To CMS or Not to CMS?

Copyright © 2008 AllscriptsMisys Healthcare, Inc.

To CMS or Not to CMS?

Leigh W. White

Expert Technical Writer

November 3, 2008

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What this isn’t…

› Info on specific CMSs› Your definitive answer

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What this is…

› Ideas and tips for identifying your “pain points”› Ideas and tips for evaluating your complexity› Some examples of how to improve production without a

CMS

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Content Management vs. Content Management System› Content Management

− Categorizing & characterizing your content− Reusing content for multiple outputs (including localization,

personalization)− Managing workflow− Tracking usage, statistical information

› Content Management System (CMS)− Set of tools and procedures/processes to help you do the above

OR− Application specifically designed to help you do the above

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Do you already have a CMS?› If you track your content & output in any way, you have a

CMS!

› A CMS is not necessarily a commercially-available system; it's anything that works for you….or not so much.

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Do you need a BETTER CMS?

› Is what you’re doing now working for you?› Do you anticipate changes that will make it no longer

work?− New/more writers?− New/more deliverables?− Shorter release cycles?− More personalization/localization?

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“Where does it hurt?”

› If it’s not working, where is it not working?− Missed deadlines− Less than optimal quality− Limited opportunities for reuse− Redundant/omitted content− Writers stepping on each others’ toes− Content not organized/characterized− No personalization

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“Where does it hurt?” (con’d)

› These pain points not a reason to assume you need a CMS

› Also not a reason to despair

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Remember:

› A CMS is a collection of processes and procedures that enable you to implement the principles of content management.

› You can still develop those processes and procedures independent of a specific tool.

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Identify pain points and solutions

PROBLEM› Too general:

− “We can’t keep up with updates.”

› Better:− “We can’t keep the ABC, XYZ and QRS manuals updated and in sync

because the content changes so often.”

SOLUTION› “We need to identify any content that is used among all of these

manuals. Then we need to develop a way to indicate that this content is reused. Next, we need to consider rewriting for reuse. Finally, we need a system that allows us to actually reuse the content and track the reusages.”

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Problems>solutions>implementation

Identify the problems

Identify the solutions

Determine how to implement the solutions

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CMS: solution or problem?

› A CMS is not a solution! A CMS is a system or tool for implementing a solution!

› If not properly implemented, a CMS can be just another problem.

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Can you handle a CMS?

› Cost› Ongoing support› Implementation timeline› Current personnel structure - everyone will have to wear

even more hats than they do now:− Manager− Business analyst− Design analyst− Developer− QA tester− Writer− Editor

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Whaddya have? Evaluate your complexity--The Content Management Bible, Bob Boiko

Content Contributors

Change Publications

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Evaluate your complexity (con’d)

› Content− Number of topics? Number of documents? Do you include

images & other content?− Number of kinds of items (KB articles, FAQs, checkists,

conceptual info, task-based info, etc.)− How much current/potential reuse?

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Evaluate your complexity (con’d)

› Contributors− Number of contributors?− Their relationship to you?− Complexity of content they provide?− Conversion from outside sources?− Need to enforce standards & uniformity

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Evaluate your complexity (con’d)

› Change− Amount of change, not volume, determines complexity− [Number of components added/updated] x [unit of time]− [Number of components deleted/archived] x [unit of time]− Updates easy; locating components to change more difficult

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Evaluate your complexity (con’d)

› Publications− Number of publications− Degree of personalization (none, some, most, all)− How many redesigns per year? (layout changes, navigation

changes)− Any current separation of content from presentation?

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Yeah, we need a CMS!

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The suits want numbers

Evaluate your pain points in terms of cost:

5 writers 200 hours @ $30/hr. to update 1000 pages = $6000x 4 releases/year = $24,000

› How much of this time is rewrites/recompiles due to poorly-organized content?

50 hours = savings of $1500x 4 releases/year = $6,000

› For purchase of $50,000 CMS, ROI 8-9 years

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The suits want numbers (con’d)Evaluate your pain points in terms of cost:

200 clients @ 1 personalized manual/client @ $50 = $10,000

› How much of a selling point would personalized documentation be?

5 new sales/year? 10 new sales/year?5 @ $50,000 = $250,000

› For purchase of $50,000 CMS, ROI 5 years (current clients)

› ROI .2/year [10 wks] (potential sales)

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Alternatives to a CMS

› Optimize folder structure

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Alternatives to a CMS (con’d)

› Optimize document organization− Chunk for reuse (workflow, audience, etc.)− By menu or window only if product strictly menu- or window-

driven

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Alternatives to a CMS (con’d)

› If you’re using unstructured Frame, move to structured!

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Alternatives to a CMS (con’d)

› Frame 8’s native filtering function− Include/exclude information based on attributes− Can only build filters using attributes in current document− Each user must build own filters

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Alternatives to a CMS (con’d)

› ABCM FrameMaker plug-in− Include/exclude information based on attributes− Can build filters using any attributes, for entire document set− Can build filters in central location so all writers can access− Free; http://www.weststreetconsulting.com

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Alternatives to a CMS (con’d)

› InsetPlus FrameMaker plug-in− Insert topics from a “topic library”− Source in only one place, can

propagate changes across all references

− Based on DITA model− Free;

http://www.weststreetconsulting.com

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Alternatives to a CMS (con’d)

› Create your own tracking tool− For example, Oyster CTS—created for internal team use− Access database for tracking topics, maps, images− Tracks where used, versions, audit trail− Includes project scoping

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Other resources

› www.cmsInfo.org› www.CMSReview.com› www.Content-Wire.com› www.Gilbane.com› www.OSCOM.org› Content Management Systems - Tools of the Trade by

Dave Addey, James Ellis, Phil Suh, David Thiemecke› Content Management Bible by Bob Boiko› Managing Enterprise Content by Ann Rockley

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