How to How to Enforce Standards Enforce Standards

in Life Sciences in Life Sciences DocumentationDocumentation

Suzanne MescanSuzanne MescanVasont SystemsVasont Systems

Andrew ThomasAndrew ThomasSDLSDL

2

AgendaAgenda

• Enforcing and conforming to standards in life sciences documentation– The issues– The solution– Best practices– Results

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The IssuesThe Issues

• Scattered content• Manual search for content • Repeated editing efforts • Isolated production environment• Inconsistent content

These issues lead to:– Noncompliance with regulations– Delayed product launch– Product line shut down– Increased complexity with more languages– Cost the organization $$ millions $$

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The SolutionThe Solution

Create a single collaborative, controlled environment for the writing/editing, translation, and publishing processes

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Best Practices to Enforce Standards Best Practices to Enforce Standards in Life Sciences Documentationin Life Sciences Documentation

Centralize Source Content

Automate Processes

Manage Terminology

Implement Reuse

Maintain an Audit Trail

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Best Practices #1: Best Practices #1: Centralize Source ContentCentralize Source Content

• Centralize source content into a single repository– How? Component content management (CCMS) – Store all types of content together: text, graphics,

multimedia, translations, documents, metadata– Only one copy of content ever exists– Easy to search– Easy to update; globally change content– One point of integration for various tools– Writers gain awareness of existing content and

consistency

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Best Practice #2: Best Practice #2: Automate ProcessesAutomate Processes

• Use the appropriate tools to upgrade and automate your processes

• Automate tasks within systems to control processes and save time

• Integrate systems to create a seamless automation chain throughout the entire content lifecycle

Go

88

Author

Translator

EditorialManager

Regulatory &Legal Review

LSP Manager

Q.A.

Publisher

Content LifecycleContent Lifecycle

LocalizationManager

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Best Practice #3:Best Practice #3:Manage TerminologyManage Terminology

• Why is terminology important?– Content today is global content, from the start

• Content is provided through the internet so anyone can read it

• Some of that content is also translated

• Content is often written by non-native speakers

– Content has different readers• Technical and non-technical

• Native and non-native English readers

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An ExampleAn Example

Engineer uses one term Author uses another

Different terms can cause confusion amongst users

• Multiple terms used across the business• Important for legal and regulatory compliance to use

terms consistently • Extract and define correct terms

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Best Practice #3:Best Practice #3:Manage TerminologyManage Terminology

• What is terminology management?– Ensure terms are used consistently with agreed corporate

standards– Make sure authors and translators all work from the same

agreed terms– Leverage industry-controlled terminology throughout the entire

process

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The Power of Consistent TerminologyThe Power of Consistent Terminology

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Best Practice #3:Best Practice #3:Manage TerminologyManage Terminology

• What do you get when you properly manage your terminology?– Significant business impacts

• Brand perceptions

• Customer satisfaction

• Regulatory and legal compliance

– Source content impacts the quality of translated output

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The Business ImpactThe Business Impact

“There is no common vocabulary at Microsoft… Our lack of standardization undermines our trustworthiness.”

Craig Mundie, Chief Technical Officer

Solution: Trustworthy Computing initiative

“… The customer expects to see consistent and timely information regardless of where and how it is published.”

Alison Toon, Translation & Localization Manager

Solution: One World initiative

“New products need to be launched simultaneously across all markets… Our quality and consistency were suffering, leading to poor communications with customers and potentially damaging the Philips’ brand.”

Luuk de Jager, Global Content Management Senior Manager

Solution: One Face to the Customer initiative

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Best Practice #4:Best Practice #4:Implement Content ReuseImplement Content Reuse

• Implement reuse through componentization – “Recycling” content through reuse– Determine the level of componentization appropriate

for your content and business processes– Control accuracy through global change

• Controlled authoring– Ensure new content is consistent with previously

written and translated content– Know the impact of style changes on translation costs– Option to only make changes when there is not a 100%

match in translation memory

• Centralized Translation Memory (TM)– Reduce downstream costs of translation

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Monitoring Content ReuseMonitoring Content Reuse

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Translation Memory LeveragingTranslation Memory Leveraging

Illustration of the value of

leveraging translation

memory across multiple

business units

Demonstrates that:

1. Translation content

can be leveraged

across the

organization

2. Centralized and

automated TMs

ensure effective reuse

of translated data and

maximum cost

savings

Evolution of TM Leveraging - Business Unit 1

24%

42%

71%

89%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1

2003 2004 2005 2006

Evolution of TM Leveraging - Business Unit 1

24%

42%

71%

89%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1

2003 2004 2005 2006

Evolution of TM Leveraging - Business Unit 2

47%

61%

0%

10%20%

30%40%

50%60%

70%

1

2005 2006

Evolution of TM Leveraging - Business Unit 2

47%

61%

0%

10%20%

30%40%

50%60%

70%

1

2005 2006

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Best Practice #5:Best Practice #5:Maintain an Audit TrailMaintain an Audit Trail

• Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?• Track content, versions, metadata, comments, and

processes during creation, edit, and translation phases

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Best Practices RecapBest Practices Recap

Centralize Source Content

Automate Processes

Manage Terminology

Implement Reuse

Maintain an Audit Trail

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ResultsResults

• Provides controlled writing environment• Simplifies sharing and reuse of content and translations• Consolidates content to a single source for multi-

channel delivery• Accelerated time-to-market• Roll out new products faster• Reduced production, translation, and localization costs• Greater quality control; accurate content in all

languages• Greatly enhances compliance with regulations

Thank you!Thank you!

Suzanne MescanSuzanne MescanVasont SystemsVasont Systems

www.vasont.comwww.vasont.com

Andrew ThomasAndrew ThomasSDLSDL

www.sdl.comwww.sdl.com