Category Archives: S1000D

S1000D Issue 4.1 and Issue 4.2 Navigation Map in 3D and its Update

S1000D

I am thrilled that in the S1000D consulting projects I worked in the past two years since publishing S1000D Issue 4.1 and Issue 4.2 Navigation Map: 552+87 and 427+90 Business Rules Decision Points Arranged into two Linear Topic Maps to Facilitate Learning, Understanding, and Implementation of S1000D®, I got to use it quite a lot and test it (as well as its predecessor before it). It proved to be very helpful and accelerate the generation of the projects’ business rules as well as the implementation of this international specification. I am very grateful and proud of that fact.

Since working on the book, I have noticed a few minor changes that needed to be done. I made them recently especially because I started working on the new resource for S1000D, which as of now will feature five different Issues of the Specification and will serve, as I hope, as a universal implementation map for the S1000D users.

Here is the summary of changes for both e-book and paperback of the S1000D Issue 4.1 and Issue 4.2 Navigation Map as well as the Excel sheets available here:

  • The number of BRDP in the subtitle of the book for Issue 4.2 was corrected from 429 to 427. That led to unpublishing of the older paperback and publication of the new. So it has now a new ISBN. Thus, if you recommend the book to someone, please don’t give them the old ISBN but instead the title and they will be able to find it on any big online retailer. Here is the link to the book’s page just in case if you like to share it. The links to the online stores there are up-to-date.
  • Correction in formatting (e.g., missing captions added, and those that weren’t made bold)
  • Some relations between Issue 4.1 and 4.2 had minor errors, which were corrected.
  • And here is the most significant modification and the only one of this size: BRDP-S1-00301 and BRDP-S1-00303 were erroneously in Topic 43 for Issue 4.1 and Topic 42 for Issue 4.2. Now they have been moved into the front matter Topic 73 for Issue 4.1 and Topic 71 for Issue 4.2.

If you know someone, who works with S1000D and who also purchased the S1000D Issue 4.1 and Issue 4.2 Navigation Map, please share this information with them. Thank you in advance!

If you or your colleagues have questions on this, feel free to contact me at vib@optimistwriter.com.

#s1000d #navigationmap #implementation #guidance #implementationhelp #consultancy #s1000Dconsultancy #businessrules #decisionmaking #businessdecisionmaking #OptimistWriter

brDoc, BREX, and Co.: S1000D Business Rules Made Easier in 3D

S1000D

I am thrilled that even after starting my own business I still can contribute to the amazing S1000D community. What we do there might sound “nerdy,” but it is utter fun and useful.
S1000D is the international specification for technical publications using a specific concept of a common source database for the production, maintenance, exchange, and use of the technical data presented in the form of technical publications in the formats requested by the customers.

The little book shown on the picture gives a simple introduction to S1000D business rules, which are no other than “game rules” in the S1000D project and programs. The process to define these rules might seem daunting because there are about 500 and often more decision points where you need to set up specific rules, which might change throughout the project’s and product’ life, you are working on and helping to create. In this little book, you can learn what business rules are and why they are vital. You can also find out which of the chapters in the S1000D extensive document (over 3500 pages in its latest official Issue, Issue 4.2) is a must-read before starting to define your project and your organization’s business rules.

I recently started to work on the next S1000D book, and I am thrilled about that because I can both research how the S1000D implementation can be made more efficient and effective and also give back my gratitude in the form of valuable information to this fantastic community.

If you would like to find out more about the book, click on the picture above or here.

Check out my other books here.

Enjoy the books you read and use to help you on your way!

#s1000d #businessrules #decisionpoint #decisionpoints #implementation #OptimistWriter

Contributing to Mekon’s Bitesize on Business Rules, August 2018: About the Book “brDoc, BREX, and Co: S1000D Business Rules Made Easier”

S1000D

The S1000D User Forum 2018 in New Orleans, September 10-13, is getting closer every day. Only a week from now. Many who are going there are curious what discussions will emerge and what connections will be made, what interactions will take place.

I am not going to the S1000D User Forum this year, but a little book I created with the main reason to give back to the community, which I enjoy and am proud of being a part of, will be there instead of me.

Susanne Berg from Mekon Ltd will take part in the User Forum and have my book with her. Susanne was the one who had the idea for me to write a series of short articles on the S1000D Business Rules and she was also the one who agreed to grant me the copyright so that I could publish the book.

With this book, I hoped to alleviate the overwhelming and annoying feeling rising with many of the S1000D implementers when they face the necessity of defining the project or organizational business rules.

As mentioned above, Susanne will have the book with her at the forum. So if you are taking part in the S1000D User Forum this year, then I invite you to approach Mekon’s exhibitor’s stand and take a look at the book.

And to get a taste of what this little booklet (less than 100 pages long) is about and how it could help you, I suggest that you read the article “Bitesize Business Rules Series as a Book,” which tells the story of the article series on Mekon’s website and the book.

#s1000d #businessrules #decisionmaking #knowledgebase #lifemadeeasier

 

To find out more about S1000D in general and S1000D business rules in particular, check out the following books and content:

  

Contributing to Mekon’s Bitesize on Business Rules, June 2018: brDoc: The Attributes You Shouldn’t Ignore

S1000D

I have written recently a new article for Mekon’s Bitesize series on S1000D business rules. It addresses two XML attributes, the use of which can change Business Rules production process from slow and tedious to efficient, and maintenance costs of technical publications from high to reasonable. These attributes are the business rule Decision Point Priority (brDecisionPointPriority), and business rules Severity Level (brSeverityLevel). Both attributes are present in the new business rules Document (brDoc) Schema introduced in the S1000D Issue 4.2, whereas the latter (brSeverityLevel) has been also added to the well-known BREX Schema. To find out more about these attributes click on the title of the article “brDoc: The Attributes You Shouldn’t Ignore” or here.

(Credits: Photograph ©canva.com with the keyword characteristic)

To learn more about business rules in general and about S1000D business rules in particular, and to keep them under control, check out the following books:

    

and resources:

A Summer Read for S1000D Lovers

S1000D

If you implement S1000D, then you also work with S1000D business rules. You either have to create them or follow them, or both.

The S1000D specification is several thousand pages long, has several tenths of XML Schema and as many objects to support its use in any of the download packages at www.s1000d.org.

And if you try to address the Business Rules Decision Points (BRDP) and define your project’s or organization’s business rules you will see that you will have to address 427 in S1000D Issue 4.2, 552 in Issue 4.1 and over 700 in Issue 4.0.1.

That sounds pretty overwhelming, doesn’t it?

Susanne Berg from Mekon Ltd suggested about two years ago that I write short articles for their blog category called “Bitesize Business Rules.” I agreed and discovered that writing in little bits about business rules, did make the topic less overwhelming and more understandable. With Mekon’s permission, I have gathered all the articles published there, revised, and had them professionally edited. And today, I have published a little book with the title brDoc, BREX, and Co.: S1000D Business Rules Made Easier.

Based on the feedback to the articles of the “Bitesize Business Rules” series, the bite-sized articles on business rules can help you to “taste” and “digest” one aspect of S1000D business rules (and to some extent also implementation) at a time.

I hoped to make the book available before the S1000D User Forum that will take place in New Orleans this year on September 10-13.

And first I thought the title of this post could be a good joke, but now I think such a book could be “digested” even better when you read it in an atmosphere a bit remote from the actual work. While at it, you could get a new perspective on the complex and multi-dimensional topic of S1000D business rules.

If you read this far, then I invite you to check out the description of this little book here.