A bit about me

Lief Erickson

M.A., Content Strategy

University of Applied Sciences, Joanneum (Graz, Austria)

Content strategist helping organizations stuck in outdated paradigms.

I work where content, metadata, and AI depend on each other to not fail.

intelligent information

Request and Delivery Standard

iiRDS is like a shared language or classification system that aligns how user assistance content is described across tools and organizations.

1 min 11:50-11:51

i i R D S: say it slow

Story: DITA EU "Metadata changed our lives." It took a couple of years of "working the problem" before that realization arrived.

iiRDS is metadata. Pure and simple. It's not more complicated than that.

iiRDS makes your documentation findable, flexible, and future-proof

How to package user assistance content for delivery
How to use metadata to describe content intelligently
How to connect content to product lifecycle, tasks, users, and systems

iiRDS is generated from structured content

iiRDS acts as a standard container for intelligent information

iiRDS is consumed to provide contextual content to users

2 min 11:55-11:57

iiRDS is all about interoperability of intelligent content

iiRDS at the Core: iiRDS acts as a bridge or connector between content and the many systems that need it

Surrounding iiRDS are various enterprise and technical ecosystems that can both consume and contribute content when iiRDS is implemented.

Big picture: iiRDS isn't just about documentation. It's about making content dynamic, intelligent, and interoperable across your entire digital ecosystem

2 min 11:59-12:01

iiRDS is for more than DITA

Not everyone uses DITA. Maybe you don't. Maybe you manage teams who produce mixed content.

Awesome! iiRDS is here for you.

iiRDS won't add much value if you create in a single format and publish to a flat website. No value add.

iiRDS enriches your docs with metadata, relationships, and purpose-built packaging.

Standardized metadata
Vendor-neutral exchange
Component reusability
Enhanced findability through facets and personalization
It’s about the delivered experience

High learning curve
Technical overhead
Specialized expertise
Toolchain limitations
Limited awareness

2 min 15:09-15:11

Imagine you've been producing PDFs for years. static, siloed. Unsearchable. Ctrl+F

You need a new paradigm.

That's where DITA and iiRDS come in.

Imagine a technician receiving the exact maintenance procedure they need—no manuals, no guesswork, just answers.

It's not smooth sailing. Maturity- and awareness-wise iiRDS is where DITA many years ago.

Doesn't iiRDS sound like something else? DITA? The same benefits?

Lief, I hear you saying these great things, but isn't this available through other mechanisms?

Anyone producing large volumes of user assistance content
Manufacturing & Industrial Automation
Automotive & Aerospace
Medical Devices, Healthcare, & Pharmaceuticals
Software & Hi-Tech

Anyone with simple needs
Retail & E-Commerce
Publishing & Media (Other tools already exist suited for them)
Creative & Design Agencies
Personal Services (Wellness, Beauty, etc.)

1 min 15:11-15:12

Manufacturers, Complex, related content

Picture two companies on opposite ends of the content spectrum: A medical device manufacturer and a chain of fitness centers.

MedDev needs: hundreds of components, maintenance, troubleshooting. Downtime is $$$

WorkOut Center = basic content: hours, class descriptions, appointment policies, etc.

iiRDS is designed to drive efficiency and precision.

iiRDS isn’t for everyone, and that’s a good thing.

Complex technical ecosystems
Modular, reusable content needs
Integration with IoT, AR, or smart documentation delivery systems
Strong regulatory or interoperability requirements

Anyone with simple needs
Primarily marketing, editorial, or creative content
Low modularity and minimal reuse
Simple customer-facing FAQs or service descriptions

lief.erickson@intuitivestack.io

linkedin.com/in/lief-erickson

A bit about me

i i R D S: say it slow

iiRDS is all about interoperability of intelligent content

iiRDS is for more than DITA

iiRDS: The Good and Less Good

iiRDS: Suitable Industries

iiRDS: Characteristics for suitable use

Connect with me

A bit about me

Intersection

i i R D S: say it slow

iiRDS is all about interoperability of intelligent content

iiRDS is for more than DITA

iiRDS: The Good and Less Good

iiRDS: Suitable Industries

iiRDS: Characteristics for suitable use

Connect with me