Make manual creation and management easier with Word, FrameMaker, and InDesign
GitHub^※ and Markdown/Asciidoc^※ for reduced manual creation costs
~Accelerate manual creation with smooth information exchange with development teams~

Do you feel limited in creating manuals and technical documents using Word, FrameMaker, InDesign, etc.?
We offer a manual creation environment using open source tools such as GitHub for customers like you.

 

※GitHub is a source code management tool used for software development. It is also used as a document management and sharing tool for specifications and other documents. In manual creation, it is possible to record change history and allow simultaneous work by multiple users. It can be used starting at 25 dollars per month for 5 users.

 

※AsciiDoc is one of the lightweight markup languages, such as Markdown. It can be written in a text editor and converted to various formats such as HTML, PDF, and e-books.

 

Benefits of Creating Manuals with GitHub and Markdown/Asciidoc

1. System Implementation 50% Cost Reduction

When introducing a CMS for manual creation and management, the cost is usually over 10 million yen. For many companies, the cost of system introduction is a major burden.
Creating manuals using GitHub and Markdown/Asciidoc allows for the use of open source software, reducing the initial cost of the creation environment.

"We cannot prepare a large budget when introducing a system."
"I want to try with a small start."
"I want to keep maintenance costs such as annual license fees for hardware and software low."

This is a service that we would like our customers to try.

 

※Atom is an open-source text editor developed by GitHub.

※A static site generator is a tool that efficiently generates HTML/CSS based on files written in Markdown and other formats.

2. Scalability

By selecting open source software that supports the desired features, you can easily extend your own creation flow compared to packaged products.
Human Science will support you in determining the optimal combination of tools based on your requirements.
For example, Atom, an open source editor provided by GitHub, offers a variety of plugins. By combining the desired features to fit your own creation flow, you can create a user-friendly environment.

 

Other Examples

・Sourcetree (a free tool that allows you to operate Git through a GUI instead of the command line)
・Redpen (a proofreading tool for text)
・textlint (a proofreading tool for text)

 

3. 100% Reduction in DTP Costs

20 years ago, the main form of manual delivery was paper, but now, it is almost always assumed that it will be provided in HTML, such as PDF and Web manuals.
In the past, it was common to create layouts using Word, FrameMaker, and InDesign, which required a lot of time for DTP and HTML coding.
With this solution, if you create templates for HTML and PDF first, you can output HTML and PDF without having to edit DTP by simply creating text manuscripts according to the rules.
DTP process can be 100% eliminated.

 

4. Smooth collaboration with stakeholders

The manual creation system varies depending on the company.

①Engineers create manuals as part of their job
②User support department creates manuals based on information from engineers
③Manual specialist department creates manuals based on information from engineers

In any case, communication between departments and within departments is important.

Until the product is released and delivered, there will be multiple specification changes. Additionally, even after release, manual revisions will be made due to version upgrades, resulting in a high workload for manual data versions and change histories.

"It's difficult to organize information from engineers."
"Sharing data for manuals and documents is complicated, and managing data is time-consuming."
"Managing revision history can become complicated."

 

By utilizing GitHub, it becomes easy to manage file versioning and revision history.
You can also check detailed history such as when, who, and what kind of modifications were made.
By using GitHub's pull request feature, you can smoothly communicate by requesting reviews, feedback, and contacting multiple documents at once.
You can share data assets on GitHub repositories, allowing data to be shared among authorized users.
User permissions such as viewing and editing can be set.

5. Description format that is compatible with engineers

By adopting familiar writing formats (lightweight markup languages) such as Markdown, Asciidoc, and reStructuredText, engineers can create documents without stress.
In development environments, lightweight markup languages are used alongside Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
The following are some of the text formats used in development environments.

Markdown
Simple style allows for easy writing.
Suitable for creating simple documents such as notes.

Asciidoc
Richer styles compared to Markdown.
Ideal for creating visually appealing layouts while keeping costs low.
Suitable for technical documents and manuals.

reStructuredText
A notation used in the field of science.
Widely used within the Python community.

 

We will propose a description format that suits the purpose and operation system of using the customer manual.

6. Multi-device Support

7. Integration with Trados and Memsource

Integrate with Trados and Memsource, the standard translation tools, to enable one-stop project management on GitHub from Japanese manuals to translations.

※Markdown format is supported by Memsource.

Price List

This is an estimate of the main service fees. We will provide a quote according to your request. Please feel free to contact us.

Services of Human Science Co., Ltd.

1. 1. GitHub Implementation Support
   • ・Introduction of environment that fits GitHub's price investigation and budget
   • ・Introduction to Markdown Editing Editor
   • ・Editor Plugin Information
   • ・CI Tool Design
2. 2. Creating Creation Guidelines
   • ・Creating a draft of the operation flow
   • ・Identification of key points and considerations during actual operation
3. 3. Building the Creation Environment
4. 4. Create a style definition file (CSS) for HTML
5. 5. Create a style definition file (YAML) for PDF
6. 6. Rewrite Markdown and other formats according to TC perspective.
7. 7. Translation of Markdown, Asciidoc, and other Trados
   • ・Data conversion from existing assets (such as Word) to Markdown or Asciidoc
   • ・Data conversion for TRADOS translation such as Markdown and Asciidoc, etc.
8. 8. Basic Seminar for GitHub Beginners

Free Download of OSS System

We have published an OSS manual creation system using AsciiDoc and GitHub on GitHub.

This system includes features such as templates, HTML conversion, and PDF conversion, allowing you to utilize templates to create manuscripts and generate HTML and PDF files.

Open source and available for free download to anyone with a GitHub account.

https://github.com/human-science/adpy/blob/master/README-ja.adoc

You can check the samples (HTML, PDF) generated using the OSS system from the adoc, html, and pdf folders.

※PDF is viewable with the following browser. Please download HTML to view.

https://github.com/human-science/adpy/blob/master/pdf/ja/toc_ja.pdf

Case Studies

• 

  Yamaha Corporation

  • [30% Cost Reduction] Centralized Management of Data for PDF and HTML Manuals Across Departments with AsciiDoc and GitHub
    
    

Related Services