Flare vs Frame

[Daniel Doornbos - PTU]

Hello Paul,

I have been in a similar position.
Businesses are all about money.
You have to sell them on the idea that using Frame and/or RoboHelp reduces the project cost compared to Word.
For example, you might prepare an estimate showing  that using Word for the project would take 160 hours.
But using Frame would take only 130 hours.
30 fewer billable hours is a significant savings for your client.

The client might be afraid of introducing "new technology."
So you might say, "If you really truly want the project done in Word, of course, I will use Word. 
"But using the right tool for the job (Frame,  RoboHelp, Flare, etc.) yields better results, in less time, with fewer problems.
"In every way, you are much better off using (Frame,  RoboHelp, Flare, etc.).
Good luck!

Daniel

-----Original Message-----
From: framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com [mailto:framers-bounces at lists.frameusers.com] On Behalf Of Paul Carr
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 5:18 AM
To: framers at lists.frameusers.com
Subject: Flare vs Frame

Folks,

At my new contract, they have Word (och!) and want to output to compiled html (by which I assume they mean .chm).  They think.

My audience is support folks for internal software.

They think that they want to stay with Word for the source files because, down the road, anyone will be able to maintain the source files, since everyone knows Word.

I would like to convince them to switch to Flare or Frame 8.

I think that they might agree to switch if I can show them that it would be worth it.

I told them that Frame would make the development of the .chm-friendly content much easier than Word, because of Frame's advanced x-ref options, for one thing. I believe that I can go from Frame to .chm. Never did it before.

I am not familiar with Flare, so I could not "sell" Flare per se.

Also, a key selling point would be writing software that would provide an online review environment in which the SMEs could make tracked changes to my document, and I could then accept or change or ignore their changes at my leisure.  

I do not see that Flare provides an online review environment for SMEs.
Framemaker 8 did not provide this. I am not familiar with Frame 9.

Could anyone offer any guidance on this?

Thanks.

best,
Paul
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