How is an IETM different from a PDF or scanned manual?

PDFs are static and linear. An IETM is searchable, cross-linked, role based and interactive, allowing users to quickly locate procedures, parts, or faults.

• IETM Level 1 and 2 are PDF files.
• IETM Levels 3 and 4 are not any document like MS Word or PDF file.
• IETM is a combination of Software and database. All the manuals are converted to SQL database. Using IETM Viewer, the user can access the data i.e. manuals, drawings, images, etc.
• IETM has 3 modes. User mode where users can access the documents. Admin mode where Admin can create users and track the activities of users.
• Super admin or Authoring tool, where all the manuals are converted to database using this authoring tool.

Many people think that IETM is a separate format like MS Word (.DOC) or Portable Document File (PDF).

IETM is a technical term used to represent but not a format. Even PDF file is also ETM. Normal scanned images compiled together is Level -1 IETM and PDF has hyperlinks, cross-references, indexing which means interactivity is called Level -2 IETM.

Level -3 IETM uses XML or HTML and makes it much dynamic than PDF. Level -4 is database-based IETM. All the manuals are converted into the MYSQL database and stored. A viewer is used to access the data based on the user request, data will be pulled from the database and displayed to user.

Level-1 and LEVEL -2 its PDF file. Level -3 HTML-based web application, LEVEL 4 is Databases based web application.