"Every journey begins with the first step."

What always reads so beautifully on calendar pages, we put into practice in 2020, together with Interautomation, and took a first step towards a company-wide knowledge management process. At first, only the manual for data management software in rail transport was to be updated. When we converted the in-house Confluence system into an editing environment for this purpose, it became clear that more could be achieved with it: A platform on which internal knowledge owners can:

Store expert knowledge for a later date or make it accessible to third-parties
Document ideas in writing and thus make them tangible
Expand and distribute swarm knowledge within the company collaboratively and as effortlessly as possible

A uniform structure and a well-thought-out metadata concept help employees and customers to find the information they need quickly. Our approach, the advantages and the limits of a knowledge platform are the topic of our blog article. Find out how technical documentation can act as a catalyst for knowledge management.

Overview

How the challenge was solved

Concept workshop and evaluation of publication scenarios

Identify target groups and requirements, weigh up Confluence standard functions against add-ons and compare options for PDF and online help based on criteria such as data security, effort and corporate design.

Develop Confluence into an editorial environment

Set up a dedicated documentation space, implement Scroll PDF and Scroll HTML and design a structure that makes content systematic and easy to find.

Iteratively develop templates and sample content

Create, test and refine templates for typical information types, supplemented with production guidelines as instructions for collaborative content creation.

Usability fine-tuning and anchoring of editorial guidelines

Optimise tagging, search, homepage and FAQ, and document processes for roles, approvals, terminology, quality assurance and visualisation in a set of guidelines.

Close-up of trainers at a starting line on a running track, with the legs of other runners blurred in the background.

Initial situation

The 'hiking buddies': Interautomation and kothes

Interautomation and kothes have been partners since the summer of 2020. kothes is a full-service provider of technical documentation and smart information solutions, while Interautomation develops solutions for local passenger transport. What unites us: Both companies are happy to depart from established paths if this results in better solutions for our customers. This is also the case with the documentation for InLineWeb, a software solution for operational control in control centres. Its functions range from passenger information to data management – and the information to be documented is correspondingly diverse.

Key requirements

The hiking baggage: Outdated documentation and an unused knowledge system

When Matthias Baumann, Development Manager for InLineWeb, contacted kothes in the summer of 2020, there were two options: optimise the PDF manual or introduce a content management system. The latter proved to be impractical given the available resources. During the discussion, it became clear that Interautomation was already using Confluence for knowledge management. Together, we created a structured working environment in which information can be created, updated and expanded – as a PDF or online help.

Keep publication formats flexible

It should be possible to have a printed manual and online help without having to start from scratch every time.

Make it easier to update in short cycles

The content should be easy to adapt as the software evolves.

Assess resources and ROI realistically

The effort, costs and familiarisation had to be appropriate for the situation of a solo worker.

Use Confluence as a robust working environment

It should be possible to systematically create and maintain information there and later output it as a PDF or online help.

Mehrere Läuferinnen und Läufer in Bewegung; im Vordergrund Beine und blaue Laufschuhe, der Hintergrund ist unscharf.

Approach

The hiking route, stage 01: Concept design workshop

Stage 01 was challenging: In a workshop at Interautomation in Berlin, kothes and Interautomation analysed the target audiences, requirements and content of the knowledge platform. They examined Confluence features, the need for add-ons and templates for consistent authoring work. For the digital publication, five scenarios were evaluated in terms of security, effort, cost, system integration, corporate design and offline availability. The decision was made in favour of k15t Scroll PDF and Scroll HTML for PDFs and integrated online help in InLineWeb.

The hiking route, stage 02: Implementation stage

Stage 02 required good basic fitness and flexible route planning: Individual sections of the route proved to be more demanding than expected and necessitated alternative paths. Interautomation set up a documentation area in Confluence, implemented Scroll PDF and Scroll HTML, and gave kothes direct access to the knowledge platform. This meant the templates could be developed and tested directly in the system they would ultimately be used in. Over the course of several iteration loops, templates were created for dialogue and process descriptions, step-by-step instructions, interfaces, troubleshooting and internal documentation. Sample content and editorial guidelines support those responsible in their subsequent work. In parallel, kothes and Interautomation developed an intuitive navigation structure, a user-friendly homepage design and ideas for a clearly laid-out glossary. Initial processes for work control, quality assurance and editorial approval were also considered.

The hiking route, stage 03: The How to phase

Stage 03 led to the home stretch. After most of the journey had been completed, it was time to slow down and focus on the finishing touches. The focus was on making the Interautomation knowledge platform easy to access and navigate, so users could quickly find the information they needed. To this end, kothes and Interautomation optimised keywording and the search function and increased usability through a use case-oriented start page and FAQ pages. At the same time, editorial processes were professionalised: How can versions be managed securely? Which workflows are needed for the maintenance of the templates? How are approvals, roles and permissions regulated? And how can terminology, technical accuracy, linguistic quality and consistent visualisation be ensured? The answers were incorporated into an editorial guide which was also created in Confluence. This made the content more accessible and laid the foundations for reliable documentation.

Red finish line tape with the words "FINISH" written on it above a running track; the finish line is blurred in the background.

Benefits

Excursion to the vantage point of knowledge management – is it worth the effort?

Some of you may be thinking: So what's the point of knowledge management now? So far, this has been classic case of creating documentation, only in a knowledge management tool? A look at the concept helps: Knowledge management encompasses all measures used to collect, structure, preserve and make accessible explicit and tacit knowledge. Good knowledge management is like a well-stocked pantry: Knowledge owners contribute their knowledge, and a common system of organisation and metadata make it easy to find.

So does Interautomation now practice knowledge management by creating documentation in Confluence? In our view, this question can be clearly answered with a "yes". Several knowledge owners can contribute their know-how and expand the knowledge platform. All employees can create and edit content. The link to Jira makes ticket requests and answers visible on relevant information pages. In this way, the pool of knowledge grows, and ambiguities become clear. Thanks to tagging, uniform terminology and the separate management of internal and external content, relevant information can quickly be found. What was once Word documentation that was difficult to use has become a flexibly usable solution with web access. Matthias Baumann describes it as a shift from a "lone wolf project" to a "collaborative project". Technical documentation in particular is well suited as an initial trigger for knowledge management: It puts expert knowledge down in writing, presents it in an understandable way and makes it accessible.

Of streams and stumbling blocks

Of course, every system solution eventually reaches its limits. There were also stumbling blocks on our hiking trail. For example, it can be difficult to make information as easy to access as possible while still protecting sensitive data. We also had to cross treacherous grounds when it came to making sure that content looked good both in portrait PDF output and in the online help for landscape screens. Confluence is also not suitable for all documentation requirements; Its suitability for practical use depends on the level of complexity in question. However, the solution has proven its worth for the documentation of InLineWeb. The development of a knowledge management platform is never finished: Knowledge constantly evolves, and the platform must grow with it. For Interautomation, this means describing further software functions, further developing the editorial guide and adapting the system to new requirements – for example, through better translation management or version management. As soon as one tour ends, the next one begins. For now, it is time to arrive and enjoy the view.

"A working environment has been created with which we can continue to work independently. During the project, the open-ended interaction with kothes was very important: That our own ideas were understood and that kothes distilled solution proposals from them, which we could then evaluate and modify. This is how our initially vague ideas turned into good solutions. Looking back, everything turned out pretty much as we’d hoped."

Matthias Baumann

Development Manager for the InLineWeb software

Interautomation

Where roads can lead when Rome is suddenly no longer the destination