Any ideas

[quills at airmail.net]

Why aren't you in on the development, and making changes as they are designed?

This is the way to prevent being a bottleneck. If you let the SME's 
do it all, you will find that the editing you have to do is still 
onerous and will make you a bottleneck. Also, eventually you won't 
have a job, as the SME's will become responsible for doing it, in 
Word.

If you want to add value, keep the quality of the documentation high, 
then you need to be part of the development, not an afterthought.

Scott

At 2:45 PM -0500 1/18/07, Kevin Rusnak wrote:
>I really appreciate all of the feedback I have received from  this user
>forum. Since many of you have asked for more details, I will indeed
>offer them up.
>
>First, I have picked up the project because the previous Documentation
>Specialist "left suddenly".
>
>Also,I have limited knowledge of Frame. I took a few classes at
>Scriptorium and have worked in the application steadily for about 2-3
>weeks total...but I understand applications (including Frame) very
>easily.
>
>Currently, there are 8 manuals managed by 8 SME. The old documentor
>(Jack) would snag changes to the manuals via PDF. Then he would make the
>changes in Frame. The trouble with this method is that it bottlenecks
>when an update to our software happens. Everyone scrambles to update the
>manual and then Jack worked his butt off to update all of the manuals.
>You can see why a change of process is happening. Bottleneck = mad CTO.
>
>So when Jack left we had all SMEs go to a laptop and update the manual.
>Luckily last update was small to our software.
>
>The next update is larger and many of the SMEs are traveling a lot more.
>
>Here was my solution....which I need help defining further.
>
>
>1. Put a copy of Frame on all 8 SMEs computers.
>
>2. Use the Archive plugin
>http://home.comcast.net/~bruce.foster/Archive.htm) on each of the 8
>manuals to "package" them (that is InDesign volcab). To pull all
>referenced sources in a book into a nicely packaged folder. This folder
>is independent of all manuals.
>
>3. Since the Archive plugin creates relative paths to the graphics,
>where is no fear of unlinking images as the manual folder is pushed and
>pulled from the server.
>
>4. SMEs could pull their manual from the server, make updates with Frame
>on their individual computer and then push the folder back to the server
>when it is done.
>
>5. I could then supply the style integrity and PDF the files.
>
>6. Also note, we do not share chapters between books.
>
>QUESTION: Is there a better method?
>
>QUESTION: Why does it feel like I am not utilizing Frames potential?
>
>QUESTION: If a more ideal scenario is to go Structured...we are
>unstructured...then what should I do in the interim?
>
>By the way, thank you very much for all the responses. I really
>appreciate the interest.
>
>Kevin
>
>Also, I am looking into the technologies suggest to me by this forum as
>solutions.
>