Global marketing materials

We designed and developed a database application to create and store high volume documentation to underpin a client's drive to focus on core brands.

The database stores information about products, their availability, safe handling and usage instructions. All document types, which are produced to a consistent standard and layout, are currently available in 15 languages and can be tailored to reflect operational uses in 30 countries around the world.

The documents created by the system range in complexity from simple text to detailed illustrated "how to do" instruction cards. All final documents are assembled from constituent parts on a central server and emailed to users in one to two minutes.

The application design is based on WAN/Intranet access and respects the constraints of low-bandwidth connections (e.g. Central Africa) through use of optimised XML data transportation and modular remote unassisted installation.

The system is based around a business workflow process with documents designed, translated and tailored to meet customer-specific requirements by business users with little centralised IT involvement.

Once recorded in the database, standardised descriptions of product aspects (type of product, benefits, usage, etc.) can be exported to a proprietary third party country level website generation tool (creation of this link involved a joint development with IBM, led by ourselves).