Xinfo at CA Technologies

Xinfo Initiative:
STC Bleeding Edge Series

Brian Everett
CA Technologies
May 21, 2012

agenda

— Xinfo & Bleeding Edge
— Our Challenge
— Our Resolution = Xinfo methodology
— Closing
— Q&A

2 May 21, 2012 STC 2012 Bleeding Edge: Xinfo at CA Technologies Copyright © 2012 CA. All rights reserved.

introduction: Xinfo

— What is Xinfo & Why Bleeding Edge?
— The sum of Xinfo represents a methodology that gives
clients:
— the content they need
— when they need it
— modern deliverables
— With the added benefit of a streamlined documentation
footprint and lower localization costs.

3 May 21, 2012 STC 2012 Bleeding Edge: Xinfo at CA Technologies Copyright © 2012 CA. All rights reserved

our challenge - research

— We knew we needed to get closer to our customers and
modernize our content management strategy and philosophy
so…
— We talked to our customers….extensively
— Internal customers
— External customers
— Analysts
— Essence of results:
— Too much info
— Hard to find what I need
— Need easily consumable help with day-to-day tasks


challenge resolution: Xinfo

— Xinfo = Four-pronged approach to address each pain
point:
— New roles
— Scenario-based content
— Just enough documentation
— End-to-end view


Xinfo roles

— New methodology & focus requires new organizational roles:
− Technical Information Architect
• Product Manager of Technical Information for a given product
• Work closely with Product Managers to ensure consistent, clear, and
concise message across all materials
• Plan the information delivery roadmap – what are we going to
document and when
• Provide vocal input into documentation and product design
− Technical Information Engineer
• Design, create, test, and publish technical information deliverables.
• Collaborate with IAs/team/clients to identify scenarios and content


scenario-based content

— What is a CA scenario?
− Business processes: explanation of how and where the product or
solution is addressing a business need
− Roles: identifies the jobs that are involved in the processes and
workflows so it is in context with the users’ day-to-day
responsibilities
− Multi-media: enhances content with graphics/video for quick
comprehension
− Bite-size, stand-alone: the content is an autonomous information
unit & content is modular and article-like so it can be quickly
scanned by the reader and understood
− Location: Resides in traditional guides, as standalone Knowledge
Base articles on a CA product page, or both.

sample scenario – main page


just enough documentation*

— Embracing and stressing the just enough doc principle:
− Focus on marquee and high priority use cases for our scenarios
− Integrate reference information in the product—a self-documenting UI.
For example: If you have simple UI-based wizard with intuitive screens to
step through coupled with hover text for complex technical terms, you
dramatically decrease the need for procedures or scenarios.
— Benefits:
− Improves search relevance by reduced footprint
− Reduces localization costs
− Reduces potential errors

* Scott Ambler and others have authored many articles about just enough doc .


end-to-end view


end-to-end view

— Information Architect works with stakeholders to identify key articles
to add to a our bookshelf. For example:
− Traditional user guides & scenarios that Tech Info creates
− White papers
− Demos (usually showing best practices or prominent use cases)
− Training materials
− Support articles
— Broad view of the information for a CA product.
− Internal and external contributors
− Non-Tech Info authors


end-to-end deliverables

End to End Bookshelf (now)
Technical Information Center (future)
— A wiki-like structure that provides a gateway to all CA Technologies internal content, and
enables integration with public web content & images including peer networking and
collaboration forums.
— Collaborate
— Customers will be able to annotate/update the editable version of TI content
− IAs/IEs can review customer annotations/updates to determine whether they should be
incorporated into the next locked, published version
− Customers will be able to collaborate with their peers, partners, and customers from
the TIC by linking to communities and other public forums
— End to End View
− Customers will be able to access/search across other pertinent end-to-end product
information


CA Technical Information Center – Wireframe - Home

Separate
portlet
Consolidation instance per
of product info product

Help for Technical Information Center

Stay Connected

Social sites
per product

Our other sites

Associated Products

Tag Cloud

Context of
Latest info from
visitor
forums, wiki, ann
ouncements


CA Technical Information Center – Wireframe - Collaboration


wrap up

— Challenges
— Response = Xinfo
− New Roles
− Scenario-based content
− Just enough documentation
− End-to-end information (present)
− Technical Information Center (near future)
— Thank you to all of you for attending.
— Thank you to STC for inviting me to present.
— Future comments/questions: Brian.Everett@ca.com

Xinfo at CA Technologies

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