Several months ago, I developed a nagging pain in my right shoulder. Nothing much at first, but over time, it got worse. Initially, I ignored the pain and hoped it would resolve itself. But it didn’t. So I tried several common over-the-counter remedies; the ones that everyone takes. They provided some improvement, but none resolved my problem.
Eventually, the pain began to affect my ability to use my arm effectively. So I went to the doctor. The cause of my pain? Isolated inflammation as a result of mild arthritis. My doctor wrote a prescription for a stronger analgesic, advised me to get more exercise, and sent me on my way. I followed the prescribed advice, and after a week, I was fine. Better in fact. Now...if only I’d taken action sooner!
It seems that many large organizations suffer a similar chronic affliction. And that is the challenge of authoring highly polished, high-impact documents. Collaboration tools and file sharing help, but often fall short of resolving all the pain points. Indeed, we often have great ability to input data, but what about the ability output information?
Pharmaceutical and Life Science are good examples of industries that are feeling the pain. Submissions to the Food and Drug Administration, for example, can total hundreds, if not thousands, of pages. The output is highly complex, containing a wide variety of content that can come from any number of authors and repositories across the enterprise.
Large enterprise organizations are reevaluating their output process as a result, and the right prescription might be co-authoring. Streamlined workflow comes from a structured approach that leverages the advantages of an enterprise-wide content base with consistent formatting. Database-driven layout facilitates the co-authoring process, and master data management ties everything together.
How can you do it too? The right prescription can make a difference. Start by downloading the latest tip sheet from AIIM, “Co-Authoring Tools Provide the Right Prescription for Pharmaceutical and Life Science Success.” In it, I explore three tips for co-authoring success that has worked for Life Science organizations and how your organization can benefit as well.