Every large corporation is a publisher, whether or not it knows it. User manuals, installation guides, repair manuals, corporate information, even internal documents like employee handbooks take weeks to draft, finalize, publish, and distribute. Ask any corporate information specialist or librarian.

As a global provider of advanced communications solutions like optical networks, Internet routers, and intelligent switches for phone companies, Marconi faces the challenge of managing the creation of lengthy, complex product- and service-oriented documents. For example, the creation of a 4,000-page user guide for an optical network demands tremendous collaboration among Marconi's technical writers. Additionally, Marconi solutions are frequently tailored to the specific needs of each customer. This means that technical documents, even within product lines, are rarely the same.

Fortunately, advanced publishing and authoring technology has helped Marconi overcome many of these challenges and has even opened up opportunities, such as being able to simultaneously publish to print, the Web, and CD-ROM. Using the same technology, Marconi will ultimately enable technicians in the field to wirelessly access relevant portions of huge manuals on handheld devices (see Figure 1). For customers this means instant access to technical information that helps keep Marconi systems up and running.

The enabling technology behind this solution is XML, coupled with authoring and publishing software from Adobe Systems, Inc. (specifically, Adobe FrameMaker, Adobe Acrobat 5.0, and the Adobe Portable Document Format, or PDF).

The Challenges of Creation and Delivery
The challenges of Marconi's information management process can be broadly categorized as (1) information creation and (2) information presentation and delivery.

On the creation side, it's crucial to manage collaboration among many authors, maintain document structure consistency, integrate graphic objects and data from external sources, and manage archival and version control of source documents. Before Marconi adopted the XML- and Adobe software-based workflow, dispersed writing teams used a variety of document authoring tools. As a result, sharing information among groups was sometimes difficult and confusing. Assembling the documents was equally challenging. Imagine changing one product modification in every reference in a 4,000-page manual!

On the delivery side there's a need for high-quality print versions as well as publishing to the Web and to CD-ROM. There is also the issue of keeping information current and tailoring it to the specific customers' needs. Finally, information must be available in the form that users require. (It's unrealistic to expect a technician to carry a 10-pound manual up a telephone pole.)

XML, FrameMaker, and Adobe PDF to the Rescue
XML provides the foundation for solving these publishing challenges through its defined document structure, standardization of content imported from diverse systems, and delivery of customized content to multiple output media. For example, XML enables writers to make one change and have it reflected in every passage across multiple chapters or even manuals. XML also enables the creation of complex templates that simplify the authoring of huge texts, and enables those texts to be transferred to other media like the Web or to wireless devices.

Adobe PDF and Acrobat play a critical role in the document review and distribution processes. Documents saved in PDF maintain precise fidelity with the printed page, while Acrobat software provides sophisticated Adobe PDF review and commenting components. XML by itself doesn't yield high-quality formatting for print. PDF provides information managers and publishers with formatted print output and the ability to electronically exchange ready-to-print documents.

FrameMaker (see Figure 2), the critical bridge between XML and PDF, acts as a powerful tool for importing, authoring, and exporting XML. In most cases the document begins as a FrameMaker template, designed to handle the huge amount of linked data that goes into a complex product manual. Tables of contents, cross-references, chapter headings, appendices, and links are easy to set up with the software. Authors can use FrameMaker tools to import graphics, text, and other visuals into the template. FrameMaker templates lend a consistent look and feel to all documentation, and provide easy controls for applying uniform attributes and values to lengthy materials.

Authors also use FrameMaker to manage and monitor the structure of the document. For example, the software instantly informs users if they try to change the paragraph format or other elements that would compromise the overall XML structure. Authors can navigate the tree structure of the XML document, and imported objects can be manipulated within FrameMaker's Structure View. An author can make one change and have it reflected across the entire manual, thanks to XML.

FrameMaker also provides mapping of XML structure and context to styles for print format. FrameMaker's WYSIWYG authoring environment lets writers know that their document conforms to the XML DTD and allows them to see exactly how it will look when printed.

Better Collaboration Between Authors
With Acrobat and PDF (see Figure 3), companies can shorten document review cycles and improve the accuracy and completeness of materials. Marconi distributes technical document drafts in Adobe PDF to approximately 40 reviewers. Because of the tight integration between FrameMaker and Adobe PDF, draft documents retain hyperlinks, tables of contents, and index references - all of which facilitate easy navigation. Using the Acrobat review and commenting tools (such as text highlighting, text strikethrough, and electronic sticky notes), reviewers can comment on PDF drafts that look exactly like the documents in the native application. An additional Acrobat feature - digital signatures - is being considered to further streamline document review and sign-off.

Redefining Real-Time Information Access
This dynamic document creation system will ultimately allow customers to go online, search for information, and instantly generate pages - or entire manuals - containing the technical details they need. Information from a FrameMaker document can be exported as XML, which is then stored in a database publishing system that Marconi customers and staff can access via the Internet. The final documents, which the system can automatically convert to PDF, will be available around the clock to customers worldwide. The advantages for the Marconi field staff are equally impressive. Technicians will be able to search for and view parts information on handheld devices and troubleshoot problems in real time.

Single Source, Unlimited Options
Marconi plans to institute the dynamic document assembly workflow company-wide this year. Ultimately, FrameMaker, Acrobat, and XML will enable the generation of an infinite number of documents from the same content repository. Users can assemble the information they need, print it to paper, or convert it to an Adobe PDF document for online delivery. With Adobe software and XML, Marconi is finding new ways to cost-effectively respond to customers' diverse needs.

SIDEBAR
XML Gains Traction in the Enterprise
As Fujitsu Network Communications moves in the direction of XML and WebDAV integration, the company wants to store technical documentation, authored in FrameMaker, as XML files on a Web server. This will enable employees to check in and check out files from within FrameMaker, and allow others in the company to view the stored files from within their Web browsers over the corporate intranet.

Agilent's Learning Products group uses Adobe FrameMaker software to author documents ranging from business card-sized quick references to a 1,700-page dictionary reference for complex software, as well as comprehensive online help. Agilent then uses Adobe Acrobat to convert the documents to Adobe PDF for internal review and for distribution to customers via CD-ROM and the Web.