CMS Successes: Critical Factors to Ensure Smooth CMS Implementation

It’s the Content, Not the It’s the Content, Not the Tools:Tools:

Critical Success Factors to Critical Success Factors to Ensure Smooth CMS AdoptionEnsure Smooth CMS Adoption

Rahel Anne BailieRahel Anne BailieIntentional Design IncIntentional Design Inc

© 2008 Intentional Design Inc.

Purpose of this sessionLook at some facts, fallacies, and fantasiesDissect some of the marketing speakIdentify the critical success pointsShare experiences, information, questions


Finding the right tool

Changing productionprocesses

Changemanagement

Fallacy: Tools are the engine


Finding the right tool

Process control

Change management

Fact: Tools are the caboose


Fallacy: Easy as reading a book

Learning content management is like learning a new software language“Just read a book”


Fact: CM projects are complex

Multiple skill sets:• Content architect• Content structure

editor• Taxonomist• Template designer• Information architect• XML technologist• XSL developer

Multiple roles:• Project manager• Content architect• CMS Administrator

Multiple phases:• Requirements analysis• Content analysis• Technology analysis


Fallacy: Focus on features


Fantasy: Install, input, output


Fact: Build, buy, rent?

Do you haveenough in-house resources

What kind of contentprocessingpower do youneed

Areyourprocesses documented

How muchcustom workis needed

Can thesoftwaresupport your needs

What isthe TCO


Marketing vs mayhem Smart clientComponent content managementMulti-user enabled clientCross-media or multi-channel publishingIntegrates with popular translation and publishing toolsDITA-compatibleFeature-rich XML solution


Marketing and feature speakNo standard industry vocabularyFeatures give competitive advantage:• Image resizing – Automatic? Batch?

Choices of outputs? Included or custom work?

• Authentication – What type does it refer to?

• Friendly URLs – same as “URL rewrites”?


Fact: It’s not what, it’s howNot: Does the product have workflow?But: Does your product’s workflow support how we need to work in our organization?

Not: Does the product have verisoning?But: How does your product do version control, and keep audit trails?


Successful CMS projects

What does success look like?


Silliness: Tools driven project1. IT hears about a CMS.2. The CMS gets installed.3. Your group is told to use it.4. You find it lacks the right functionality.5. You don’t get the resources to customize it.6. The project goes sideways.7. You go back to manual processing, and IT

brands your group “uncooperative.”


Sensibility: Process-driven project

Used under Creative Commons

(c) 2006 CM Professionals


Insist on a project planActivity

Wk 1

Wk 2

Wk 3

Wk 4

Wk 5

Wk 6

Wk 7

Wk 8

Wk 9

Wk 10

Wk 11

Wk 12

Do this

Do this

Do this

Do this

Do this

Do this


Handle process issues

Where will the content

be stored

Will ourdocs getrestructuredWill we

changeproductionprocesses

Whatabout our translations

Does the project fitwith our corporate strategy

Do we have totag everything


Handle governance issues

Who owns the content

Who will enforce the processesWho

will own the budget

Is there enoughpolitical will

Who will own the process

Will ourstaff cope


Adopt a naturalistic system

Better usability

Betterprocesses

Higherrate of

acceptance


Consider change management

Get cross-dept buy-in

Get exec. commitment

Make it easy,easy, easy

All clear abouthows and whys

Training, follow-up,evangelize,iterate

Plan, decide, communicate


Share informationShare experiences with other usersTalk to peers at conferencesTalk to other system usersTalk to vendors, thenTalk to more usersTalk with technical folksAsk lots and lots of questions


Contact info:

Rahel Anne Bailie [email protected]

Intentional Design Inc.+1.604.837.0034www.IntentionalDesign.ca

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