Modern demands for technical documentation – intelligent information, accessible at any time and anywhere, always up-to-date and compatible with every type of device – have led to changes not only in the way content is maintained in the technical writing department, but also to changes in processes and procedures. To fulfil these demands, technical writers and product experts who are not familiar with technical writing need to be able to work together more effectively. As a result, automation and workflows are at the heart of the latest version of the component content management system SCHEMA ST4 from Nuremberg-based software manufacturer SCHEMA. At this year’s tekom annual conference, visitors can take a look at these new features for themselves at Stand 2/C07.

Lost information a thing of the past

With each new product, product descriptions go through a development process, from the creation of new information, the collation of reusable content through to the final target format. Whether it is a document, online help or an app, technical writers face the challenge of bringing together information from the relevant product experts in various places outside of the technical writing department. This means carrying out processes beyond the technical writing role in order to collate all the relevant information. Information may change at any time while these processes are ongoing. All these different information pathways are often outside of the technical writing department and so outside of the component content management system, which can pose a risk to the completeness of the information.

Workflow Designer and Workflow Automation Library for SCHEMA ST4 are now changing this. From the 2018 version onwards, SCHEMA will provide users with a tool in the form of these functions to collect information for product descriptions using the component content management system – even interdepartmentally. One potential application of workflows is starting review or approval processes in SCHEMA ST4, which can then be completed by the appropriate colleague in their browser – with comment and feedback functions available and no prior knowledge of SCHEMA ST4 required. Even individual pieces of information can be requested using a wizard that guides users who are not familiar with the process one step at a time.

However, there is much more to the software than approval processes or collecting information. As well as these everyday automated authoring procedures, specific processes are also available: for example, the automatic publication of a data sheet as soon as the product data is uploaded. This process can also include another automated procedure that checks whether the data is complete and initiates creation or translation processes for missing texts. Product experts do not need any prior knowledge of SCHEMA ST4 to be able to carry out all these complex processes, but will still receive complete, multilingual product information for their projects.

Added value for workflows

SCHEMA sees the new workflow modules as an important step towards barrier-free cooperation in SCHEMA ST4. In this way, the ability of technical writers and product experts to work together is effectively supported. Complex technical writing processes in the component content management system can be replicated and automated using workflows, enabling those unfamiliar with the system to interact with it directly, without the need for the extra time and effort involved in being trained. This reduces the number of gaps in information pathways while improving cooperation.

Über die Quanos Content Solutions GmbH

The SCHEMA Group develops and markets high-performance solutions for information logistics. Founded in 1995, the company employs over 130 people at its headquarters and development site in Nuremberg, Germany.

Relied upon by over 540 customers, the SCHEMA ST4 Component Content Management System (CCMS) and the SCHEMA CDS Content Delivery Server number among the most widely used systems for a modular approach to technical writing and documentation. The SCHEMA ST4 Component Content Management System and the SCHEMA CDS Content Delivery Server cater to all functions relating to the creation, versioning, variant control, translation, quality assurance, publication and distribution of product information – from service information on a mobile device to the final layout for a print catalogue. SCHEMA ST4 is a flexible system that can be scaled to suit the needs of small authoring teams up to entire companies. It is also available as a standard version or as a client-specific solution. SCHEMA CDS distributes information while providing its immediate availability.

The SCHEMA Group’s solutions are suitable for a broad range of applications. They are deployed in a wide variety of sectors including mechanical and plant engineering, automotive, IT, electronics, medical technology and the pharmaceutical industry. Clients such as ABB, Agilent, Andritz, Bentley, Bombardier, Bosch, Bundesanzeiger Federal Gazette, Carl Zeiss, Caterpillar, Daimler, Datev, Doppelmayr, General Electric, KSB, MAN, Miele, Austrian Federal Railways, Philips, Porsche, Roche, Schaeffler Group, SEW Eurodrive, Siemens, SMA, Toyota, TüV, Voith, Weleda, Wincor Nixdorf and many more rely on systems from SCHEMA.

SCHEMA. Complex documents made easy.
www.schema.de/en/ – blog.schema-inc.com/

Firmenkontakt und Herausgeber der Meldung:

Quanos Content Solutions GmbH
Hugo-Junkers-Straße 15-17
90411 Nürnberg
Telefon: +49 (911) 21794 461
https://www.quanos-content-solutions.com

Ansprechpartner:
Claudine Baumhauer
Marketing
Telefon: +49 (911) 58686129
E-Mail: claudine.baumhauer@schema.de
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