Streamlining User Manual Editing with DITA Support—Reducing Intermediate Processes to Ease Internal Workload

DITA Editing—Supported the editing of user manuals utilizing DITA.

Renesas Electronics Corporation Overview

・Established: 2002

・Capital: 15,320.9 million yen (End of December 2024)

・Business Description: Research, development, design, manufacturing, sales, and services related to various semiconductors
（https://www.renesas.com/）

Services Utilized

・Editing semiconductor product user manuals utilizing DITA

Consultation from Renesas Electronics

Renesas Electronics had introduced DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture), an international standard for structured documents, to efficiently manage and edit user manuals that explain the hardware specifications of semiconductor products. While DITA is highly effective for handling large volumes of documents, its operation requires specialized knowledge and manpower.

They were facing the following challenges in particular.
・They wanted to reduce the time spent on documentation tasks so that employees could focus on their core work
・They needed an external partner well-versed in DITA

The internal resources alone were insufficient to handle DITA operations, and a reliable external partner was needed.

Features and Challenges of DITA

DITA is an international standard for structured documents developed to efficiently create and manage large volumes of manuals and technical documents. It is based on XML and is freely available to anyone.

[Main Features of DITA]
・High reusability: Modules created once can be easily reused in other documents
・Standardization of document structure: Quality is unified through rule enforcement
・Ideal for multilingual deployment: Structure that facilitates translation
・Integration with CCMS (Component Content Management System) enables bulk management of large volumes of documents

On the other hand, there are also the following challenges.
・High learning costs
・Difficult to operate according to the rules
・CCMS operation skills are required
・Many failure cases exist, so appropriate design and ongoing support are essential

Although DITA is effective for improving efficiency, "stable operation after implementation" is said to be the biggest hurdle. Renesas Electronics also understands these advantages and challenges of DITA, and our company has taken on the role of supporting its operation.

Solutions of Human Science

Since around 2019, our company has been continuously providing DITA-related editing support to Renesas Electronics. The main support contents are as follows.

・Established an editing system that directly supports CCMS
We eliminated the conventional hassle of "extraction → editing request → re-import" by having our staff directly log in to the CCMS to handle editing, saving, and output, which reduced intermediate steps and significantly eased the internal workload.

・Establishment of a Flexible Support System
We have set up a system capable of handling busy periods and urgent requests, enabling seamless support throughout the year.

・Multifaceted Utilization of Services
Starting with DITA editing work in 2019, expanding to English-Japanese translation in 2020, and to English quality improvement services in 2021. We provide comprehensive support by translating the English manuals edited in DITA into Japanese and improving the quality of English documents written by non-native speakers.

Customer Feedback

Human Science is a trusted partner that consistently demonstrates high expertise and flexible responsiveness in DITA authoring, Japanese-English translation, and English quality improvement services. We look forward to continuing to take on new technologies and operations together, aiming to create even better documentation.

From Human Science representatives

We have been working with Renesas Electronics since around 2019, initially involved in a support role for editing. Since then, we have received more advanced requests such as editing on the CCMS and DITA authoring from specifications, and we now provide stable support as a trusted partner.

Understanding the rules and continuously building a system are essential for DITA operations. We are not merely an outsourcing vendor but will continue to support as a partner who adheres to the rules and delivers results together with our customers.

Additionally, through this initiative, we are expanding into other services such as consulting and translation departments, strengthening our system to meet the diverse needs of our customers.

Future Outlook

Currently, Renesas Electronics is considering expanding their documentation system, including CCMS. Additionally, the operational framework utilizing DITA may further evolve. In the future, they aim to achieve rapid and appropriate knowledge delivery through web integration and collaboration with AI technologies.

As Human Science, we will continue our research to flexibly respond to the needs for utilizing such new technologies, supporting the improvement of manual quality and efficient operations.