Content workflow amber_swope_submitted

Copyright © 2010 Earley & Associates Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Content Workflow Design: How much is too much?

Amber Swope


Overview

• Introduction• Content development workflow• Prepare• Explore• Review• Refine• Discussion/Questions

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Introduction

• Amber Swope– Senior Consultant, Earley & Associates – Over 20 years of experience in the industry at multiple

companies of varying sizes and industries– Supported information developers producing DITA

content in Rational group at IBM– Author of numerous papers/presentations on information

development and information architecture, including the DITA Maturity Model (with Michael Priestley)

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Content development workflow

• A workflow consists of a sequence of connected steps. It is a depiction of a sequence of operations, declared as work of a person, a group of persons. (Wikipedia)

• Workflow components– Input– Transition– Output

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How much is too much?

• Goal = Balance • Control content

– Who can create files– Who can edit files– Who can version files– Who can release files

• Support stakeholders– Track file status– Generate reports– Find content quickly– Reuse content easily– Provide multiple file

versions

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Process: Prepare

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Prepare Explore Review Refine

Research current

processes

Review processes

Identify stakeholders

Specify requirements


Prepare: Research current process

• Is it documented?• Can you find it?• Do stakeholders

follow it?• Is it voluntary or

mandatory?• Is there more than

one?

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Prepare: Review processes

• Do they work?• What do they do

well?• Can they be

improved?

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Prepare: Identify stakeholders

• What roles are involved?

• Who needs access to the system?

• What does each role do?

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Prepare: Specify requirements

• What workflows do you need by file type?

• What standards do you need to support?

• How much control is required?

• What metadata is required?

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Process: Explore

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Meet together

Askquestions

Negotiate transitions

Identify input/output


Explore: Meet together

• Be in the same room

• Use white board, flip charts or post-its on a wall

• Brainstorm and discuss

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Explore: Ask questions

• What are the roles?• What are their

responsibilities?• When does content

start?• Who determines

when content changes?

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Explore: Negotiate transitions

• When do transitions occur?

• What are the constraints?

• Are they optional or mandatory?

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Explore: Identify input/output

• What is the input for each action?

• What is the output for each action?

• How do items enter the system?

• Does it remain in the system?

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Guidelines

• Standardize actions for each role• If it’s hard to diagram, it will be hard to

follow• You must agree on a standard workflow

for the entire group

• Remember that a person must perform each of the actions!!!

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Process: Review

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Identify reviewers

Create workflows

Submit for review


Review: Identify reviewers

• Same as stakeholders?

• Which are required for approval?

• Which are optional for approval?

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Review: Create workflows

• Use software to capture• Create one workflow for each file type• Name file with version number• Use colors consistently

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Topic workflow example

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Review: Submit for review

• Present workflows in meeting

• Lead discussion on each workflow

• Specify feedback deadline

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Process: Refine

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Analyze feedback

Update workflows

Summarize process


Refine: Analyze feedback

• Determine if it conflicts with requirements

• Identify who provided it and their role in the process

• Review in context of all workflows

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Refine: Update workflows

• Again…and again until they are:– Concise– Clear– Useful

• Don’t let them become works of art!

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Refine: Summarize process

• Provide summary by role and file type

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Discussion/Questions

• ???

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Technology

Content workflow amber_swope_submitted