Chris will provide an overview and answer questions about the Information Mapping® structured writing methodology. Information Mapping is a 45 year old content standard developed at Harvard and Columbia Universities and is used by companies and government around the globe to improve performance and productivity. Chris will demonstrate how the method works, talk about why companies use it, demo FS Pro — Information Mapping’s plug-in for Microsoft Word — and talk about where the method is going next in the technical communications world. Along with the overview, Chris will provide a few “Mapping” concepts and principles that you can use in your work right away.

1. INFORMATION MAPPING: WHAT IS IT? WHY USE IT?
Chris MacMillan
Managing Director
Information Mapping Canada
Twitter: @InfoMapCanada January 29th, 2014

2. AGENDA / WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
• About you & me
• Overview of Information Mapping
• How does it work and how it’s used
• FS Pro software demo
• Where to next?
• Q&A

3. ABOUT YOU (WHO’S HERE TONIGHT?)
What’s in a name? Industries
•Technical Communicator
•Technical Writer
•Editor
•Content Designer
•Information Architect
•Content Engineer
•Who did I miss?
•Financial
•Government
•Healthcare
•Pharma / Biotech
•High Tech
•Telecom
•Other?

4. ABOUT ME
• 10 years with Information Mapping Canada
• Started in the mailroom at age 9!
• 20th Anniversary!
• Manage our talent
• Manager and sales guy
And, I love Whistler!

5. THANKS FOR COMING TONIGHT
1. Desktop guide 2. Draw for e-learning 3. Training in Vancouver

6. WHO WE ARE
• Information Mapping Canada (IMC) helps organizations
improve performance and productivity through effective
written communication.
• We provide
• training programs
• documentation and consulting services
• supporting software.

7. INFORMATION
MAPPING
INTERNATIONAL
INFORMATION
MAPPING U.S.
INFORMATION
MAPPING INDIA
CANADIAN PARTNER
• Solution Partners
• Training Partners
• Information Mapping® Certified Consultants™
• Technology Partners

8. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS

9. CANADIAN CUSTOMERS

10. LOCAL CUSTOMERS

11. WHY IS IT CALLED INFORMATION MAPPING?

12. WHY IS IT CALLED INFORMATION MAPPING?

13. “I NEED INFORMATION TO DO MY JOB, AND I NEED IT YESTERDAY!!”

14. CONTENT STANDARDSTECHNOLOGY STANDARDS
NEED FOR STANDARDS
LEARNING
MANAGEMENT

15. THE INFORMATION MAPPING METHOD
Information Mapping® is an
international and research-based
content standard.
Using Information Mapping® results in
information that is:
• easier to write
• easier to read
• more accurate, and
• more reusable.
Really?
Show me!

16. USABILITY TIME TEST DEMONSTRATION
Testing a typical policy against the same content Information
Mapped

17. USABILITY TIME TEST: “BEFORE” QUESTION
Find the answer to this question and raise your hand:
Which approved vendor should I call when
purchasing IT audit services?

18. USABILITY TIME TEST: “AFTER” QUESTION
Find the answer to this question and raise your hand:
What are the IT Mangers responsibilities in the
purchasing process?

19. OUR VISION: AN EXAMPLE

20. THE AFTER: OUR SOLUTION
the
INFORMATION MAPPING®
method

21. • Robert Horn
• Universities of Harvard and Columbia
• 40 years of experience

22. COMPONENTS OF THE METHOD
• Information types
• Research-based principles
• Modular information units
SIX INFORMATION TYPES
Help you to analyze the subject matter and categorize
it according to its purpose for the audience
PROCEDURE
PROCESS
PRINCIPLE
CONCEPT
STRUCTURE
FACT

23. COMPONENTS OF THE METHOD
• Information types
• Research-based principles
• Modular information units Allow you to organize information effectively so that it
is easy to access, understand, and remember
CHUNKING
RELEVANCE
LABELING
CONSISTENCY
INTEGRATED GRAPHICS
ACCESSIBLE DETAIL
SIX RESEARCH-BASED PRINCIPLES

24. BLOCK
COMPONENTS OF THE METHOD
• Information types
• Research-based principles
• Modular information units
A manageable chunk of related information.

25. MAP
COMPONENTS OF THE METHOD
• Information types
• Research-based principles
• Modular information units
A collection of related Blocks with a title

26. TWO FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
• Can we “structure” all content this way?
• If so, how do we ensure everyone structures the content
the same way?

27. 3 STEPS TO STANDARDIZE YOUR INFORMATION
ORGANIZATIONANALYSIS
• Purpose
• Audience
• Information Types
PRESENTATION
• Presentation Modes
• Publication and Storage
• Research-Based
Principles
• Modular Content

28. 3 STEPS TO STANDARDIZE YOUR INFORMATION
ANALYSIS
ANALYZE AND
PLAN THE
CONTENT
Purpose: Inform Regiona Manager of the
company’s policy for purchasing IT
equipment
Audience: Regional Managers
Information
Type:
“What’s an Information Type?”

29. INFORMATION TYPES
How do I
change a
tire?
How does
the engine
work?
Should I drive
on the left or
on the right in
the UK?
What is an
airbag?
What are the
parts of my
dashboard?
What’s the
maximum
speed of this
car?
PROCEDURE
PROCESS
PRINCIPLE
CONCEPT
STRUCTURE
FACT

30. PROCESS & PROCEDURE
They are not synonyms!
• Process: A series of events or stages that occurs over time and
has a specific result.
• Procedure: A set of steps that a person performs to accomplish a
task.

31. PROCESS
159 words

How does pay change
due to an event

32. THE SAME PROCESS “MAPPED”
131 words
-18%

33. 3 STEPS TO STANDARDIZE YOUR INFORMATION
ANALYSIS
ANALYZE AND
PLAN THE
CONTENT
Purpose: Inform Regional Managers of the
company’s policy for purchasing IT
equipment
Audience: Regional Managers
Information
Type:
Fact
Principle
Proedures
Proess
Structure
Concept

34. SOURCE Fact, Principle,
Process
Principle, Process
Fact
Principle
Fact, Process
Principle
Fact, Process

35. 3 STEPS TO STANDARDIZE YOUR INFORMATION
ORGANIZATIONANALYSIS
• Purpose
• Audience
• Information Types
• Research-Based
Principles
• Modular Content
PRESENTATION
• Presentation Modes
• Publication and Storage
Break up the content into
modules of information so
that each module is
• self-contained
• about one limited topic
• serves one purpose
• manageable in size
(7 +/-2 items)
• explicitly labeled

36. 6 RESEARCH-BASED PRINCIPLES
CHUNKING
RELEVANCE
LABELING
CONSISTENCY
INTEGRATED
GRAPHICS
ACCESSIBLE DETAIL

37. Title more accurately
reflects the purpose and
content of the document
Wall of words is broken
out into modular
information blocks
Labels “advance organize” or
preview the content for the
reader to allow scanning
But we’re not
done yet!

38. It’s still built on neutral, gray boxes of
text - paragraphs.
And they must be read!

39. 3 STEPS TO STANDARDIZE YOUR INFORMATION
PRESENTATION
• Presentation Modes
• Publication and Storage
ORGANIZATIONANALYSIS
• Purpose
• Audience
• Information Types
• Research-Based
Principles
• Modular Content
A set of graphics that
• display the essence of each Information Type
• visually reflect what that Type means.

40. PRESENTATION MODES
E-business connects business systems to
customers
employees
vendors, and
suppliers.
PROCEDURE FACT
PRINCIPLE
STUCTURE
PROCESS
CONCEPT

41. PLAIN LANGUAGE
Plain language is communication your audience can understand.
Material written in plain language allows your readers to
• find what they need
• understand what they find, and
• use what they find to meet their needs.
No one definition or technique defines plain language. Plain
language is defined by results.

42. B&A PLAIN LANGUAGE
When the process of freeing a
vehicle that has been stuck results in
ruts or holes, the operator will fill the
rut or hole created by such activity
before removing the vehicle from the
immediate area.
If you make a hole while freeing a
stuck vehicle, you must fill the hole
before you drive away .

43. AFTER MAPPING
• Modular
• Clear
• Graphical
• Standardized!

44. STANDARDIZED BLOCKS OF INFORMATION...

45. ...ARE ASSEMBLED INTO INFORMATION PRODUCTS

46. ...AND REASSEMBLED FOR DIFFERENT CONTEXTS

47. ...AND AGGREGATED INTO LARGER COLLECTIONS

48. REUSE BLOCKS OF INFORMATION...
PROCESS
Purchasing process
FACT
List of approved
vendors
• Training
• E-learning
• Call centre
• others?

49. Other
ContentOther
ContentOther
ContentOther
Content
L3 & L4 Process Maps
5.01 Address Unrepresented Injury Claim
InjuryAdjuster
(Unrepresented,Represented,HighRisk,RecoveryCoordinator)
ClaimCenter
Customer/
Customer
Representative
Manager
Facilitate
MD needs
If
outstanding
If
payments
required
5.01.01
Receive
Assigned
Exposure
(Injury)
5.01.07
Segment
Claim
04
Address Non-
injury Claim
Needs
From
Complete FNOL
(2 of 2)
5.01.02
Complete
Pre-Call
Work
(Injury)
5.01.05
Negate or
Negotiate
Settlement
End of
Process
Customer
Seeking
treatment
Recovery expected
< 12wks
Recovery expected
> 12 wks
Initial review
Trigged by
Exposure’s
Risk
level
If
Feedback/coaching
required
If settlement
Opportunity exists
Provide
Information
Provide
Information
If settlement
Opportunity exists
Provide
Information
05.01.11
Close Claim/
Exposure
5.01.06
Perform
Manager
Review
Receive
Negate/
Settlement
Not ready to settle
5.01.08
Provide
Primary
Care
5.01.09
Provide
Secondary
Care
Complex recovery
expected
05.01.04
Confirm
Coverage
&
Liability
07.05
Process
Payables
No outstanding
payments
No payments
required
5.01.03
Touch File
(2nd
)
05.01.03
Touch File
05.05
Provide
Enhanced
Care
5.01.03
Touch File (1st
)
Customer seeking treatment
Customer not seeking treatment
Meet Customer’s Needs
Manage Recovery
Pursue negate or fair settlement
The Topic Making Machine!
Workflow
Enterprise
Writing
STANDARDS FOR TEAM WRITING
SME Writers
Legacy
Content

50. TWO FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
• Can we “structure” all content this way?
• If so, how do we ensure everyone structures the content
the same way?
YES WE CAN!!
It is possible to Info-Map most content and
it is easy to learn and apply.

51. BENEFITS FOR READER AND WRITER
RETRIEVAL
ACCURACY
+32%
INITIAL
LEARNING
+83%+38%
USAGE
-54%
-90%
SUPERVISOR
QUESTIONS
-30%
ERROR
RATES
-54%
READING
TIME
-50%
NUMBER OF
WORDS
-30%-83%
TIME FOR
FIRST DRAFT
-75%
REVIEW
TIME

52. BENEFITS FOR ORGANIZATIONS
COST reduction
•Capture employee knowledge
•Increase operational
efficiency
•Reduce support calls
•Decrease translation costs
REVENUE growth
•Reduce time to create
content
•Accelerate time to market
RISK mitigation
•Reduce risk by consistent
documentation
•Increase safety and
compliance

53. CHECKING IN:
• About you & me
• Overview of Information Mapping
• How does it work and how it’s used
• FS Pro software demo
• Where to next?
• Q&A

54. FS PRO 2013 Technology
Service
s

55. OTHER TECHNOLOGIES
FS Pro SharePoint
Connector
Authorit Information
Mapping Kit
FS Pro for Adobe
FrameMaker
DITA specialization
Technology
Service
s

56. CERTIFICATION:
INFORMATION MAPPING PROFESSIONAL™
Become certified as Information Mapping® Professional™ (IMP)
to demonstrate mastery of the fundamental principles and
concepts of the Information Mapping® method.
• Online exam
• Included in all training programs with Foundation
+ Master
• Valid 3-year
TrainingService
s

57. CERTIFICATION:
INFORMATION MAPPING CERTIFIED CONSULTANT ™
Become an Information Mapping® Certified Consultant™ (IMCC)
and join a growing global network of those using Info-Mapping® in
their commercial business.
• Written and verbal exam
• License to sell Information Mapping services
• Valid 1-year
TrainingService
s

58. THANK YOU
Chris MacMillan
604.999.2671
chris.macmillan@infomap.ca