Enterprise Content Management
Operating and managing directories can be a very daunting task. The highly structured data that makes up directories is difficult to organize in the most efficient format and is costly to produce and update. Content DSI has created directory publishing solutions for several directory publishers, including FTD, Merriam-Webster, Thomson Healthcare, and Thomas Publishing Company. These leading publishers have relied on Content DSI's experience and technology to produce and implement efficient, cost-effective directory publishing solutions.
Content DSI's directory publishing solutions are built on a solid Enterprise Content Management (ECM) foundation. ECM involves the entire process from the creation to content management and delivery of information that is dispersed across many data repositories into one central data repository. The central data repository eliminates expensive problems associated with trying to maintain information consistency by providing a content warehouse for company information with a uniform structure. With ECM, all applications deliver content to one data repository. This, in turn, provides needed information to all applications and is the basis of Enterprise Content Management and Content DSI's directory publishing solutions.
Enterprise Content Management brings together a variety of components and technologies to ensure our directory and database publishing solutions will meet the needs of individual authors, support efficient workflow throughout the entire organization, and provide the capabilities necessary to handle multiple formats. These components of Enterprise Content Management are categorized as the creation, content management and delivery.
Content Creation
Content creation involves creating or converting all types of content from documents to databases to rich media. Regardless of the current state of your data, Content DSI has the capabilities necessary to convert it into a platform-neutral format which is suitable for importing into a data repository.
Electronic Data Conversion
Whether your data is currently in spreadsheet, word processing, or desktop publishing applications, Content DSI's state-of-the-art conversion tools such as OmniMark and Perl are capable of converting it from its native electronic format. If no off-the-shelf alternative exists, Content DSI will create a customized script in order to automatically convert data into a usable electronic format such as XML. Our full editorial staff is proficient in manual data entry and is able to quickly and accurately enter large amounts of data, which results in effective and efficient directory publishing solutions.
Printed Data
If data only exists in printed form, our state-of-the-art scanning facilities and expert technicians will scan documents and/or images for conversion into a digital format. Content DSI's scanning, conversion and image manipulation services will create a usable image bank that will allow for indexing and storage in a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system.
Content management involves organizing and managing both structured and unstructured data in a central repository. A new content management or product catalog system can be very difficult and time-consuming to manage, and companies often do not have the resources or expertise necessary to conduct the data analysis, processing and consolidation effort required with such a system. The primary reason for this is the assortment of content. Their information exists in multiple formats, from text documents to databases, dtp files, spreadsheets, images, video and audio. Content DSI's directory publishing solutions include complete data analysis and conversion services to help collect and store information into a central repository where it will be well-organized and easy to manage.
Data Analysis for Technical Publication, Books, or Journals
It is common for organizations to have their content in an unstructured format that is neither media-neutral nor standard throughout the organization. The first step in Content DSI's directory publishing solutions is analyzing all of your documents in order to produce an appropriate document structure or DTD (Document Type Definition) that will represent a standard format for all of your documents.
The purpose of a DTD is to define the document structure and outline the type of content that can exist in that document. An example would be a DTD for a journal which includes a title, byline, and body text that can contain multiple paragraphs.
An important aspect of our online directory publishing system is ensuring that content published on the Web is viewed the way you intend it to be. That is why we tag data for conversion to XML according to type. Tagging includes headlines, subheads, bylines, callouts, mathematical equations, symbols, or captions, and it allows composition systems to recognize the style associated with corresponding data. Tagging is an essential part of our online directory publishing systems and serves as a way to help people find needed information.
Product Directory Publishing for Catalogs
Content DSI provides three levels of data analysis to guarantee proper implementation of data into a central repository:
- Source Data Analysis - during this first analysis phase of product directory publishing, we will evaluate your organization's data in its current format and develop a plan to either convert it into an acceptable electronic format, or import the data directly into the new system.
- Gap Analysis - organizations may have missing elements that are needed to complete a fully populated central repository. During the gap analysis phase, Content DSI will identify those elements which may include missing images, descriptions, or technical information.
- Product Line Analysis - during this last analysis phase of publishing a product directory, we will conduct interviews with project managers to gain an understanding of product families, features, and attributes. This information will be used to create a spreadsheet template for content that will be imported into the system. Product line analysis allows us to create a central data repository that will be easily manageable and is a vital component of product directory publishing.
Digital Content Delivery
Once your organization's data has been standardized and centralized in a central data repository, Content DSI will ensure the proper tools and processes are in place so you can begin publishing your data to multiple media. As part of our directory publishing solutions, we will design a content delivery structure capable of retrieving data which has been cleared for publishing from your central repository, and output it to various Web, print, or CD/DVD publications. Content DSI's online directory publishing solutions will also allow for the building of dynamic documents according to user-entered specifications.
Experienced Directory & Database Publishing
Since 1961, Content DSI has been serving the needs of our customers and establishing a reputation of excellence. Our product directory publishing solutions have helped solve the production challenges for some of the world's leading publishing companies. From content creation to delivery, our customized directory publishing solutions will help address important business requirements, such as:
- Automating print composition to help reduce production time
- Providing customized data capture interfaces to facilitate content maintenance
- Supporting Web and print publication from a single source
- Eliminating redundant processes and reducing manual effort
- Providing data feeds to third-parties in their desired formats
At Content DSI, we highly value our customer relationships. During the implementation of our directory publishing solutions, we will be committed to providing you with the highest level of service from start to finish. Creating and maintaining a competitive advantage in today's business world can be very challenging. With Content DSI's extensive resources, experience, and expertise, you will have a powerful ally dedicated to making your necessary business processes more efficient and cost-effective. |
