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Structured authoring isn't just about cutting costs, but also a way to increase revenue. Using Adobe FrameMaker 12 correctly means you can improve the support documentation you create, target your reader, deliver it to multiple audiences, and ensure content is viewable on whatever device they happen to use. The great news is that this can be done without significant increases in spending. We've all heard the talk about 'cut/cut/cut/cut/cut'. Let's talk about growing business, increasing profits, and providing a great return on investment. A mix of 'how to' and 'here is what others have done'—this session explores ways to create documentation that puts your products and services on the map, and front-of-mind for users.
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Suggest ions to help doc teams stop cutt ing budgets and start generat ing
profi ts
Bernard Aschwanden
www.publ ishingsmarter.com
f o r a p r i n t v e r s i on , p l e as e e m a i lbe rn a rd@ pu b l i s h i n gs m ar t e r. c om
Structure Your Way toRevenue Growth
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@publishsmarter
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About this session
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Don’t overly focus on cutting costs; increase revenue Improve support docs and target your readerDeliver it to multiple audiencesEnsure content is viewable on multiple devicesThis can be done without significant increases in spending Instead of cuts, let’s talk about
Business growth Increased profits Great ROI
A mix of 'how to' and 'here is what others have done'Explore ways to create documentation, put products and
services on the map and front-of-mind for customers
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Thanks to Adobe
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Delivered as part of Adobe Day at STC Summit 2014
Adobe is a long-term sponsor of STCHas helped to shape the industryTools like Technical Communications Suite,
including: FrameMaker RoboHelp Captivate Acrobat And more...
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Housekeeping and note taking
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Not all slides or topics are equally weighted
Use some, discard othersSlides speed varies
(reference)Questions? Ask along the
way!
I’d love to claim errors/typos is on purpose… they isn’t, ain’t, and weren’t never; however, I’ll fix ‘em as I can…
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About your speaker
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Publishing Smarter: President
Content strategist, publishing technologies expert, author, and geek-enough
Certified Technical Trainer DITA Content management Topic-based writing
Society for Technical Communications Vice President STC Associate Fellow
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Solving business problems through communication
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We help clients: Create great content Manage content as an asset Deliver content the right
way Socialize the message Listen to the consumer Improve experiences by
helping Create great content Manage content as an asset Deliver content the right way …
By helping clients:
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Standard disclaimer
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In the interest of brevity I will make some blanket statements to keep it simple
It’s not all 100% “the truth”, but I’ll stay close
Purists may complain And they are wrong! (except when they are
right)
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Why cutting is the wrong way to make docs look good on the
bottom l ine
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Cutting vs Revenue Growth
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Two ways to put money in the bank
Cutting expenses (okay, but weak to repeat) Like cutting your personal spending At some point, you don’t have anything left to cut
Instead of Starbucks, it’s instant No longer a week in Europe, now a long weekend “stay-
cation” Forget going to movies, it’s the local library puppet show
Growing revenue (great approach, can be repeated) More like investing for the long term
401K, mutual funds, stocks and bonds, treasury bills Interest is compounded, you get paid again and again
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Exploring a 10% cut
To have a starting point, assume that there is a percent cost of sales that relates to docs (I’ll pick 10%)
Then assume a 10% cut is requested, and deliveredRevenu
eDocs Cut Y1 Cut Y2 Cut Y3 Cut Y5 Cut
Y10
10M 1M 900K 810K 729K 590K 350K
25M 2.5M 2.25M 2.03M 1.82M 1.48K 872K
100M 10M 9M 8.1M 7.3M 5.9M 3.5M
500M 50M 45M 40.5M 36.5M 29.5 17.4M
1B 100M 90M 81M 73M 59M 35M
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Exploring a 2% revenue growth
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To have a starting point, assume that there is a percent cost of sales that relates to docs (I’ll pick 2%)
Assume a 2% boost is delivered via docs (more later)Revenu
eDocs Boost
Y1Boost Y2
Boost Y3
Boost Y5
Y10
10M 1M 10.2M 10.4M 10.61M 11.04M 12.19M
25M 2.5M 25.5M 26M 26.5M 27.6M 30.47M
100M 10M 102M 104M 106.1M 110.4M 121.9M
500M 50M 510M 520.2M 530.6M 552M 609.5M
1B 100M 1.02B 1.04B 1.06B 110B 122B
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Cutting at 10% vs growing at 2%
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You can cut the costs of a department, but over time there isn’t much left, OR you can grow revenue
Let’s compare the compounded cut/growthRev Doc
s- / + in Y1
Y2 Y3 Y5 Y10
10M 1M 100K / 200
190K / 400
271K / 610
410K/ 1.04M
650K / 2.19M
25M 2.5M 250K / 500
470K / 1M
780K/ 1.5M
1M / 2.6M 1.63M / 5.5M
100M
10M 1M/ 2M 1.9M / 4M
2.7M/ 6.1
4.1M / 10.4
6.5M / 22M
500M
50M 5M / 10M
9.5M / 20.2
13.5M/30.6
20.5 / 52M
32.6 / 110M
1B 100M
10M / 20 19M / 40 27M / 61 41M / 104 65M / 219M
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As you improve your documentation processes you can
reach out to more potential customers
Better docs: Broader audience
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Benefits of better docs
Easier to use in the sales cycleQuicker to get to marketFewer hours on reviewTranslation is consistentDeliver on multiple platformsWriters are less stressed, more productive
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Larger audience via custom content
Reuse of content means you can reach a larger group
The same base content with new product info Instead of “Saving Word files” and “Saving Excel files” Create “Saving <productname> files” Plan, write, review, edit, approve, publish, translate
once Reuse for multiple products
Same idea for multiple platforms Replace “Windows Shortcuts” and “Macintosh
Shortcuts” Use “<platform> Shortcuts”
And even for audience specific, job function, and more
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Let people consume content as they wish, rather than as you
demand
Publish to multiple devices
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Publishing options
File > Publish
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HTML 5 (default, on tablet)
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Navigation Tools
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HTML 5 (default, on phone)
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Navigation Tools
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Let’s explore how companies actual ly use documentation to
generate revenue
Deliver docs in new ways
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Let’s look at a sample from Lowes
QR code to www.snipp.us/jh/home.aspx
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Use documentation to build revenue
If you ever have had to work with tiles, glue, and grout
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Compare what you need to do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-i0S_6oVSE
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=151613841697764&set=vb.128898747292260&type=2&theater
BTW: Special > Generate QR Code
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Stop creating PDF or Help or Web materials and use structure to del iver better documentation
Let’s explore structure
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Take advantage of structure
Using an XML standard (like DITA) means several things Others have done the heavy lifting
Thanks IBM/OASIS for creating (and maintaining) a standard
Thanks Adobe and other vendors for coming up with ways to make it work with your authoring tool, your publishing tool, your CCMS, your translation tool, and much, much more
The standard already supports reuse of content Easy to create for specific audience, platform, product, or
even version, release, and modification (or others)
It is (generally) easy to get started, far easier then even as little as 5 years ago
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Structure requirements
Has to follow a strategic plan and be well implemented
Content needs to be analysedThe RIGHT content needs to be convertedNeed to use the right tools, and use them
correctly
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Identify the true costs
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Costs vary and depend on many factors How good is the source content (well tagged?) How organized is the source content (well written?) How open are executives, managers, writers, co-
workers?We have done this for clients for under
USD$10,000 and for close to USD$1,000,000It’s broad rangingPage count between 500 pages for a team of
2 or 3 writers, including templates, training, and a CCMS
Page count of about 200,000 for a core team of 75
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Calculating the ROI
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Many ways to do itIn some cases as little as 9 to 10 MONTHSIn some cases as long as 4 to 7 yearsDepends on many factors
Reuse (in some cases up to 90%, average about 70%) Translation (about 4 or 5 languages, and ROI is FAST) Regulatory (in cases like ATA, pharma, and others, it
reduces ground time, speeds up approval, etc)
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Summing up the discussion,and options to continue it
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Conclusion and contact
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About this session
Don’t overly focus on cutting costs; increase revenue Improve support docs and target your readerDeliver it to multiple audiencesEnsure content is viewable on multiple devicesThis can be done without significant increases in spending Instead of cuts, let’s talk about
Business growth Increased profits Great ROI
A mix of 'how to' and 'here is what others have done'Explore ways to create documentation, put products and
services on the map and front-of-mind for customers
22:28
Final request
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Please suggest these slides to othersIf there are any problems with them, please
let me knowRemember my disclaimer at the beginning
Not all slides are equal: Use some, discard others In the interest of brevity I make some blanket
statements It’s not all 100% “the truth”, but I’ll stay close Purists may complain
And they are wrong! (except when they are right)
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Follow up contact information
@publishsmarter
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905 833 8448 (Eastern Time)
www.linkedin.com/in/bernardaschwanden
@publishsmarter
www.publishingsmarter.com
