A new, complimentary report from Aberdeen Research:

A structured, or single-source, approach to technical communication can be contrasted with the traditional, unstructured or 'page orientated,' approach. In this approach, technical communications are created as whole pieces of content, often specific to a particular product line or configuration. By contrast, in a structured approach content is authored by topic in distinct sections that can be mixed and matched according to defined elements within 'chunks' of content. 

It's an approach that can have significant strategic as well as tactical benefits for a technical communications department. However making the transition to a structured approach to authoring can require a dramatic shift in the daily operations of a technical communications department. Meeting the challenges transitioning to a structured authoring approach can result in a wide range of performance benefits. Failing to adequately address these challenges can add an unprecedented layer of complexity that can significantly burden technical communications projects. 

This report is intended as a guide to structured authoring that allows organizations to leverage the maximum benefits a structured authoring approach can afford their organization.