Here is the next instalment of Mekon's 20-things series. This time we again focus on better communicating the diversity of Mekon's work.
As a vendor-independent consulting and integration firm, Mekon not only provide development and implementation, but help customers through the decision-making and solution design process. Customers may need support narrowing down what it is they're after and what needs changing before things like customisation, training and templates even become relevant.
In this newsletter's "20 Things" list you'll see services and case studies that range from ready-made solutions for standards like DITA and ASD S1000D.
1. Tool Selection Consultancy
Buying a tool and getting sold a tool are different. We've helped many clients over the years make sure they're doing the former.
2. Mekon Content Strategy Audit (CSA)
Approximately every other month, a new company opts to get help building their business case and formally reviewing how they collaborate on, create, manage, deliver and maintain content. Mekon have helped clients assess the technology landscape, win larger project budgets, and do it in less time than they could have alone.
3. DITA Training
Did you know Mekon employs some of Europe's leading DITA trainers and can train using most leading authoring tools?
4. Mekon Project Scoping and Planning (PSP)
Setting the scope correctly will be the life or death of a project. Did you know we have a standardised method for avoiding scope issues?
5. Conference Room Prototype (CRP)
You test drive several cars before you buy one based on how you like. For a project with a value of 6 figures, various users (who might not yet even know to drive) you need to go even beyond that. The CRP is a structured, facilitated session to fit the right tool to solve a problem.
6. XSLT Development
XSLT is the path XML goes through to become print (XSL:FO), HTML, CHM and many other formats. Here are some places we've helped clients walk the path.
7. Guided Authoring
The bills and acts of parliament that govern the lives of all UK citizens are drawn up by some 80 lawyers in government using a guided authoring tools that Mekon implemented.
8. DTD Development
Yes, DITA and S1000D usually negate this need, but now and then, a custom DTD can make sense. We've done the job at Eurocontrol, Oxford University Press (OUP), the Prescription Pricing Authority and more.
9. SDL Trisoft CCMS implementation
SDL and Mekon both recognised the quality product offered by the Trisoft CCMS platform InfoShare. Mekon started working with Trisoft, SDL acquired them and it's now called SDL Trisoft CCMS. Here are the projects where we're working with Trisoft users.
10. XMetaL Author / Developer training and implementation
Mekon has worked with XMetaL for years and employs Noz Urbina, who has trained and consulted on XMetaL solutions for the past decade. Did you know we offer evaluation and implementation support, and both Author training and Developer training.
11. Corena product implementation
Corena is a recognised leader in tools to support military documentation content complying with the S1000D standard. Recently we've implemented a solution at a major Portuguese Dockyard and have also implemented Corena tools at BAE Regional Jets.
12. Forms design and development
Sometimes a good-old fashioned form is the best way to control your data here are some examples of where we've 'thought inside the box'.
13. Antenna House implementation
XSL:FO is the tool of choice for many projects and Antenna House XSL Formatter is one of the leading tools for rendering it. Here's some examples where we've made this high-speed work-horse run.
14. Ovidius TCToolbox implementation
Manufacturers around the world rely on the component content management features of TCToolbox. Here’s a recent project where we worked together for a luxury car manufacturer.
15. Quark XML Author training and implementation
XML in MS Word? Yes with a little external help MS-Word can produce XML. Key Note Research proved it.
16. SDL XPP implementation
The division of UK Parliament called Hansard has to get every word of every parliamentary discussion out in print and web formats by the next morning, despite the complex pagination requirements, and the fact that the house often sits until well after midnight. Mekon implemented XPP to help them do it on time every day.
17. MarkLogic Server implementation
When publishing highly complex, data-linked content but employing non-technical subject matter experts to write, how can you manage?
18. PTC Arbortext implementation
Hundreds of authors around the world use Mekon's Eclipse tools on top of PTC Arbortext Editor and FrameMaker to comply with the militaries strict S1000D data standard. Mekon have recently increased our skills-base for Arbortext technologies to better support customers like LSC, Universal Engineering, TMS and Adep.
19. FrameMaker training and implementation
Whether you're talking DTP or batch server-side processing of XML, Frame is still a publishing tool par excellence. Here are some recent clients where we've worked with FrameMaker.
20. MathML tool integration
Complex mathematical equations have puzzled most of us for years. The national exam organisation Edexcel has some XML-based MathML tools we installed to help guide the next generation, and we've put in technology to help maths experts at Schlumberger, Edexcel, UK Parliament who already made the grade do their jobs more efficiently.
