SMC – the pioneering CCMS for technical communication and marketing

Are you still managing or already publishing?
Efficiency is no coincidence.

With the state-of-the-art CCMS Smart Media Creator (SMC), you

create your technical documentation and marketing media easily and intuitively
reduce costs
optimize the reuse of content
leverage high automation and digitalization potential

SMC offers all the features that define a future-oriented CCMS – and much more…

Intuitive XML editor
Powerful variant management
Secure version management
Cost-optimizing translation management
Universal media asset management
PIM – product information management for your product data
Intelligent authoring support
Numerous flexible output channels
Seamless system landscape integration

Some highlights that make SMC “special” :

Web/Cloud – “Who invented it?”

The SMC Smart Media Creator was one of the first systems on the market built on a true web architecture – an advantage that is still noticeable today, even though cloud architectures have now become the new standard. But architecture and technology are not an end in themselves; they are the foundation of many benefits:

Ease of Use – the invitation to cross-department collaboration

Thanks to its clear and well-structured user interface, SMC is very quick to learn and easy to access – despite the powerful functions behind the modern interface. Familiar concepts, such as clear folder structures, make it easier to get started and foster collaboration with other departments.

Efficiency – Faster to better results with less effort

SMC is designed for efficiency: short paths, fast responses and previews, direct access to the desired functions. In every detail, SMC is always geared towards making your work as smooth and successful as possible.

Flexible Methods – Always tailored to your requirements

For structuring and managing content, very different methods have become established in CCMS: templates, master documents, variant management, automatic aggregation, headless operation, etc. Your SMC advantage: the system supports all methods with great flexibility – also in combination. This way, SMC provides the optimal tools for your requirements and use cases.

License Models – Fair, attractive and transparent

The flexibility of SMC does not end with the license model: floating licenses and license-free use by non-editors, e.g. for reviewers, are standard – regardless of whether you choose perpetual licenses or subscription/SaaS (Software as a Service).

Intelligent Media Asset Management

With the Media Asset Management in the editorial system Smart Media Creator – SMC, you manage your media just as intelligently as your texts. Media objects follow the same mechanisms and functions as other content types, such as

Versioning
Workflow
Translation management
Metadata management
Filtering
Search
Usage tracking

Intelligent Media Asset Management starts with uploading

When uploading media objects in SMC, defined conversion processes can be applied. For example, from a high-resolution file, several “derivatives” for different use cases can automatically be generated:

Thumbnails for overviews
RGB images for use in interactive media
High-resolution versions for offset printing

The conversion processes can be assembled and configured via the editorial system’s user interface. Advantage: computationally intensive conversions are only executed when checking in and updating, not again for every media production. This makes the production of output media extremely fast.

Possible media types in Media Asset Management

What would a media management system be that could only handle static images and graphics? Hardly up to date. For this reason, we continuously expand the media management with new media objects. Here are some examples:

Raster-based formats: PNG, JPG, JPEG, PSD, TIFF, PDF, GIF (animated or static)
Vector-based formats: SVG, EPS, PDF
Video formats: SWF, FLV, MP4, Adobe Edge Animate
Extended video support: WebM, OGG, MP4, WebVTT-compatible text tracks

Secure Processes – Reliability by Design

Rights Management

With the rights management of Smart Media Creator (SMC), you can flexibly control visibility, editability, and functions. The powerful rights management is easy to learn and quick to implement.

With the user and rights management in SMC, you can organize:

People working with SMC, i.e. the users
Assignment of users to user groups
Access permissions of user groups to objects: whether users of the user group can create and modify objects, have read-only access, or cannot see the objects at all
Workspaces to which user groups can be assigned

In addition to assigning rights at group level, individual user rights settings can also be defined.

Secure Versioning and Version Management

Looking for audit-proof versioning? Then you’ve come to the right place. The editorial system Smart Media Creator – SMC features a mature versioning process with a clear display of the affected references. At a glance, you can see whether your document uses the latest content (e.g. graphics, reusable modules). Versioning can also be linked to a workflow step, allowing you to choose between manual, semi-automatic, or automatic versioning.

With the automatic version comparison, you can immediately see what has changed between two versions − both at topic level and publication level. This makes changes easy to trace and accelerates review cycles.

Efficient Workflow Management for Smooth Operations

Everything flows − including your workflows. So why not integrate them directly into the Smart Media Creator – SMC editorial system and ensure, through freely configurable workflows, that approvals and other defined processes are reliably followed?

Stay on top of things − as an author, translator, or even reviewer. With workflow management, you can instantly see the current status of your documents. Or do you want to display all documents with a specific workflow status? Combined with dynamic folders, which always contain the latest result of a search query, this is also possible. For example, you can immediately see which content needs corrections after a review. And by the way, you can even carry out corrections directly from the dynamic folder.

The workflow management of SMC offers, among other things, the following functions:

Dynamic locking of modules currently being edited
Freely configurable workflows with notification and versioning mechanisms
Review function with the option to leave notes and upload related files
Notes can optionally be included in outputs
Clear and flexible access rights management via a role-based model

Digitalization – the way it should be

Full Integration into Your IT Landscape

We are against information silos: the editorial system Smart Media Creator. SMC integrates flexibly into your IT landscape. Whether user management, connection to ERP systems, or product configurators: SMC can be seamlessly embedded.

REST API – the Powerful Remote Control for Your Editorial System

An important element in the digitalization toolkit: the comprehensive REST API (Representational State Transfer – Application Programming Interface). Through numerous well-documented endpoints, virtually any access to SMC can be realized: creating and reading metadata, product information, media assets, or content, as well as producing and retrieving documents or information packages.

This allows you to also operate SMC as a headless CMS – unlocking entirely new automation and digitalization potentials.

Of course, we won’t leave you on your own when using the interface: in addition to extensive documentation, the areas of Consulting and Solutions are also available to provide advice and support.

SMC in Action

Manuals

Whether user manual, service guide, quick start guide, or training material: technical documentation must be up-to-date, accurate, target group-oriented, and easy to understand. The editorial system Smart Media Creator – SMC helps you meet your high quality standards:

Easy reuse of modules
Multiple output media – also for digital channels
Intelligent variant management
Simple translation handling
Flexible document workflow

Software Documentation

Create your online help easily, efficiently, target group-oriented, and – if you like – context-sensitive:

Automated assembly of content
Context sensitivity
Flexible output layouts
Use of interactive media
Multiple output formats

Catalogs

With the editorial system Smart Media Creator – SMC, you can generate your product catalogs automatically while still being able to edit and refine the content editorially:

Efficient management of product-specific information
Automatic generation of multiple output media

Data Sheets

Your data sheet almost at the push of a button: the editorial system Smart Media Creator – SMC offers powerful features that allow (semi-)automated generation of your data sheets:

Interfaces to product information/ERP systems
Flexible table configuration
Layout configuration via template
Automatic assembly of content based on attributes (metadata)

E-Learning

Deliver knowledge – with reasonable effort: with the editorial system Smart Media Creator – SMC you can create interactive training materials and e-learning content that provide experience- and activity-oriented knowledge transfer:

Management and localization, including of interactive content (3D simulation, animation)
Support for test and quiz scenarios
SCORM output
Multiple output media

#WorkSmarter

Get to Know SMC

Learn more about the modern XML editorial system and CCMS Smart Media Creator, the future-oriented solution for technical communication.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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