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As an integral part of MPI's implementation of software, MPI has helped identify ways to shorten the time required to edit, proof, and produce printed and electronic documents. MPI has improved document production processes using FrameMaker and other suitable tools. Examples of this kind of involvement are:
United States Postal Service
MPI worked with USPS Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) publication staff members to optimize the process for publishing hardcopy and intranet/CD-ROM versions of the 700-page DMM. Careful configuration of the FrameMaker environment and documents that comprise the DMM enable USPS to produce frequent intranet releases of DMM updates with minimal post-processing. The process saves up to four weeks during preparation for CD-ROM publishing. To enhance the authoring environment, intrinsic features of FrameMaker were applied so pending changes can be pre-entered, but tagged to easily retain the changes to or positively remove them when their disposition is determined.
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Virginia Power
In addition to hardcopy, Virginia Power publishes multi-thousand page FrameMaker documents for in-house on-line viewing in PDF (Portable Document Format). A minimal staff maintains these documents, so the fullest automation possible was built into the document. MPI interviewed Virginia Power staff members to understand the limitations and flexibility of their document management process and worked on-site to implement a finished configuration that satisfied their needs and working preferences. MPI identified opportunities for reducing staff workload, while ensuring absolute document integrity. No custom programming was used, so no reprogramming is needed for FrameMaker updates.
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Virginia Senate
MPI was part of a transition team at the Virginia Senate Clerk's Office that configured and implemented a process using FrameMaker to produce the nearly 3,000-page, annual Senate Journal. The traditional method involved downloading numerous individual elements from a mainframe using separate queries, which required considerable knowledge of the mainframe storage schemes and of the elements that had to be included in the Journal. That process was modified to create a batch query that builds a day in FrameMaker's Maker Interchange Format (MIF), that allows final document assembly to begin 80-90 percent complete. MPI participated in Senate Clerk's Office planning sessions to clearly define FrameMaker's flexibility and constraints on the process. MPI trained and coached Senate Clerk staff members during the development of suitable templates, and during implementation. The Journal is prepared more quickly than before, as is the associated index, a separate FrameMaker document as large as the Journal itself.
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CACI, Inc
MPI helped CACI configure FrameMaker to produce massive proposals. CACI had used PageMaker to prepare proposals, but was frustrated with its limitations with long documents. MPI went onsite at CACI to ensure successful transition to FrameMaker. MPI worked with CACI to establish a new proposal preparation process compatible with FrameMaker. |
