Crowell Solutions Blog

The Stages of an S1000D Project

  

  

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At a company that I once worked for (I won’t name names, but they once enjoyed a good reputation in the SGML/XML world), we developed and marketed a process for how data moved through a system, from creation to distribution. It served as a very effective tool for explaining to our customers exactly what we did and why our services were valuable.

I think a similar approach is needed for detailing the activities in instantiating an S1000D-based system. I’ll come up with a fancy term such as “S1000D Process” – see Mom, all my years of schooling are finally paying off!

The S1000D Process:

We have identified six components of the S1000D process:

1. Setup
   1. Determine which version of S1000D you are going to use.
   2. Identify content to be managed.
   3. Determine data module granularity.
   4. Determine publishing strategy (electronic, print, both).
   5. Complete the Functionality Matrix available from the S1000D website.
2. Business Rule Definition
   1. Detail your S1000D business rules.
   2. Determine which rules can and should be enforced by the BREX.
   3. Generate or develop your BREX document.
3. CSDB Selection
   1. Determine which tool best fits your organization’s needs.
   2. Decision is based on S1000D version, existing infrastructure, desired functionality and, of course, $$$.
   3. Note this right off the bat: You WILL need customizations.
4. CSDB Implementation
   1. Integrate with existing systems.
   2. Develop customizations to fulfill the totality of your requirements.
5. Authoring
   1. Coordinate with engineering.
   2. Technical writers are creating content utilizing S1000D schemas and the appropriate BREX document.
   3. Create illustrations.
6. Publishing and Distribution
   1. Publish to electronic and/or print.
   2. Distribute worldwide!

--Rick