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Audi AG
| Project | AUDI Online Logbook (ABO) |
| Industry | Automobile |
| Document Type | User Manual |
| Languages | 40+ |
| Volume | |
| DOSCO | Backend application (stateless microservice architecture), publishing environment, support |
| Technology | Open Search, JSON, JAVA, Spring Boot, Microservices, Docker |
Information online
Once in the glove compartment—now in the cloud.
The digital owner’s manual is accessible online directly through the vehicle’s infotainment system. Information is available right where you need it. This feature works regardless of the model or infotainment system used and is available on almost all vehicles with an internet connection.
By integrating the digital owner’s manual into the infotainment system, users can quickly and easily access important information without having to leave the vehicle or use additional devices.
Not just in the car …
The information in the digital owner’s manual is also available via smartphone and desktop. The app is independent of the vehicle’s software, opening up a wide range of possibilities for expansion. In addition, the app provides insights into the appeal of various content—an unprecedented direct “line of communication” with the customer.
DOSCO provides the backend and the publishing environment, and DOSCO also ensures day-to-day operations (DevOps).
Scope and Outlook
When it was launched in 2021, ABO was still used as a digital alternative to the printed logbook. Today, ABO is increasingly replacing the printed logbook; only a heavily abridged printed version remains in the vehicle.
With its centralized data storage and flexible access, ABO is ideally prepared for its expanding global use and future, additional user features.
iF Design Award
In 2023, ABO 2 won one of the coveted iF Design Awards as part of a collaborative project with various partners.
Aspects of Software Design
“Headless Platform”
ABO is Audi’s central, cloud-based application for providing digital owner’s manuals. The application includes both the content of the owner’s manual and the specific front ends for various touchpoints. The underlying architecture is based on a headless platform, in which the front end (user interface) is separated from the back end (data and logic). The two components communicate via a defined API (interface).
The separation of the back end and front end offers significant advantages:
Flexibility
The front ends can be customized independently of the back end. This speeds up potential development efforts.
Scalability
The integration, scaling, and combination of various systems and technologies are simplified.
Improved User Experience
The independence of the front ends makes it possible to optimize usability for different devices and platforms.
Faster time to market
Changes and new features can be implemented more quickly.
“Cloud-based”
The cloud-based approach and the architecture used offer numerous advantages:
Simple
The structure is clear and intuitive. This makes implementation and maintenance easier.
Slim
Efficient use of resources ensures high performance with minimal effort.
Resilient
The architecture is resilient to errors and failures and ensures a high level of reliability.
Durable
It adapts quickly to changes and disruptions and ensures continuous operation.
Efficient
Optimized processes and workflows maximize productivity.
Scalable
The architecture can be easily scaled to handle increasing traffic.
Siemens Healthineers
| Project | Labeling for IVD Products (IVD) |
| Industry | Medical Technology, Laboratory Diagnostics |
| Document Type | Instructions for Use, Application Sheets, Reference Guides, Assay Protocols, CLSI Guidelines (U.S.) |
| Languages | > 30 |
| Volume | > 300 Instructions for Use (6–8 pages each) > 650 Application Sheets (8–10 pages each) |
| DOSCO | DTD Design, XML Editor, Publication, Research Database, Data Import |
| Technology | Arbortext Editor, XSL Formatter, XSLT, XSL-FO, Java, GitHub, eXist-db, XQuery, Electron, MS Word |
Instructions for Use
The working document on reagents, which complies with the strict guidelines of IVD regulations, is available in several market versions and layouts. The resulting variants are recorded in an XML file for each product and are not finalized until publication. Trademark statements and other product-specific information are recorded separately and are also added only at the time of publication.
Application Sheets (Reference Guides, Assay Protocols)
The documents, which contain performance data presented primarily in tabular form, are largely generated from separately maintained data. This data is recorded in a language-neutral format, thereby ensuring its accuracy in all published language versions at all times. Furthermore, changes from the previous version are automatically highlighted upon publication.
Reuse is a top priority.
In addition to the common practice of reusing sections from other documents, individual paragraphs and, where possible, content within a single line are also reused. At the heart of this is a pool of product and assay information that provides easily accessible, usage-neutral data. This pool also serves as a source for the publication mentioned above when it automatically compiles data.
Translation and Workflow Features
Simply switching to XML more than 10 years ago nearly halved translation costs at Siemens. In addition, features implemented in the editor ensure that only changed passages can be edited in the translation. The underlying scripts take advantage of the Arbortext Editor’s robust change tracking capabilities and preprocess the English document for each language before the resulting language versions are sent for translation. Language-neutral changes—such as an additional text module or a modified value—can thus be updated in the language versions even without a translator.
Version Control and
XML Database
Due to the specialized nature of the data models, the decision was made not to use a standard content management system for data storage and management. Instead, all source data is stored in a Git repository. An eXist-db database maintains a constant mirror of this data. Various queries simplify navigation through the data and provide the XML editor with data for inserting reusable components.
CLSI Guidelines
The QA documents for U.S. laboratories are generated fully automatically. To do this, the underlying routine uses building blocks from the user manuals and application guidelines archived in eXist-db. The output format is not PDF, as with the other document types, but MS Word, so that laboratory personnel can supplement the documents with their own procedures. Once again, this is made possible by the XML standard.
Goesgen Nuclear Power Plant, Switzerland
| Project | System for Processing and Publishing the BHB (SB3) |
| Industry | Energy, Nuclear Power |
| Document Type | Operating Manual, Emergency Manual |
| Languages | German |
| Volume | Approx. 9,000 + 1,500 pages, DIN A4 |
| DOSCO | XML schema design, editor, publications, file management system, data migration |
| Technology | Arbortext Editor, XSL Formatter, XSLT, Java, XSL-FO, HTML, Apache Tomcat, Angular, .NET, C++, MS Visio |
XML Schema
A BHB consists of five content-standardized sections with a strong semantic focus. Each section has its own document type. This is where XML Schema demonstrates its power compared to a DTD: common structures across schemas, context-dependent content models, complex attributes, namespaces for asset identifiers, and so on.
Online version, true to the original page layout
In addition to the paper version required by the authorities, an online version that matches the paper version page-for-page was requested. This allows, for example, the corresponding information from the BHB to be displayed directly next to an entry on the dashboard.
The page-for-page HTML version is created after the PDF publication of the paper version and inherits its page breaks.
Document Management
The manuals are divided into hundreds of individual documents by the editorial team. Each document requires its own official approval and therefore has its own versioning. Even the most knowledgeable insider eventually loses track of everything. A management system was needed. Due to the specific workflow required by the regulatory approval process, the decision was made to implement a customized document management system. Although the data is stored on a network drive, editing, publication, review steps, and approval are only possible through a specially created interface.
Asset ID, Insert, Check
This is nothing new to experts in the field; large industrial plants have a system for identifying all components, statuses, etc.: plant identification codes (AKZ). Every pump, every alert, and every fill level has a unique ID. At Gösgen, these are stored in a database. When editing, the editor can access a list of AKZs at the designated points in the structure and insert them. This ensures correct spelling, and any additional plain-text information is inserted at the same time if necessary. In addition, there is a validation routine that checks both the AKZ itself and the additional information for accuracy. Successful validation of all AKZs in the document is one of the prerequisites for releasing the document in the document management system.
Emergency Manual
Following the highly successful launch of the new BHB, the highly sensitive emergency manual was also converted to XML. Here, too, each section of the document has a strong semantic character and thus its own schema.
Data Transfer
A particular challenge was the data migration of over 8,000 (BHB) and 1,500 (NHB) paper pages, which had previously been created and maintained using a standard DTP tool. Here, too, it was essential to preserve the page breaks and page layout, since each section (3–10 pages in length) requires its own official approval, which was not to be invalidated by the system change.
60,000 pages of experience
In a larger project, DOSCO had previously successfully converted the BHB—totaling over 60,000 pages—into XML for five German nuclear power plants operated by e.on, under even stricter requirements. Then came the nuclear phase-out …
Kion Material Handling
| Project | System for Creating Technical Information in XML (SETIX) |
| Industry | Mechanical Engineering, Material Handling |
| Document Type | User Manual, Workshop Manual, Data Sheets, Service Manual |
| Languages | 32+ |
| Volume | |
| DOSCO | DTD Design, Editor, Publication |
| Technology | Arbortext Editor (Oxygen Editor), Antenna House XSL Formatter, XSLT, XSL-FO, Tridion Docs |
Document Types
The customization covers various document types. Document types range from the owner's manual and the workshop manual to a document that can be used for any purpose.
Module centered
The content of the documents is organized into modules. The openly declared module can be used in all document types. Each module begins with optional illustrations to which text can be assigned. The flexibility of the subsequent structures allows for freedom in entering content. An editorial concept governs the structure of the modules.
Brand Layouts
Kion is the umbrella brand for a handful of material handling brands, such as Linde, Still, and Voltas. Each brand has its own page layout. Document types and modules are identical across all brands. This allows for cross-brand content—particularly in the area of general disclaimers at the beginning of documents—and reduces maintenance and translation costs.
DIN A3. Rotatable text flow.
In addition to the standard page size, common document types also include a landscape-oriented page size that is twice as large, such as DIN A3. This provides space for circuit diagrams, flowcharts, and other overviews.
The text flow of a page or page section can also be rotated by 90°. This provides space for wide tables or landscape-oriented illustrations.
Editorial offices across countries
Many formerly independent brands suddenly under one roof? This creates problems when it comes to getting the new systems accepted by the country-specific editorial teams. So, initially, efforts were made to accommodate the editorial teams by localizing not only the editor interface but also the displayed markup (tag alias).
File Management
Ultimately, TridionDocs (RWS) was selected as the management tool. The DITA-based CCM was a natural choice due to the structural similarity between the SETIX DTD and DITA. Our partner Cognizant coordinated the integration.
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