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Subject:RE: Single Sourcing From:HALL Bill <bill -dot- hall -at- tenix -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 14 Dec 2001 08:19:54 +1100 (EDT)
Dianne Evans asked:
"we are quickly reaching a need to move towards single sourcing. I
have been reading and researching the subject, but now have a simple
question. What software is best for this? I don't want to start a tools
war, just want some varying opinions from those of you who are in the
trenches."
Iggy responded that the most important questions you need to ask is HOW you
are going to manage your single sourcing.
To this I would add that you need to have a clear picture of exactly WHAT
kind of information you need to single source, and exactly WHAT needs to be
vary between the different deliverables coming from the single source
document. You also need to think about how you are going to manage the
source documents to ensure that you are always delivering what your end
users need.
If your research hasn't gotten deeply into the Techwr-l archives, I suggest
that you query the archives for the string "real value". A year or so ago,
there was a very heated debate between me and Andrew Plato and a number of
others as to when and where single sourcing is economically and practically
realistic. Both sides made a number of points pro and con which may be
applicable to your circumstances.
Bill Hall
Documentation Systems Analyst
Strategy and Development Group
Tenix Defence
URL: http://www.tenix.com
Mailto:bill -dot- hall -at- tenix -dot- com
>From 15 December 2001 to 15 February 2002 Mailto:bill -dot- hall -at- hotkey -dot- net -dot- au
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