PleaseAuthor Offers Component-based Authoring and Content Reuse

PleaseTech Ltd, a specialist solutions provider for collaborative document authoring and review, released PleaseAuthor, its new component-based authoring and content reuse solution.

PleaseAuthor enhances the document production process by making it easy to create new Microsoft Word documents based on shared content. Inspired by DITA principles to facilitate content reuse in the Word environment, PleaseAuthor generates documents based on Word templates which are then populated with individual pre-approved content fragments. These content fragments are individual Word documents and can be as simple as a single paragraph, a table or multiple pages. Examples include: headings, abbreviations, table of contents, images, predefined text etc.

Once the appropriate template has been created, filed, and made available, those responsible for document initiation can be sure they will be creating a document with the most recently approved standard content elements. By associating individuals to specific workgroups, only identified users can view and select specific templates to initiate new documents, making it easy to apply PleaseAuthor across different departments within the organization. Furthermore, the product’s comprehensive reporting capabilities provide an audit trail of which content has been used and where, and also allows comparison between the usage and editing of individual content items.

David Cornwell, PleaseTech’s CEO commented, “Our key focus is to address ‘light weight’ structured authoring requirements by making it as simple, intuitive and cost effective as possible. By easily creating new Word documents using predefined templates and pre-approved content, PleaseAuthor will appeal to an audience who would otherwise be unable to obtain a return on investment from more complicated and costly solutions. Bringing structure and control to the document creation process will save time, reduce errors and deliver consistency.”

Implementing component-based authoring and reusing content makes certain that corporate standards are maintained across documents and throughout the organization. In addition, it helps ensure compliance, improves document quality and saves valuable time by avoiding content duplication efforts and making information available for repeated use. By focusing on Microsoft Word documents specifically, PleaseAuthor works on the premise that users are more comfortable working within a Microsoft Word environment, so making it accessible to all, whatever their professional background or technical competency.

PleaseAuthor enables teams, wherever they are based, to standardize initial document content and is a natural extension to PleaseTech’s collaborative review and co-authoring solution, PleaseReview. Whilst PleaseAuthor is available as a standalone solution, combining both products means the document production process can be seamlessly managed from beginning to end: as once created, the document can be shared immediately with designated participants for co-authoring, editing and review. Preapproved content can also be automatically designated as ‘read only’ during this process.

PleaseAuthor will shortly be available integrated with leading Document and Content Management Systems, including Microsoft SharePoint, EMC Documentum and OpenText Content Server (formerly Livelink).

Visit the PleaseTech website or read the original press release.