the rocky road to dita

TheRockyRoadtoDublinflickr: ro-silva, Cliffs of Moher

Toni Mantych, ADP, and Sarah O’Keefe, Scriptorium

TheRockyRoadtoDITA

Aboutthepresenters

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: Buddha Dog. Portola Valley, California, USA

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

ToniMantych,@tonimantych❖ Information Architect, ADP

SarahO’Keefe,@sarahokeefe❖ Founder and President, Scriptorium

DITAImplementationTherapySession

Toni Mantych, ADP, and Sarah O’Keefe, ScriptoriumDRAFT

Questions,please!

❖ Fill out an index card and pass it up.

❖ Use the #rockyDITA hashtag on Twitter.

❖ Use the microphone.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: Buddha Dog. Caves Cove, Tennessee, USA

ADPprojectoverview

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: Eva Luedin

ADPprojectoverview

❖ 60 writers

❖ Mostly RoboHelp

❖ Implementing DITA, CCMS, topic-based writing

❖ Business case: Localization, reuse, and quality

❖ The business case was easy.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Weexpectedsmoothsailing.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: zoomzoom

Maybeafewsmallsurprises…

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: amardilo

Butinstead…

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: joiseyshowaa, Bangladesh

Whatmadetheroadrocky?(“Agenda”)

❖ Complex conditions

❖ Resource constraints

❖ The matrix: Influence without authority

❖ Building skills

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Complexconditions

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: shannonpatrick17,Houston, Texas

Complexconditions

❖ So. Many. Meetings.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Graphicshelped.Somewhat.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Balanceandfocus

❖ Value of reuse

❖ Complexity of conditionals

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Don’tfocusonlyonmaximizingreuse.

Complexity is expensive.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

dangerousroads.org, Swindon, UK

Wehadresourceconstraints.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: infomatique, Ormond Quay area, Dublin

Wehadresourceconstraints.

❖ Not enough people.

❖ Not enough funding.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: infomatique, Ormond Quay area, Dublin

Addressingresourceconstraints

❖ Hire consultants for expertise and quick wins to build momentum

❖ But focus on building knowledge internally

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: infomatique, Ormond Quay area, Dublin

Whattodoaboutlackofexperience?

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: deepakkt, Chinnakallar Falls, Valparai, India

Whattodoaboutlackofexperience?

❖ Use consultants wisely

❖ Start learning early

❖ Build your team with care

❖ Plan your project to accommodate learning

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Theconsultantparadox

❖ Expertise = quick wins and momentum

❖ Overreliance = Can’t manage project internally

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: barelyfitz

Bustthroughtheparadox.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: urbanwoodchuck, Tennessee?

Useconsultantsproperly

❖ Hire consultants for expert knowledge at project start

❖ Get quick wins to build momentum

❖ Insist on knowledge transfer

❖ Grow team expertise over time

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: urbanwoodchuck, Tennessee?

Withoutknowledgetransfer,youaren’taclient,you’reahostage.

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: Yellowstone National Park

Projectexpertise

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Project start Pilot Implementation Maintenance

Consultants Staff

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

External Internal

Consultants Staff

Startlearningearly

❖ Informal DITA knowledge acquisition (LearningDITA.com and others)

❖ Read

❖ Attend conferences and learn from others’ mistakes (like right now!!)

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Buildyourteamwithcare

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: North Dakota Department of Transportation

Buildyourteamwithcare

❖ Early adopters

❖ Thrive on learning independently

❖ Build esprit de corps

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Howtobuildtheteam

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: junaelo242a, Chile

Howtobuildtheteam

❖ Diverse skills and attitudes

❖ Continuous learning

❖ Very different from core job

❖ Requires trial and error

❖ Risk perception varies

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Accommodatelearning

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: Jerald Jackson, Spring, Texas, USA

Accommodatelearning

❖ Give early adopters small, low-risk projects

❖ Make mistakes early

❖ Understand that some people like uncertainty and others fear uncertainty

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Intothematrix

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

flickr: robertpaulyoung. Giant’s Causeway

Intothematrix(organization)

❖ Inexperienced matrix team

❖ No in-house experience is the standard

❖ New hires won’t solve the problem because they have no social capital

❖ Best case is someone who by coincidence had previous experience

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Matrixmanagement

❖ Clearly define roles, responsibilities, expectations

❖ Accountability

❖ Establish a communication strategy

❖ Pre-arrange a method for dealing with conflicts

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Learning

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: dennyarmstrong. Mogolion, New Mexico, USA

Mapfrom“oldway”to“newway”

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Learning

❖ Train early and often

❖ Uncover issues with the implementation

❖ Discover unmet needs

❖ Use collaboration systems

❖ Tip page with list of shortcuts

❖ Best practices from experience

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Howtostayontrack

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

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Real-lifeprojectmanagement

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

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Prerequisitesversuslearningduringtheproject

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: ro-silva. Giant’s Causeway

Prerequisitesversuslearningduringtheproject

❖ Flexibility

❖ Willingness to learn

❖ Perseverance

❖ Motivation

❖ We can teach the rest, but only if the person wants to learn

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITA

Questions?

@tonimantych @sarahokeefe #rockyDITAflickr: alexranaldi, Cliffs of Moher