In today's rapidly evolving landscape of technical documentation, teams are under increasing pressure to not only produce high-quality content but also ensure that it’s adaptable for the future. As artificial intelligence continues to transform industries, documentation workflows must evolve alongside it. That’s why creating a future-proof documentation system that enhances collaboration, leverages structured content, and integrates smoothly with AI models is more important than ever.
Over the past few months our blog posts have delved deep into how artificial intelligence (AI) and simple authoring tools are revolutionizing the way we turn information into documentation. As technology advances, one thing remains clear: documentation workflows must be adaptable, scalable, and efficient across platforms. In today's blog, we’ve reached an exciting point where we bring it all together, bringing all of those insights into a streamlined, future-proof documentation workflow powered by Markdown++ as your source format and WebWorks tools for your advanced publishing needs.
With Markdown++ and WebWorks tools, building this workflow is easier than you might think. We are going to show you in this blog, by first walking through the steps to create a streamlined, efficient documentation process that will serve your team well today and in the future. Then at the end of the blog we are going to give you a chance to register for "Building a Future-Proof Workflow with Markdown++ and WebWorks Tools" webinar.
Building Your Future Workflow
At its core, a documentation workflow follows a clear sequence: gather information, author, review, publish, and gather feedback. Let's break this process down in a way that leverages both Markdown++ and WebWorks tools.
1. Gather Information Through Collaboration
In the initial phase of any documentation workflow, teams need to collect and share data seamlessly. This process should be open and straightforward so that everyone can participate with minimal effort. It's essential that all team members feel empowered to contribute their knowledge in a platform that's easy for everyone to work with and understand. The focus at this stage should be on shaping the core message, "What do you want to communicate?".
A common misconception is that one should always aim to be "the smartest person in the room." But in reality, this approach stifles collaboration. I’ve found the opposite to be true: if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re likely in the wrong room. The key to successful collaboration is being willing to ask questions and seek clarity. In doing so, you leave the room with a deeper understanding. Simple authoring platforms should encourage this kind of open communication, where all questions are welcome and the emphasis remains on refining the message. This is the essence of effective documentation.
With a futuristic workflow, you can create this collaborative environment in the same source format you will use through out the entire documentation process. Markdown++ is the source format you can start with and ideal for collaboration. It’s simple, easy for anyone to engage with, preserves the integrity of the message, and is easy to organize, structure, and share. That’s why WebWorks has designed its products to leverage the simplicity of Markdown++ while supporting robust collaboration, structured content, and advanced publishing capabilities. With WebWorks tools, teams can efficiently gather and organize information for delivery, all while incorporating AI as a support mechanism for future enhancements.
2. Authoring: Creating and Organizing the Raw Message
Once the information is gathered, the next critical step is organizing it. Markdown++ as a source, offers a flexible way to structure content that aligns with your specific message, audience, or mission. Organization and taxonomy are key here, and they can be embedded directly into the document through the use of metadata and categories. By adding metadata—such as titles, dates, tags, or author information, at the top of your Markdown++ file, you create an organized framework that helps categorize and contextualize the content for future use.
Additionally, you can group related sections or topics using custom maps, making the document easier to navigate for both humans and AI systems. This structured approach not only helps streamline content during the authoring process, but it also lays the groundwork for automated workflows and AI-powered enhancements later on. With Markdown++ and WebWorks tools, the raw message is crafted with clarity and purpose, allowing writers to focus on content creation while ensuring that the organization and structure are built for advanced publishing and AI integrations.
3. Review and Refinement
Once the content has been authored, the review and refinement process ensures that the message is clear, accurate, and ready for final approval. Depending on the size of your team and the tools at hand, there are several ways this review process can be handled, each with its own strengths and challenges:
Manual Review (Small Teams or Individuals) For smaller teams or individuals, a manual review process often involves simply sending the Markdown++ file via email to colleagues or subject matter experts. Because of the simplicity of Markdown++, each collaborator only needs a simple text editor to review and respond giving a way for an easy, inexpensive edit and review process. With Markdown++ as a source, The writer collects the initial content, drafts and organizes it, then sends the file out for review. Each reviewer may provide feedback directly in the document or through email exchanges, leading to a back-and-forth collaboration.
While this process can work for small projects, it comes with its own set of challenges. Version control can become an issue, as multiple versions of the same document are created and circulated, leading to confusion about which file is the most current. Additionally, tracking feedback across multiple emails can be cumbersome, making it difficult to ensure all edits are addressed. For teams looking to scale, this method quickly reveals the need for more formalized review processes to avoid miscommunication and lost revisions.
GitHub-Based Review (Medium-Sized Teams) For medium-sized teams, using GitHub provides a more structured and formalized way to handle review and refinement. Markdown++ is specifically designed to work and even preview in a GitHub environment. In this environment, each writer works on a branch of the main project, allowing them to make changes to their Markdown++ document without affecting the main file. Once the document is ready for review, the writer creates a pull request, which flags the document for review by other team members.
GitHub’s built-in tools, such as pull requests and branch permissions, ensure that only authorized reviewers can approve changes. This feature not only helps maintain the integrity of the document but also provides a clear record of changes, comments, and revisions, all in one place. Once the pull request is approved, the document is merged into the main branch, ensuring that the final version is always up to date. This approach also solves common issues like version control and feedback tracking, providing a smoother workflow for mid-sized teams.
CMS-Based Review (Larger Teams) In larger teams, especially those handling a higher volume of documentation, a content management system (CMS) is often the preferred tool for managing review and refinement. A CMS allows for more complex workflows where multiple team members can collaborate on different sections of a document simultaneously. Using Markdown++ within a CMS framework provides the flexibility of simple content creation while integrating it into a system that allows for structured review stages, role-based approvals, and automated notifications for when documents are ready for the next phase.
In a CMS-based workflow, team members are assigned specific roles for review, and the system keeps track of who has approved which sections, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks. This level of oversight is critical in larger teams where multiple contributors are involved in creating and reviewing content. Once the final approval is given, the Markdown++ document is ready to move to the next phase: publishing.
Across all three methods, the key is to gather feedback, incorporate revisions, and refine the message. By the end of the review process, a final version of the Markdown++ file is prepared and ready for publishing—whether that’s done manually, through GitHub, or in a CMS.
4. Publish: Turning Documentation into Advanced Outputs and an AI Document Assistant
Once your Markdown++ content has been gathered, authored, and reviewed, the next step is to publish it in a format that meets your users' needs. Markdown++ combined with WebWorks' ePublisher offers an unparalleled publishing experience, allowing for highly advanced styling and seamless single-source publishing.
Markdown++ ensures that your content is structured and categorized effectively, and ePublisher takes this raw, organized content to the next level. Whether you're creating responsive online help, printed PDFs, or other forms of documentation, ePublisher supports an extensive range of output formats and styles. It allows for custom CSS and advanced template management, giving you full control over how your content looks and feels in each format. Moreover, with single-source publishing, you can manage all these outputs from a single Markdown++ source file, making updates and revisions easy and consistent across platforms.
In addition to its robust styling and publishing capabilities, ePublisher seamlessly integrates with AI tools. As AI continues to evolve in documentation workflows, this integration allows you to harness AI’s potential without overhauling your existing process. The AI tools work harmoniously with the Markdown++ and ePublisher workflow, ensuring that your documentation is future-proof and ready to meet the growing demand for AI-supported help systems.
In WebWorks next release of ePublisher (2024.1), ePublisher will have the ability to publish HTML output equipped with a WebWorks AI Document Assistant. This will be as easy as putting in a specific WebWorks ID that will produce a Documentation Assistant custom built to your document set. Look for more in our upcoming announcements.
By combining the simplicity and structure of Markdown++ with the powerful publishing capabilities of ePublisher, you can efficiently transform your content into polished, advanced outputs across multiple platforms while incorporating AI features to enhance user assistance.
5. Gather Feedback and Support Customers with AI and Analytics
Finally, gathering feedback and offering ongoing support is crucial to a successful documentation workflow. WebWorks' AI Assistants integrated into your published documents enable users to easily find answers to their questions in real-time. Additionally, ePublisher's Reverb output supports the integration of Google Analytics, providing detailed insights into user behavior and engagement with your content. This powerful combination of AI tools and analytics allows you to track how users interact with your documentation, giving you valuable feedback to refine and improve your content continually. By leveraging both AI and analytics, you ensure your documentation remains relevant, responsive, and customer-focused.
Conclusion
Markdown++ and ePublisher offer the ideal combination to take your first steps into the future of documentation workflows. With Markdown++, you benefit from a structured, user-friendly authoring environment that integrates effortlessly with AI models, while ePublisher’s powerful publishing capabilities ensure your content reaches your audience in polished, dynamic formats across multiple platforms.
By adopting this workflow, you’re not just preparing for the future—you’re empowering your team with the best tools to streamline processes, foster collaboration, and unlock the full potential of AI. If you're committed to building an efficient, scalable, and future-proof documentation system, Markdown++ and ePublisher are the clear choices to lead the way.
Want to see this process in action? We’re hosting an upcoming webinar where we’ll demonstrate how you can use Markdown++ and ePublisher to revolutionize your documentation. Click here to register.
Looking back
In case you missed them, our previous blog posts uncovered three key themes in this transformation: how AI is enhancing documentation workflows, what AI will look like in future processes, and how AI can facilitate more effective collaboration. Here's a recap of these insights:
How AI Promotes a Better Future for Documentation Workflows
The first three blog posts focused on AI’s role in improving the overall documentation process. These posts laid the foundation for understanding the shifts happening in our industry:
Empowering Technical Writers
Discusses how technical writers can increase their value by adapting to AI-driven workflows and new tools like Markdown++.Is Structured Content the Future?
Highlights how structured content—like that found in Markdown++—plays a pivotal role in improving AI efficiency and accuracy in technical documentation.Are Traditional Documentation Workflows Holding You Back?
Explores the limitations of outdated documentation workflows and how AI can unlock new levels of efficiency and accuracy.
How AI Will Actually Work in Future Workflows
The next two blog posts provided more detailed insights into how AI is integrated into documentation workflows. We examined practical applications and strategies for maximizing AI’s potential:
Unlocking Better AI Results: Markdown and Markdown++ as a Superior Source
Focuses on how using Markdown and Markdown++ as the foundation for content provides a superior structure for AI, leading to more accurate and efficient results.Implementing a Custom GPT at WebWorks: My Experience
A deep dive into building a custom GPT and how it can be used to automate and improve document generation, review, and quality control.
What Collaboration Will Look Like with the New Workflow
The final post in our lineup focuses on collaboration. It showcases how AI and human teams can work together more effectively in the new, AI-assisted documentation environment:
- The Ultimate Collaboration Project: Technical Writing and Code Development
Discusses the evolving relationship between technical writers and developers, emphasizing the need for seamless collaboration through AI-assisted workflows.