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So the sales-eng type wants to be able to add to or modify documents
that Tech Pubs produces and then deliver customized docs to the their
intended audiences? This would scare the pants off me. The idea of
someone taking my docs, changing and then releasing them would mean I
won't know what the user is seeing. Unless of course, they show me what
they've done. But then it's too late to change if they stray from the
established style guide or other conventions, not to mention what the
writing skills of those "customizing" the docs. And what if they
introduce an error into the doc. Who is accountable for it - you or
them?
I think you need to keep as much control as you can of your docs. Try to
select a single-source product with conditional capability that will
allow you to customize the docs.
Just my $.02 worth
Ron
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+rhearn=cucbc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+rhearn=cucbc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of mlist -at- safenet-inc -dot- com
Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 2:24 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Looking for re-packaging publishing app
All,
PREAMBLE
Our Tech Pubs department produces small documents in Word (then
publishes as
PDF), some larger documents in FrameMaker (then publishes as PDF) and
the
rest as RoboHelp WebHelp.
The Marketing department produces White Papers and various other
documents
in Word (then publishes as PDF).
Somebody who seems to be a Sales-Eng in another division at our company
got
my name and started asking questions for which I don't have the answer.
THE MEAT
Here's the gist of what he wants:
"What I am really looking for is a way to create customized versions of
the
documentation that the Tech Pubs and Marketing groups already
create/maintain
while being able add, delete, modify, and augment said content. This
will
allow us
to deliver custom documentation for professional services engagements
that
target
the organization's specific environment and needs. This would make
keeping
up-to-date
with documentation updates and changes much easier on my end. One of my
requirements
is to provide this documentation in both a printed and an indexed,
searchable electronic
version. Ideally, it would be possible for the customer to add their own
work product to
this electronic version once it is delivered so that they could store
all
information related
to their implementation in one place."
It's certainly a valid use, and these folks need to be able to respond a
lot
faster and more specifically than we (with our [don't laugh] publication
schedules) do. In almost every case, they'll be concerned with products
that
are already released and therefore have released documents.
What I've done is ask him some clarifying questions and pointed him at
Adobe.
But maybe there are already people doing what he wants to do, who could
share their solutions...?
Kevin
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