Operating and maintaining modern weapon systems requires vast amounts of information. Technical publications must provide maintainers the information they need for complex equipment. The use of this data is expanding with the concept of "net-centric warfare." The data is no longer paper; it is electronic and used in such things as simulations, 3D graphics, Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS), and games. These materials change frequently over the life-cycle of the weapon system, and each sample will have its own variants of a common function (e.g., one squadron will have an updated radar system, while another will have an older version). This technical documentation information is often represented within a Common Source Database (CSDB) in S1000D format, and current trends point toward wider adoption of S1000D.

The technical documentation has many functions within the information sources for modern equipment. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) funded the S1000D SCORM Test Bed project specifically to identify and evaluate methods for integrating S1000D-based technical manuals and SCORM-based training. The primary advantage of integrated S1000D and training development is that when technical documentation changes - and the technical publications and training content are explicitly linked - updating or changing specific sections of training content becomes much easier to manage.

To explore how the "trusted data" can be used for technical publications and training, we created a test bed with examples of integrated development of technical publications and training. We describe three different approaches to integrating technical documentation into training and the ways Program Managers should apply best practices for this integration into an example product.