DCNS

Integral S1000D

Varied documentation, difficult to maintain
DCNS work in the shipbuilding business. They design and build military ships, combat system or harbor infrastructures and provide operational condition maintenance (OCM) for the French Navy and in foreign countries. DCNS employ about 13,000 people on several sites in France or near their customers.
The special features of DCNS products are their long life cycle (over 25 years), complexity and technical diversity and also to be produced in small series with multiple versions. OCM preparation, that is the initial logistics, occupies a large place in the documentation delivered to the customers.

The need
DCNS conducted an analysis which led to discontinuing the use of word processing and adopting a large-scale modular documentation system with dynamic publication that improved the information quality while cutting down the maintenance costs. The system will be based on the existing S1000D Standard.

In particular, DCNS want to create S1000D data modules almost automatically (final validation by the manager) and obtain maintenance procedures and illustrated parts catalogues related to the equipment tree structure directly from their logistic repositories.

Solution: ODYSSEY, powered by Doc'Advance...
With the Doc’Advance Logistic, Doc’Advance Author and Doc’Advance Manager modules of the software suite dedicated to the S1000D Standard, 4Dconcept already solve with the standard version most of the issues raised by DCNS. Additional developments in the field of logistic import or publication templates can be used to meet all the requirements.

Developments were gradually produced in close collaboration with the customer according to the principles of the Agile method set up within 4Dconcept. Consolidated changes were incorporated into the Doc’Advance product as a standard (Standards 1388-2B & IT-8805).

...and change assistance
Meanwhile, in 2009 and 2010, the 4Dconcept support service trained and assisted the documentation authors and managers throughout the country (Bagneux, Brest, Cherbourg, Toulon...).
The direct assembly on request of publications in electronic PDF (managing links) or HTML makes the system efficient and user-friendly for the authors.

2012: the system is extended to the viewer
In 2012, 4Dconcept will deliver their customizable viewer HYPERION to DCNS, to enable end users to consult the S1000D documentation with advanced functionalities.