Dionex Corporation

1
Dionex Corporation

• Designs, manufactures and sells chemical analysis
  equipment
• Based in Sunnyvale, California
• Employs more than 1,200 people worldwide
• Revenues of over 327 million for its 2007 fiscal
  year.

2
Oracle infrastructure

• Initially implemented Oracle in 1999 on version
  11.0
• Upgraded to 11.5.9, 11.5.10.2 and recently to
  12.0.5
• Using financial, manufacturing and HR modules
• UPK initially implemented on version 2.7, later
  to 3.1.0
• Version 3.1.7 is now in development
• No significant user interface changes between
  3.1.0 and 3.1.7
• 3.1.7 allows for database in Oracle (but we are
  using MS SQL 2005 for our database)

3
Presenters

• Curtis Beeman IT administrator for UPK and
  other database systems
• 20 years with Dionex starting in Technical
  support
• curtis.beeman_at_dionex.com
• Almir Hrnjadovic Global Process Owner for Order
  Processing
• almir.hrnjadovic_at_dionex.com
• John Peters Oracle consultant
• john.peters_at_jrpjr.com

4
Overview

• What is it
• Main working areas
• Publishing
• Architecture
• Features
• Recording by Almir Hrnjadovic
• Oracle setup by John Peters

5
What is it?

• Context sensitive help for Oracle and Siebel
• Can be used for other applications but there can
  be licensing issues
• Always availableanytime, anywhere, at any pace

6
Outline

• Preselects the appropriate topic
• Allows for searching

7
Main activity areas

• Library
• Outline
• Recording
• Editor

8
Library

• Like Microsoft Windows Explorer
• Folders and files can be copied and moved in a
  similar manner
• It is typically organized by user, organization
  or task.

9
Outline

• Modules, sections and topics are linked together
• Modules are the highest level of the outline
• Sections are under these
• Topics are the lowest level of the outline
• Contain the actual user created learning content
• Topics can be moved, copied and reused in an
  outline.

10
Recording

• The last user action and the frame video is
  captured
• A series of frames are created that become a
  topic
• More detail with Almir

11
Editor

• Customize such things as text in the bubble and
  areas to be highlighted.
• Demo by Almir

12
Many publishing formats from one recording

• Player
• HTML
• Documents
• Business Procees
• Job Aid
• Training Guide
• Instructor Manual
• Tests

13
Publishing

• Pulls recorded information and creates
  documentation
• Organizes published formats in folder system

14
Four player modes of help

• See It an animated demonstration that looks
  like a movie of the original recording
• Try It practice in a simulated environment.
  User is prompted for the correct action and
  receives help
• Know It test your knowledge of a task in a
  simulated environment. Pass / fail values can be
  set and results tracked with UPK Usage Tracking
• Do It guided through a task in a live
  environment to be accessed as needed

15
HTML

• This format creates all the folders and files
  needed for implementation on a web server
• Created as a static version of Try-It mode
• No plug-ins or installation needed for the user

16
Word doc outputs

• Business Process procedures and conceptual
  information
• Job Aid a quick reference guide
• Training Guide -- a more complete guide for the
  user with optional glossary markups at the end
• Instructor Manual contain instructor notes on
  the task
• Tests contains the purpose of the test, test
  history, time to test, test setup, and test
  procedure

17
Formats can be previewed before publishing
18
Multi-user environment

• Supports many users accessing, editing, and
  recording content
• Content is on local PC until checked in
• 3.1.7 Developer PCs have a local Firebird
  database installed
• Checked in content on main server is on MS SQL or
  Oracle
• Content can be published in a number of ways-- by
  section of an outline, by local or server
  content, by roles and to multiple destinations.
• Published player and / or HTML content is placed
  on an IIS or apache web server
• User PCs (XP) and application server (MS 2003
  R2) are Windows systems, incidentally VMware
  (using EXS) works well too

19
Online and offline work

• If a topic is checked out it can be edited
  without being connected to the network.

20
Version control

• Supports a strict check in and check out content
  control process
• When a topic is check out, the last version can
  only be seen by the person checking out the
  content
• Others can not edit the topic during this time.
  When it is checked in, the new version is
  available for viewing and checking out by others.
  Previous versions are always available for
  viewing.

21
Weakness

• Security there is no control in the library.
  Anyone can do anything.

22
Weakness

• Workflow topics are assigned to a user and
  given a state but anything checked in can be
  published

23
Weakness

• Editor frames with no numbering

24
Summary

• Record once but output many ways
• Minimal training for developers is needed
• Content can be viewed any time, any place at the
  users pace and in different forms
• Version controlled
• Works well in a multi-user environment though not
  perfect
• Huge savings in training and documentation

25
Like It - Love It - Gotta Have It

• Trial versions are available at
  http//edelivery.oracle.com/
• I suspect youll Like It, Love It and maybe
  even Gotta Have It