Managing variations of documentation for different product models is a common challenge for manufacturing organizations. DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) offers an effective solution to this issue by enabling the creation of modular and reusable content. This approach streamlines the documentation process and ensures consistency across product models while accommodating unique variations.

Modular Content

In DITA, content is divided into smaller, reusable modules known as topics. Each topic focuses on a specific piece of information, such as an assembly step or a product feature. These topics can be shared across documentation for various product models. For example, instructions on how to assemble a specific component can be authored once and reused in documentation for multiple product models. This modularity simplifies content creation and maintenance.

Conditional Text

Conditional processing, a feature in DITA, allows organizations to include or exclude content based on conditions. This is particularly valuable when dealing with variations among product models. You can use conditional text to specify which content should be included or excluded for specific models. For instance, when documenting different configurations of a product, you can include details that are relevant to each configuration while excluding irrelevant information. This ensures that documentation remains concise and tailored to each product model.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA facilitates the management of variations for different product models:

<topic id="assembly_instructions">
  <title>Product Assembly Instructions</title>
  <content>...
    <conditional conkeyref="product_model_A">
      <p>Instructions for assembling Model A...</p>
    </conditional>
    <conditional conkeyref="product_model_B">
      <p>Instructions for assembling Model B...</p>
    </conditional>
  </content>

In this example, DITA allows you to use conditional text to include specific assembly instructions based on the product model, ensuring that each product’s documentation is accurate and concise.