Need a Good HTML Conversion Tool for Word

[Susan Peradze <susan -dot- peradze -at- peri -dot- com>]

I hope some of you will help point me and my colleagues in the direction
toward resolving our (so far) frustrating dilemma.

Our tech writing group has been tasked with converting our MS Word
documents to HTML for online publication. The requirement that
we use HTML, as opposed to PDF, was handed down from above and is not an
issue for debate. The choice of MS Word as our
"desktop publishing" application is also not up for debate. Given these
parameters, we are desperately seeking an HTML conversion or
Web authoring tool that is specifically designed for the conversion of
MS Word documents.

We are currently using, and will continue to use, one template to
generate Word documents. These documents will have to be
converted such that post-conversion cleanup takes less than a few hours
for a 200 page document. We are using a complex custom
template for our hard copy documentation, but are permitted to modify
and simplify this template. Our template includes a TOC;
chapter  title pages; automatic numbering for section headings, figures,
and tables; screen captures, technical diagrams (Visio), and
flow charts; and an index. We consider automatic numbering an important
feature to retain, if this is possible without great
compromise in other areas.

We have already tested the following tools: MS Word, Word-to-Web, and MS
FrontPage. We tried Dreamweaver, but it seems that it
cannot convert Word files.

Our priority areas of capability for the conversion tool we seek are as
follows:

     Correct automatic numbering, where numbers contain chapter and
section placeholders (e.g., 1.5)
          For section headings (text that follows must remain properly
formatted)
          For figures and tables
          Note: The tools we've tested either number the lists properly,
but don't indent properly, or vice versa. Some drop the
          chapter placeholder in the number (i.e., 1.5 becomes 5).
     Correct automatic numbering of nested lists
          Properly sequenced and indented
          If interrupted by a paragraph that is not numbered, will
resume proper sequencing and indentation of list
     Correct indentation of nested bulleted lists; use of a variety of
bullets for different levels of indentation
     Ruling of tables (visible/invisible) kept as specified in the MS
Word file
     Note: When a table in a Word file contains both visible and
invisible borders, the file conversion makes all of the rules in the
     table visible.

We would like to find a conversion tool that can handle all (or most) of
these functions adeptly. Any recommendations would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks.
Susan Peradze
Staff Technical Writer
Periphonics Corporation
4000 Veterans Memorial Highway
Bohemia, New York 11716
susan -dot- peradze -at- peri -dot- com