Case Study: Implementing Single Sourcing – How NOT To Do It!
Editor’s Note: This was the feature article in this month’s TechCom Manager newsletter, reprinted here with permission. Click the previous link to subscribe to the newsletter.
Jo Levitt
I first heard about modular writing and single sourcing while working at a division of Hewlett Packard (HP). As a large company, HP uses the typical change processes and has needs for everything, such as localization and standards. There, we implemented single sourcing using an internal system. When I moved to BigBand Networks to help implement the Author-it system, things were much different, especially due to a fast-paced management team that encouraged change as long as it didn’t cost too much.
In many ways, the two teams were similar with somewhat dissimilar challenges. This case study looks at implementing single sourcing in two rather different ways. The backdrop for this study centered around two teams, each with five-to-seven writers using MS Word and Adobe FrameMaker for authoring. The result: two successful single-sourcing solutions.
As you read through this article, keep in mind the various benefits of single sourcing. For example:
