can assist you with your content management demands.