This document summarizes a presentation on whether to adopt DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture). Toni discusses the advantages of DITA, including reuse and flexibility. Alyssa discusses the disadvantages, such as the cost of migration and lack of authoring flexibility. Important decision factors include team size, localization needs, and budget. Lessons learned include not adopting DITA without a clear business case and ensuring your tools can meet requirements. Upcoming events from the presenters are also listed.

1. flickr: pleeker
To
DITA
or
not
to
DITA?
Sarah O’Keefe (@sarahokeefe), Scriptorium
Alyssa Fox (@afox98), NetIQ
Toni Mantych (@tcmpdx), ADP
contentstrategy101.com

2. Before
we
begin…
❖ Everyone is muted except for the
presenter
❖ Please ask your questions through the
Questions area in the webcast interface
❖ The presentation is being recorded;
attendees do not appear in the
recording
contentstrategy101.com

3. Sarah
O’Keefe
@sarahokeefe
❖ Founder and president, Scriptorium
Publishing, www.scriptorium.com
❖ Based in North Carolina
❖ Coauthor with Alan Pringle of Content
Strategy 101 (just released!)
❖ Interested in collision of content,
publishing, and technology
contentstrategy101.com

4. Alyssa
Fox
@afox98
❖ Senior Manager of Information
Development, NetIQ
❖ STC Secretary and 2012 Summit
Program Chair
❖ 15+ years of tech comm
❖ Interested in usability, targeted
documentation, and Agile
❖ Houston, Texas
contentstrategy101.com

5. Toni
Mantych
@tcmpdx
❖ Information Architect, ADP
❖ Overseeing migration of 60 people
to DITA
❖ 20+ years as a writer;
10+ years in tech comm
❖ Portland, Oregon
contentstrategy101.com
contentstrategy101.com

6. Agenda
❖ Why DITA? (Toni)
❖ Why not DITA? (Alyssa)
❖ Advantages and disadvantages
❖ Most important factors in the decision
❖ Mistakes were made
contentstrategy101.com

7. To
DITA…
(Toni)
flickr: roryfinneren
contentstrategy101.com

8. …or
not
to
DITA
(Alyssa)
flickr: thegirlsny
contentstrategy101.com

9. Biggest
advantage
(Toni)
flickr: bunnicula
contentstrategy101.com

10. Biggest
advantage
(Alyssa)
flickr: jayhem
contentstrategy101.com

11. Biggest
challenge
(Toni)
flickr: ryanh
contentstrategy101.com

12. Biggest
challenge
(Alyssa)
flickr: onmagazine
contentstrategy101.com

13. Decision
factors
❖ Team size
❖ Deliverable requirements
❖ Localization requirements
❖ Skill sets
❖ Budget
❖ Corporate culture
contentstrategy101.com

14. No
business
case…
❖ Overwhelming cost of migration
❖ Little reuse
❖ Need for authoring flexibility
❖ No localization
contentstrategy101.com

15. Can’t
meet
requirements
with
current
toolset…
❖ Custom deliverable formats
❖ Need for heavy metadata
❖ Flexibility
❖ Localization
❖ Component-based product architecture
contentstrategy101.com

16. Lessons
learned…
flickr: ndanger
contentstrategy101.com

17. What
could
change
your
decision?
What
could
change
your
decision?
flickr: ted_major
contentstrategy101.com

18. Getting
off
the
platform
flickr: ndanger
contentstrategy101.com

19. Sample
business
cases
❖ http://www.contentstrategy101.com/
❖ 8 case studies
❖ Sample cost calculations
contentstrategy101.com

20. Content Strategy 101 Sarah S. O’Keefe and Alan S. Pringle
Content Strategy 101
Transform Technical Content into a Business Asset
❖ Available now!
❖ Print, EPUB, and Kindle
❖ www.contentstrategy101.com
Sarah S. O’Keefe
Alan S. Pringle
Foreword by Ann Rockley
contentstrategy101.com

21. Upcoming
events
❖ Business case for content strategy in
tech comm webcast
❖ Lavacon conference (Portland, OR)
❖ tekom/tcworld (Germany)
❖ Register/more information at
www.scriptorium.com/events
contentstrategy101.com

22. Questions?
contentstrategy101.com