Developing a Collaborative Writing Team My Experience at GE Healthcare Jeannette Eichholz GE Healthcare Clinical Systems Ultrasound

Imperatives Within Corporate Medical Writing Environment MUST Meet Global Regulatory Requirements Control Costs Ensure Quality Launch Products Simultaneously to Global Markets Within Shorter Project Cycle Times With Flawless Execution

MUST

Meet Global Regulatory Requirements

Control Costs

Ensure Quality

Launch Products Simultaneously to Global Markets

Within Shorter Project Cycle Times

With Flawless Execution

Imperatives Within Global Regulated Environment FDA Regulations require that we all follow the same processes and SOPs Compliant Increased Quality and Consistency Verifiable Repeatable Cost-Effective

FDA Regulations require that we all follow the same processes and SOPs

Compliant

Increased Quality and Consistency

Verifiable

Repeatable

Cost-Effective

CMS Imperative Imperative to standardize processes globally to meet regulatory requirements and to improve processes to meet business requirements to reduce costs and cycle time to reach global markets simultaneously. From Content Developed on their own PCs To Shared Content Management System

Imperative to standardize processes globally to meet regulatory requirements and to improve processes to meet business requirements to reduce costs and cycle time to reach global markets simultaneously.

From

Content Developed on their own PCs

To

Shared Content Management System

GE Ultrasound successfully implemented a CMS for its user documentation. In 7 years we’ve gone from 2 products to 30 products and from 10 languages to 31 languages.

Benefits of Implementing a CMS Reduced overall translation costs by 50-60% Translation costs even over past 7 years

Reduced overall translation costs by 50-60%

Translation costs even over past 7 years

Reduced Translation Cost -- JME 2 Systems 10 Languages 22 Products 31 Languages

Benefits of Implementing a CMS Global Simultaneous Product Launch in all Required Languages (31 and counting)

Global Simultaneous Product Launch in all Required Languages (31 and counting)

Simultaneous Global Rollout 1999 2001 forward Collaborative Simultaneous Reusable Translate incrementally Program Start Clinicals Product Launch Full Production 1 Writer works serially on each product Translate as complete book Translation Complete AFTER Product Launch Translation Ready at Clinical Release Program Start Clinicals Product Launch Full Production

Collaborative

Simultaneous

Reusable

Translate

incrementally

1 Writer

works serially

on each product

Translate as

complete book

Benefits of Implementing a CMS Increased Market Coverage

Increased Market Coverage

Reached more markets JME

Benefits of Implementing a CMS Established Collaborative Writing Team

Established Collaborative Writing Team

User Documentation Paradigm US Israel Norway China Korea Japan India 8 Product Centers Collaborative Global Effort VIVID Content LOGIQ Content Structured SGML Content Management System Individual Products Germany Xslt Conversion PDFs eDOCs Translate Online Help 1-Step Process Paper Docs only on Request 1-Step Process Increased Consistency 31 Languages No Desktop Publishing Cost Via F1 on Scanner eDOCs Decrease Cost Electronic Documentation Ship Complete Leveraged Translation Memory Austria

Why has GE’s CMS Implementation been Successful? A CMS implementation CANNOT succeed without a successful collaborative writing team. Indeed, our collaborative team is the cornerstone to our successful CMS implementation.

What Did We Overcome? Let’s take a look, Before, and After.

“Before” Scenario, without CMS Writing Silos – Mfg Centers in US, Japan, Korea, China, India, Norway, Germany, Austria, Israel Used tools where sharing or single sourcing was impossible Content / Templates started out the same, but diverged over time New acquisition assimilation difficult

Writing Silos – Mfg Centers in US, Japan, Korea, China, India, Norway, Germany, Austria, Israel

Used tools where sharing or single sourcing was impossible

Content / Templates started out the same, but diverged over time

New acquisition assimilation difficult

Redundant, Cumbersome, Expensive L700 L500 L400 L200 L100 Help Paper CD-ROM Spanish French German Italian Portuguese Swedish Danish Russian Turkish Greek Each Documentation Set was Translated into 10 Languages

Writing Silos  Collaborative Team Stand-Alone Writers Author-Controlled Content Tweaked Templates Independent Budgets “ Their” Content Content on Writer’s PC Collaborative Writing Team Team-Controlled Content ; Controlled “Brand” Identity Shared Budget Corporate Intellectual Capital Content in Controlled Content Management System

Stand-Alone Writers

Author-Controlled Content

Tweaked Templates

Independent Budgets

“ Their” Content

Content on Writer’s PC

Collaborative Writing Team

Team-Controlled Content ;

Controlled “Brand” Identity

Shared Budget

Corporate Intellectual Capital

Content in Controlled Content Management System

What improved and how did it get better when we moved to this environment? We learned that there are a lot of benefits to having a collaborative writing team.

We learned that there are a lot of benefits to having a collaborative writing team.

Benefit: Shared Content Reuse Strategy Eliminated Redundant Content Development in Each Manufacturing Center Develop Reuse Strategy – Plan Yearly No Duplication of Effort / No Redundancy New features written by writer where new feature was developed – Migrated to product line as feature added to product’s feature set

Eliminated Redundant Content Development in Each Manufacturing Center

Develop Reuse Strategy – Plan Yearly

No Duplication of Effort / No Redundancy

New features written by writer where new feature was developed – Migrated to product line as feature added to product’s feature set

Benefit: Shared Costs Share Template Development Costs (FrameMaker, Online Help, Translated Templates) Share CMS and CMS Customization Cost Share Automated Tool Cost Share Translation Cost Centralized Control & Management

Share Template Development Costs (FrameMaker, Online Help, Translated Templates)

Share CMS and CMS Customization Cost

Share Automated Tool Cost

Share Translation Cost

Centralized Control & Management

Benefit: Wrote Collaboratively Write Content Once – Reuse Many Times Write Generically to Fit Multiple Products Consistent Content – Changes Decided Upon as a Team Content Easily Migrated Across Product Lines Content Reviewed Continually

Write Content Once – Reuse Many Times

Write Generically to Fit Multiple Products

Consistent Content – Changes Decided Upon as a Team

Content Easily Migrated Across Product Lines

Content Reviewed Continually

Benefit: Developed Automated Publishing Tools Manually created FM Books, TOCs, Indexes, PDFs, Online Helps vs Using automated tools Now automatically generate FM Books, TOCs, Indexes, PDFs from sgml file Use Batch File to generate 30 translated files Online Help auto generated from sgml  xml  xslt transformation  html help

Manually created FM Books, TOCs, Indexes, PDFs, Online Helps vs Using automated tools

Now automatically generate FM Books, TOCs, Indexes, PDFs from sgml file

Use Batch File to generate 30 translated files

Online Help auto generated from sgml  xml  xslt transformation  html help

Benefit: Standardized within GE Brand Controlled Templates Controlled Content No more copying and pasting Change content in one place; updated in every reuse Assures content integrity Achieves Brand

Controlled Templates

Controlled Content

No more copying and pasting

Change content in one place; updated in every reuse

Assures content integrity

Achieves Brand

Benefit: Increased Consistency, Accuracy, & Quality Content Consistent Content Accurate Content Tested Content Subject Matter Expert Verified Content End User Validated Content

Consistent Content

Accurate Content

Tested Content

Subject Matter Expert Verified Content

End User Validated Content

Benefit: Re-Purposed Content Can re-purpose content to be used by Marketing, by Training, Help Desks Single source content for pdf and chm files Automatic (Not a Separate Effort) Can re-purpose same content into different manuals Multi-functional purposes: training, marketing, across product lines

Can re-purpose content to be used by Marketing, by Training, Help Desks

Single source content for pdf and chm files Automatic (Not a Separate Effort)

Can re-purpose same content into different manuals

Multi-functional purposes: training, marketing, across product lines

Writers’ Jobs Didn’t Go Away, They Evolved Content Analysis, Metadata Strategy Reuse Analysis and Strategy Tool / Techology Selection, Upgrade, Migration Concise Source Content – Editing Skills, Testing, Verification with SMEs, Validation with End Users Template, CSS Management, Automated Processes More Techno Savvy (sgml, xml, sgml, DITA, language encoding, unicode…) Better, Smarter Writing, NOT More Writing

Content Analysis, Metadata Strategy

Reuse Analysis and Strategy

Tool / Techology Selection, Upgrade, Migration

Concise Source Content – Editing Skills, Testing, Verification with SMEs, Validation with End Users

Template, CSS Management, Automated Processes

More Techno Savvy (sgml, xml, sgml, DITA, language encoding, unicode…)

Better, Smarter Writing, NOT More Writing

Benefit: Leveraged Translation Memories – THIS IS HUGE!!! No longer unique product documentation sets, generating multiple sets of translation memories -- Now only one set of Core Content One Core Content One Core Content Translation Memory One TM Leveraged across Multiple Products Consistent, Correct, and Clean TMs

No longer unique product documentation sets, generating multiple sets of translation memories -- Now only one set of Core Content

One Core Content

One Core Content Translation Memory

One TM Leveraged across Multiple Products

Consistent, Correct, and Clean TMs

Without With Collaboration Collaboration $.25 Per Translated Word Each Page = ~250 Words Or $62.50 Per Translated Page X 1000 Pages = $62,500 X 30 Languages = $1,875,000 X 15 Products or $28,125,000 Additional Writers Required $.25 Per Translated Word Each Page = ~250 Words Or $62.50 Per Translated Page X 1000 Pages = $62,500, X 30 Languages = $1,875,000, /5 Manufacturing Centers, or $375,000 No Additional Writers Required EXCEPT that it’s even less. We only write and pay to translate the delta. So, the actual cost yearly is now $400,000 per year, or $80,000 per mfg ctr.

$.25 Per Translated Word

Each Page = ~250 Words

Or $62.50 Per Translated Page

X 1000 Pages = $62,500

X 30 Languages = $1,875,000

X 15 Products

or $28,125,000

Additional Writers Required

And that’s not even counting the time savings… Faster Turnaround Time (1000 page manual ‘written’ in ~ 2 weeks, ‘translated’ in ~ 1 week, ‘dtp’d’ in 1 week, validated and released in 1 week. Start to end, ~5 weeks, in as many languages as you want.

Faster Turnaround Time (1000 page manual ‘written’ in ~ 2 weeks, ‘translated’ in ~ 1 week, ‘dtp’d’ in 1 week, validated and released in 1 week.

Start to end, ~5 weeks, in as many languages as you want.

Translation Notes Only pay to translate the delta in the database (fuzzy + no matches) Over the past 7 years, the budget has remained constant, between $250,000-$350,000 even though we’ve gone from 10 to 30 languages and from 5 to 16 products And this $250,000 - $350,000 cost is divided by the number of manufacturing centers So each manufacturing center pays roughly $70,000

Only pay to translate the delta in the database (fuzzy + no matches)

Over the past 7 years, the budget has remained constant, between $250,000-$350,000 even though we’ve gone from 10 to 30 languages and from 5 to 16 products

And this $250,000 - $350,000 cost is divided by the number of manufacturing centers

So each manufacturing center pays roughly $70,000

So, Finally, Let’s talk about what it takes to get a Collaborative Team Off the Ground Definition Getting Buy-In Planning Your Team Operating Mechanism Developing and Nurturing Your Team Team Meetings Tracking Progress Standardizing Tools/ Processes Sharing Budgets Accountability Escalating Issues Hiring for a Collaborative Team Group Hugs

Definition

Getting Buy-In

Planning Your Team

Operating Mechanism

Developing and Nurturing Your Team

Team Meetings

Tracking Progress

Standardizing Tools/ Processes

Sharing Budgets

Accountability

Escalating Issues

Hiring for a Collaborative Team

Definition A Collaborative Team is a group of individuals who share common beliefs and work towards common goals. They meet regularly over an extended period of time. Team members share decision making, flexibility, and creative problem solving strategies.

A Collaborative Team is a group of individuals who share common beliefs and work towards common goals. They meet regularly over an extended period of time. Team members share decision making, flexibility, and creative problem solving strategies.

Getting Buy-In From Managers From Writers From Finance From Marketing From Program Team Leaders From HR

From Managers

From Writers

From Finance

From Marketing

From Program Team Leaders

From HR

Planning the Team Need to convince team members of the value of working on a team. Share templates and develop together Develop standards Validate translations Automate processes

Need to convince team members of the value of working on a team.

Share templates and develop together

Develop standards

Validate translations

Automate processes

Operating Mechanism Communicate almost daily Meet every 2 weeks Plan, collaborate, strategize, analyze, write Always Improving processes Ensuring integrity of one set of content

Communicate almost daily

Meet every 2 weeks

Plan, collaborate, strategize, analyze, write

Always Improving processes

Ensuring integrity of one set of content

Developing & Nurturing Your team Changed the way we wrote Train on an on-going basis Empower each team member Know each person’s strengths & rely on them

Changed the way we wrote

Train on an on-going basis

Empower each team member

Know each person’s strengths & rely on them

Team Meetings Regular, Scheduled Work from an Agenda Prepare a Standard Status Report Communicate Issues Track Progress Give / Take

Regular, Scheduled

Work from an Agenda

Prepare a Standard Status Report

Communicate Issues

Track Progress

Give / Take

Tracking Progress Celebrate Wins Track Progress / Changed Milestones Communicate Issues in Plenty of Time

Celebrate Wins

Track Progress / Changed Milestones

Communicate Issues in Plenty of Time

Standardizing Tools/Processes Keep infrastructure up to date Ask team members to research new tools Plan future together Communicate issues as they occur Agree on templates

Keep infrastructure up to date

Ask team members to research new tools

Plan future together

Communicate issues as they occur

Agree on templates

Sharing Budgets Prepare yearly budget Determine program requirements, deliverables, translations resources Track costs Report out

Prepare yearly budget

Determine program requirements, deliverables, translations resources

Track costs

Report out

Accountability Team members must do their own work Must prepare content on time Must follow due diligence (review, validate, follow style guide, abide by template rules) Be a good team member

Team members must do their own work

Must prepare content on time

Must follow due diligence (review, validate, follow style guide, abide by template rules)

Be a good team member

Escalating Issues Some teams only show up when they need something or when their project is active Have an escalation process (go to their direct manager, or to the program leader, or to your manager)

Some teams only show up when they need something or when their project is active

Have an escalation process (go to their direct manager, or to the program leader, or to your manager)

Hiring for a Collaborative Team Need to hire team players Not just looking for technical skills or industry knowledge Interpersonal skills near the top of the list Screen out lone wolves, the not-so-nice Involve the team in the hiring process

Need to hire team players

Not just looking for technical skills or industry knowledge

Interpersonal skills near the top of the list

Screen out lone wolves, the not-so-nice

Involve the team in the hiring process

Group Hugs Thank everyone for their hard work All for one, one for all Celebrate each other’s successess Recognize hard work Recognize good work

Thank everyone for their hard work

All for one, one for all

Celebrate each other’s successess

Recognize hard work

Recognize good work

Conclusion The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts Each writer learns from everyone’s strengths Together as a team, we accomplish more, cheaper, faster, with increased quality and consistency Can generate a 1000-page manual as quickly as 2 days, but normally within 2 weeks Can translate a 1000-page manual into pdfs and online help within 3 weeks

The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts

Each writer learns from everyone’s strengths

Together as a team, we accomplish more, cheaper, faster, with increased quality and consistency

Can generate a 1000-page manual as quickly as 2 days, but normally within 2 weeks

Can translate a 1000-page manual into pdfs and online help within 3 weeks

Collaborative Team Success Transfers directly to your company’s bottom line. Enabling global content on time – no longer a cost center, but a corporate asset Information becomes capital when it is employed to produce profit. Developing the Content Management System to manage our corporate knowledge assets allows us to easily find, use, and re-use content in a way that maximizes its value to our organization and minimizes the cost to create, maintain, and assemble it for a particular business need.

Enabling global content on time – no longer a cost center, but a corporate asset

Information becomes capital

when it is employed to produce profit.

Developing the Content Management System to manage our corporate knowledge assets allows us to easily find, use, and re-use content in a way that maximizes its value to our organization and minimizes the cost to create, maintain, and assemble it for a particular business need.