INDUSTRY - MadCap Softwareassets.madcapsoftware.com/casestudies/CaseStudy_Arcom.pdf · Gregory...
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INDUSTRY “ 7777 Fay Avenue La Jolla, CA 92037 Tel: +1.858.320.0387 Fax: +1.858.320.0338 www.madcapsoftware.com [email protected] Solutions: • MadCap Flare native XML tool for topic-based authoring and single-source publishing Goals: • Enable easy customization of documents • Streamline the delivery of online Help and print documentation • Allow specification writing and software development teams to contribute content in Microsoft ® Word™ • Support future developments, such as mobile Help systems • Software • Construction Using Flare was the difference between riding a skateboard versus driving a Ferrari.” Gregory Owens | Senior QA Engineer, ARCOM Benefits: • Flare’s ability to import Word lets ARCOM specification writing and software development teams contribute content using a familiar application • Single-sourcing allows various Help versions and product guides to be published from the same Flare project • Separation of style from content makes it easy to adjust formatting without affecting text • Native mobile publishing in Flare enabled rapid delivery of a prototype mobile Help system ARCOM Uses MadCap Flare to Streamline Delivery of Print Documentation and Online Help for Construction Specifications Software ARCOM Salt Lake City, Utah http://www.arcomnet.com
Transcript of INDUSTRY - MadCap Softwareassets.madcapsoftware.com/casestudies/CaseStudy_Arcom.pdf · Gregory...
INDUSTRY “
7777 Fay AvenueLa Jolla, CA 92037
Tel: +1.858.320.0387Fax: +1.858.320.0338
Solutions:
• MadCapFlarenativeXMLtoolfortopic-basedauthoringandsingle-sourcepublishing
Goals:
• Enableeasycustomizationofdocuments
• StreamlinethedeliveryofonlineHelpandprintdocumentation
• AllowspecificationwritingandsoftwaredevelopmentteamstocontributecontentinMicrosoft®Word™
• Supportfuturedevelopments,suchasmobileHelpsystems
• Software
• Construction
Using Flare was the difference between riding a skateboard versus driving a Ferrari.”
GregoryOwens| Senior QA Engineer, ARCOM
Benefits:
• Flare’sabilitytoimportWordletsARCOMspecificationwritingandsoftwaredevelopmentteamscontributecontentusingafamiliarapplication
• Single-sourcingallowsvariousHelpversionsandproductguidestobepublishedfromthesameFlareproject
• Separationofstylefromcontentmakesiteasytoadjustformattingwithoutaffectingtext
• NativemobilepublishinginFlareenabledrapiddeliveryofaprototypemobileHelpsystem
ARCOMUsesMadCapFlaretoStreamlineDeliveryofPrintDocumentationandOnlineHelpforConstructionSpecificationsSoftware
ARCOMSalt Lake City, Utah http://www.arcomnet.com
ARCOMisdedicatedtohelpingdesignandbuildingprofessionalseasilyproducethemostaccuratespecificationsintheconstructionindustry.Since1995,thathasmeantwearingtwohats.
OntheonehandARCOMpublishesMasterSpec®,theindustry’spreeminentmasterguidespecificationsystem,onbehalfofTheAmericanInstituteofArchitects(AIA).Ontheother,itdeliverstheSpecWare®familyofsoftwaretoolsfortakingadvantageofMasterSpecbyautomatingconstructionspecificationdevelopmentandediting.
Today,ARCOMreliesonthesingle-sourcepublishingcapabilitiesofMadCapFlaretodeliverbothprintdocumentationandonlineHelpforitsSpecWaresoftwaretoolsfromthesamesourcecontent.
Company at a Crossroads
Foryears,ARCOMusedAdobe®RoboHelp®tohelpdevelopitsprintdocumentationandonlineHelp.Howeverwhenitwastimetoupgradetoanewerversionofthesoftware,thecompanydecidedtoexploreothersolutionsinthemarket.
“Wewereatacrossroads,”recalledGregoryOwens,ARCOMseniorqualityassuranceengineer.“Dowewanttocontinuewithwhatwehadorusesomethingnew?”
Thecompany’ssearchledtoMadCapFlare,whichofferedthesingle-sourcingthatthetechnicalcommunicationsteamsoughttostreamlineitsefforts.FlarealsoenabledMicrosoft®Word™documentstobeeasilyimported,allowingARCOMspecificationwritingandsoftwaredevelopmentteamstocontributecontentusingfamiliarsoftware.
Mostimportantly,Gregoryobserved,“WetriedFlareoutforatrialperiod,andwithinthattrialperiodwewereabletodoeverythingthatwewantedtodoandthensome.”Headded,“RoboHelpwasnice,butusingFlarewasthedifferencebetweenridingaskateboardversusdrivingaFerrari.”
Streamlining Content Creation
OneofARCOM’sSpecWaretoolsbuildsonMicrosoft®Word™andaddscapabilities—thinkmacrosonsteroids—thatenable
ARCOM Uses MadCap Flare to Streamline Delivery of Print Documentation and Online Help for Construction Specifications Software
“Within the trial period, we were able to do everything that we wanted to do with Flare and then some.”
GregoryOwens|Senior QA Engineer, ARCOM
ARCOM’s WebHelp Search Screen
ARCOM’s Upcoming Mobile WebHelp
ARCOM’s WebHelp Indexing Screen
ARCOM’scustomerstomanipulatethespecificationstheyneedfortheirconstructionprojects.UsingFlare,thecompanycantakeinputfrommultiplesourcesandimportitintoFlarealmostseamlesslyandwithverylittlemanipulationinordertoproducedocumentationforendusers.
“Whenit’stimeforourspecificationwritinganddevelopmentteamstodevelopdocumentationoronlineHelp,Icangivethematemplatefortheheading,paragraphsandoutline.Then,oncethey’refinished,IuseFlaretoimportthecontentandreviewit,”Gregoryexplains.“IalsohavetheoptiontoletthemmanagetheWord™document.Then,iftheyaddchanges,Icanre-importthemwithoutmuchinvolvement.”
LooksareimportantaswellforARCOMmanagement.Reviewersnotonlylookatthecontent,theyalsoreviewdocumentationandonlineHelptoensureusabilityandbrandconsistency.
“Thewaythingslookisveryimportanttoourbrandandhowwepresentdocumentation,”notesGregory.“OneofthebeautifulthingsaboutFlareishowitseparatesstylefromcontent,soit’sasnaptofixtheformattingwithoutaffectingthetext.”
Taking Targets to the Next Level
“IwasabletoquicklycreateamobileversionofouronlineHelpandshowittooursoftwaredevelopmentdirector,”Gregoryrecalls.“WhenheaskedhowIdidit,Ireplied,‘Flare.’NowitisjustamatterofcreatingmobileskinsthatmatchthelookofourWeb-basedHelp.”
Gregoryadds,“Attheheartofit,ourcustomersrelyonustoprovidethetoolsandaccurateinformationtheyneedfortheirconstructionprojectstosucceed.WithFlare,creatingthecontenttohelpthemgetthemostoutofthesetoolsiseasierthanever.”
“One of the beautiful things about Flare is how it separates style from content, so it’s a snap to fix the formatting without affecting the text.”
GregoryOwens| Senior QA Engineer, ARCOM
ARCOMcurrentlytakesadvantageofsingle-sourcingtopublishthecontentinFlareasprintdocumentationdeliveredasdown-loadablePDFsandasWeb-basedHelp.Choosingthedifferentoutputsissimplyamatterofsettingupdifferenttargets.
Lookingahead,thecompanyalsoplanstoaddmobileversionsofitsHelpsystems.
