| The defining concept of S1000D which separates it from other documentation standards is the Data Module, a chunk of information utilized to support the piece of equipment. A Data Module can contain different information types including descriptive, procedural, fault diagnosis etc. to aid the maintenance of the equipment or even business rules for managing the project. S1000D also defines a CSDB (Common Source Database) for managing the data modules and graphics.
The traditional publications deliverable is usually a single or suite of technical manuals with a linear type structure containing chapters, sections and pages. S1000D has a modular structure, based on Information Sets, a collection of Data Modules, categorized under general headings such as maintenance, operational, illustrated parts information etc. The modular approach provides the opportunity to reuse, manage and deliver information utilizing contemporary methods and tools.

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