The Importance of Articulation Work to Agency Content Management: Balancing Publication and Control  

This paper describes the initial results of a qualitative field study of the work required to review and approve the content on government agency web sites. The study analyzes content management work in terms of Strauss’s conceptualization of articulation. The analysis describes examples of high and low level articulation in content review and approval including using paper, personal contact, and surveillance. Study results suggest that the articulation work present in non-software based review and approval processes helps to balance conflicting agency goals of publishing content and achieving absolute oversight over published content. It also suggests that software based content management systems may prove helpful for the management of some types of content in some situations, but it hypothesizes that actors will choose paper and face to face communication mechanisms to review and approve large amounts of new content and sensitive content.

Eschenfelder, Kristin R. Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2003). Articles>Content Management>Organizational Communication>Workflow

Narrative Enquiry: A Way to Get Organizations (and the People in Them) Talking and Acting Differently: An Account of Methods of Intervention to Enquire into Conditions Surrounding Records Management and Filing to Catalyze Change    

Narrative enquiry: A way to get organizations (and the people in them) talking and acting differently: An account of methods of intervention to enquire into conditions surrounding records management and filing to catalyze change

Sparknow, Paul Corney and Victoria Ward Sparknow. Business Information Review (2008). Articles>Knowledge Management>Databases>Workflow

If You Want Something Done, Ask a Busy Person    

Effective use of personal time management skills and techniques can ensure a successful balance between work and personal life. This article suggests ways of analysing how time is spent, and offers advice on making plans for the future in a business and personal environment.

Byrne, Una. Business Information Review (2008). Articles>Project Management>Workflow

A Stage Model of Knowledge Management: An Empirical Investigation of Process and Effectiveness    

Knowledge management (KM) is now widely recognized to be important to the success or failure of business management. Seeking to better understand the determinants of the evolution of KM, this study focuses on two main problems: (1) whether firms change their KM processes over time to improve KM effectiveness as well as develop their KM practices, and (2) whether socio-technical support results in more mature KM practices. This study draws on the previous literature to identify key dimensions of KM process (knowledge acquisition, knowledge conversion, knowledge application and knowledge protection), KM effectiveness (individual-level and organizational-level KM effectiveness) and socio-technical support (organizational support and information technology diffusion). The evolution of these dimensions is studied in the form of a stage model of KM that includes initiation, development, and mature stages. Data gathered from 141 senior executives in large Taiwanese organizations were employed to test the propositions. The results show that different stages of KM evolution can be distinguished across dimensions of KM process, KM effectiveness, and socio-technical support. Implications for organizations are also discussed.

Lin, Hsiu-Fen. Journal of Information Science (2007). Articles>Knowledge Management>Workflow

Implementing Onscreen Editing: A Four-Step Process

Four technological or organizational barriers interfere with change, each leading to an implementation step. To overcome resistance to change, harness the energy of existing processes rather than trying to fight them.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. STC Proceedings (2008). Presentations>Editing>Online>Workflow

Stop Wasting Time: Ten Things You Can Do to Make Yourself More Efficient

Ten bits of advice about how to save time in the workplace, using software-as-a-service websites.

Abel, Scott. SlideShare (2008). Presentations>Advice>Workflow

Where Design Really Fits

As a designer, do you know where your work really fits in the process of design? If Web design is your business, then you must make certain you are in the right mindset and you use the right process when it comes to your work. You don't want your designs to fail, but, unfortunately, there is a strong chance that they will do exactly that. Lets take a step back for a minute and define what a failing design is, and why it fails.

Rodriguez, David. Web Page Design for Designers (2008). Design>Web Design>Project Management>Workflow

Productivity in the Service Economy

Yes, it is possible for white-collar workers to work smarter and become more productive. While intranet usability provides substantial initial gains, workflow usability can go much further and will save millions of jobs.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2004). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>Workflow

My Tip for Productivity: Tear Up the To-Do List

We all lead extremely busy lives. We have goals, commitments, and an almost endless amount of tasks to complete. Are there any productivity tips that work for you?

Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2008). Articles>Project Management>Workflow

Moving Toward a Content Reuse Strategy, Slowly and Carefully    

The authors of this article use their own experience in implementing a content reuse strategy to assist the reader in effectively making the changes necessary while minimizing the effect on the departments or the company as a whole.

Evans, Jeannette P. and Julianne K. Forsythe. Intercom (2008). Articles>Content Management>Content Strategy>Workflow

Project Management, Critical Praxis, and Process-Oriented Approach to Teamwork    

To help alleviate issues of free-riding and conflicts in team projects, this study proposes the systematic incorporation of project management methods to introduce a process-oriented approach to and a critical praxis in team projects. We examined how the systematic use of project management methods influenced students' performance in team projects. The findings demonstrate that such an approach enables the documentation and evaluation of and reflection on both individual and team work. Our findings indicate that project management tools enhance team member accountability and help reduce free-riding.

Ding, Huiling and Xin Ding. Business Communication Quarterly (2008). Articles>Project Management>Collaboration>Workflow

Is It Time for a New Tool?

With the move to XML, DITA, and other new standards, the entry cost for new tools is lower relative to established tools like Word and FrameMaker, since all tools need to invest to implement these new standards. New workflows are emerging in some cases, such as topic-based authoring and shared content, which give new tools a distinct advantage. The new tools can start with the new paradigm, rather than trying to migrate existing content and provide “backward” compatibility.

Answers for All (2008). Articles>Information Design>XML>Workflow

Reporting XML Errors: Optimizing the Workflow

The Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) is an XML-based, end-to-end architecture for authoring, producing, and delivering technical information. This paper describes how DITA-based documentation was implemented at CEDROM-SNi, one of Canada's leading on-line news content aggregators. The project delivers documentation as diverse as user training materials and Web Services reference guides targeted to programmers. We focus on the benefits, how tos, and lessons learned. Technical documentation has its own unique challenges. Its deliverables range from simple reference guides and educational material to complex, multilingual procedure manuals. Critical success factors of a documentation project are numerous and diverse – usability, deadlines, cost, language, delivery media (paper, online) – all of which have their own purpose and challenges. This paper discusses these issues and provides a framework for future DITA projects.

Allen, Sarah. IDEAlliance (2004). Articles>Content Management>Workflow>XML

Visually Modelling Business Processes

Learn how to visually design and implement process definitions using BPSS V2 including the use of context mechanisms and workflows, signals and joins. A selection of sample industry and government applications will be provided from automotive, financial, homeland security and healthcare applications.

Webber, David. IDEAlliance (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Technical Illustration>Workflow

Automate Your Publishing

Discusses the strategic importance of XML, illustrating it with an application they built to address the growing needs of the DaimlerChrysler MOPAR division. Mr. Haslam will share with you the challenges they faced and how they were solved as well as provide the metrics being used to validate the project's success.

Haslam, David. IDEAlliance (2004). Articles>Information Design>Workflow>XML

Records, Tags and Pipelines

Serving XML is a markup language for expressing XML pipelines, and an extendible Java framework for defining the elements of the language. It provides a markup language for expressing flat-XML, XML-flat, flat-flat, and XML-XML transformations in pipelines. This article provides a brief introduction to the vocabulary of this language, and some examples of its flat-XML capabilities.

Parker, Daniel. IDEAlliance (2005). Articles>Information Design>XML>Workflow

Extending XML in the Enterprise

This presentation explores how recent advances in user interfaces have blurred the once clear distinction between structured and unstructured data. It examines how these tools can be used to empower a new class of user to participate in an XML workflow and a managed content environment.

Parsons, Jon. IDEAlliance (2005). Articles>Content Management>XML>Workflow

XML Pipeline Processing

Pipeline processing is a powerful programming technique that can lead to programs that are easier to maintain and enhance and monolithic imperative programs. Developers familiar with the power of pipeline operations central to the UNIX operating system know how simple, modular tools can be chained together to accomplish a wide variety of complex tasks. XSLT pipelines offer the same advantage for XML transformation. Where UNIX pipelines are based around standard input and output of lines of text, XSLT pipelines rely on the structure of well-formed XML between stages. The panel members will demonstrate the value of a pipeline processing approach and discuss implementation specifics.

Page, Sam and Norman Walsh. XML 2006 (2006). Articles>Information Design>XML>Workflow

The Importance For Internal Business Systems

Talks about the importance of usability for internal business systems, specifically around staff productivity and process efficiency. The presentation touches on common barriers to staff productivity, some of the main reasons for these barriers, plus a short video of a manufacturing company who are embracing user-centered design as a way of combating the traditional software development issues on a companies productivity. The presentation also asks business owners a few key questions, such as do you listen to your staff, do you staff waste valuable company time doing repetitive tasks, and do you know what is the on-going cost to your business if you use un-usable software systems.

Rouke, Paul. Vimeo (2009). Presentations>Usability>Workflow>Video

Building Efficient Multilingual Workflows    

O’Keefe gives detailed information on two technology standards that may be used in multilingual workflows: XSL and XLIFF.

O'Keefe, Sarah S. Intercom (2009). Articles>Content Management>Workflow>Translation

A 25-Point Website Usability Checklist

Four major components are covered in this checklist: accessibility, identity, navigation and content. The list is a printable PDF and contains a rating system and space for comments.

User Effect (2009). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Workflow

Fifteen Steps to a More Productive Workday

Freelance designers, as well as those who work for small design studios, often face the challenge of getting the most productivity out of their time and achieving maximum efficiency. While this can be a struggle for anyone in a more “typical” job, freelancers have added distractions, unique challenges, and no one to hold them accountable. To be a successful freelancer you’ll have to place a priority on productivity and find ways that work for you.

Vandelay Design Blog (2009). Articles>Freelance>Project Management>Workflow

Making Spaces in Cluttered Houses and Cluttered Lives

Putting Pedersen’s advice to practice, step one is to make a place for everything in our lives. Figure out where it belongs. Just as you can’t organize a house if you have no where to put things, you can’t organize your life if you have no way space for the activities. If something doesn’t fit, it’s time for a trip to the figurative Salvation Army (we call them Deseret Industries here). In other words, simplify.

Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2009). Careers>Project Management>Advice>Workflow

Effective UX in a Corporate Environment, Part II

In this column, which is the second of two parts, we’ll continue discussing how companies can ensure the effectiveness of User Experience within their organizations and current product development processes.

Six, Janet M. and Chris Anthony. UXmatters (2009). Articles>User Experience>Workplace>Workflow

Effective UX in a Corporate Environment, Part I

To foster discussion about the issues companies face in trying to effectively integrate user experience into their current organizations and processes, we surveyed our panel of Ask UXmatters experts, asking them to give us their thoughts on these important issues.

Six, Janet M. and Chris Anthony. UXmatters (2009). Articles>User Experience>Workplace>Workflow