Migrating Legacy Content How to Improve Content Usability and Quality Through a Migration Project Presenter: Laura Melcher CM Pros Summit Nov. 26, 2007

Presentation topics Overview of migration projects Planning a migration Conducting a content inventory Developing a migration strategy Defining workflows and access controls Creating content standards Implementing a governance model

Overview of migration projects

Planning a migration

Conducting a content inventory

Developing a migration strategy

Defining workflows and access controls

Creating content standards

Implementing a governance model

Overview How migration projects start Ideally, as a result of strategic planning for site improvement Realistically, out of necessity The good news Migrations are terrific opportunities for improvement The less-good news Migrations are often very labor-intensive and can be politically and culturally difficult

How migration projects start

Ideally, as a result of strategic planning for site improvement

Realistically, out of necessity

The good news

Migrations are terrific opportunities for improvement

The less-good news

Migrations are often very labor-intensive and can be politically and culturally difficult

Migration planning Understand the project mandate (the “why”) Identify stakeholders and political barriers Determine any budget/resource/time constraints Work with technology and other stakeholders to confirm roles and responsibilities Get content inventory/analysis activities under way as soon as possible - this is by far the most time-consuming aspect of your project.

Understand the project mandate (the “why”)

Identify stakeholders and political barriers

Determine any budget/resource/time constraints

Work with technology and other stakeholders to confirm roles and responsibilities

Get content inventory/analysis activities under way as soon as possible - this is by far the most time-consuming aspect of your project.

Migration planning (cont.) Migration team resource models (the “who”) Centralized Web team (usually, IT and communications/marketing) with involvement as needed from content owners Decentralized Individual content owners/stakeholders with some direction from Web team Outsourced External team with involvement of individual content owners and oversight of Web team OR External team to augment your staff resources

Migration team resource models (the “who”)

Centralized

Web team (usually, IT and communications/marketing) with involvement as needed from content owners

Decentralized

Individual content owners/stakeholders with some direction from Web team

Outsourced

External team with involvement of individual content owners and oversight of Web team OR

External team to augment your staff resources

Migration planning (cont.) Work with IA/usability team to determine future-state site architecture based on user research (the “what”) Decide on information architecture and desired level of functionality (static vs. dynamic) Determine appropriate CMS “microsite” architecture to support section-specific security, navigation and templating, taking into account the following: Number and complexity of templates Expected reuse of content across site Amount of dynamic or personalized content Volatility of content (how often it changes) Desired security and workflow model

Work with IA/usability team to determine future-state site architecture based on user research (the “what”)

Decide on information architecture and desired level of functionality (static vs. dynamic)

Determine appropriate CMS “microsite” architecture to support section-specific security, navigation and templating, taking into account the following:

Number and complexity of templates

Expected reuse of content across site

Amount of dynamic or personalized content

Volatility of content (how often it changes)

Desired security and workflow model

Content inventory Five key content analysis factors: Volume What you can delete? Complexity Quality/reusability How much work will be required to update “old” content? Delta between current and future-state content structure/information architecture and overall CMS functionality Content owner availability and skill level

Five key content analysis factors:

Volume

What you can delete?

Complexity

Quality/reusability

How much work will be required to update “old” content?

Delta between current and future-state content structure/information architecture and overall CMS functionality

Content owner availability and skill level

Content inventory (cont.) Develop a “migration map” showing old-to-new file structure, directory structure and permissions (“where”) Make sure to note which content sets are not to be migrated Note where content owner permissions and usability of authoring environment necessitate changes in CMS administrative structure/folder hierarchy Incorporate any changes to file and directory naming into migration map

Develop a “migration map” showing old-to-new file structure, directory structure and permissions (“where”)

Make sure to note which content sets are not to be migrated

Note where content owner permissions and usability of authoring environment necessitate changes in CMS administrative structure/folder hierarchy

Incorporate any changes to file and directory naming into migration map

Migration strategy Automate it - unless your site is very small You may need to manually migrate pages that are anomalies or are highly complex Allow extra time for honing migration scripts and checking/re-checking content quality post-migration Involve business owners in approving quality of content post-migration; IT likely defines success differently than the business! Allow time for migration script “hiccups” and manual movement of some files within new directories

Automate it - unless your site is very small

You may need to manually migrate pages that are anomalies or are highly complex

Allow extra time for honing migration scripts and checking/re-checking content quality post-migration

Involve business owners in approving quality of content post-migration; IT likely defines success differently than the business!

Allow time for migration script “hiccups” and manual movement of some files within new directories

Migration strategy (cont.) Plan for some amount of content clean-up post-migration, and have resources available for: Reformatting Checking links Verifying styles (i.e., if style is not correctly applied to content, either manually correcting or flagging pages for recoding) Reviewing content location (in CMS) and file names Applying metadata as needed Content “QA-ers” may be in-house or relatively inexpensive contract/temporary labor

Plan for some amount of content clean-up post-migration, and have resources available for:

Reformatting

Checking links

Verifying styles (i.e., if style is not correctly applied to content, either manually correcting or flagging pages for recoding)

Reviewing content location (in CMS) and file names

Applying metadata as needed

Content “QA-ers” may be in-house or relatively inexpensive contract/temporary labor

Workflows and access control Post-migration, double-check that your new structure meets the needs of the business and content editors. Does everyone have access to their sections? Have roles and responsibilities changed for any departments? Are additional approvals required for certain types of content? Ensure that content managers are trained on the system and understand how/where permissions are applied. The system should provide intuitive access to various workflows - if these are many and varied, personalized presentation may be required.

Post-migration, double-check that your new structure meets the needs of the business and content editors.

Does everyone have access to their sections?

Have roles and responsibilities changed for any departments?

Are additional approvals required for certain types of content?

Ensure that content managers are trained on the system and understand how/where permissions are applied.

The system should provide intuitive access to various workflows - if these are many and varied, personalized presentation may be required.

Content standards You will need standards for presentation (design), information architecture and writing. Ideally, you have defined standards in advance and communicated these to stakeholders and publishers. If not, figure out which standards are supported by built-in style sheets and supported by limited authoring template capability. All other standards will need to be clearly documented and communicated - keeping in mind the resources you have available for education and enforcement.

You will need standards for presentation (design), information architecture and writing.

Ideally, you have defined standards in advance and communicated these to stakeholders and publishers.

If not, figure out which standards are supported by built-in style sheets and supported by limited authoring template capability.

All other standards will need to be clearly documented and communicated - keeping in mind the resources you have available for education and enforcement.

Governance Work with stakeholders to establish a flexible governance model that is specific to your business Identify key resources to be involved in an oversight group or committee Determine how your existing staff will manage and communicate with the publishing community and oversight board Clearly document roles and responsibilities with IT and other relevant groups, for budgeting and project prioritization purposes

Work with stakeholders to establish a flexible governance model that is specific to your business

Identify key resources to be involved in an oversight group or committee

Determine how your existing staff will manage and communicate with the publishing community and oversight board

Clearly document roles and responsibilities with IT and other relevant groups, for budgeting and project prioritization purposes

Governance (cont.) Develop a process for prioritizing CMS projects, including template development, new sites and new functionality, taking into account: Benefit/impact of project (number of customers, revenue potential, etc.) Size of project - cost, time, resources Complexity of project Competing efforts Other factors (upcoming site changes, emerging technologies, etc.)

Develop a process for prioritizing CMS projects, including template development, new sites and new functionality, taking into account:

Benefit/impact of project (number of customers, revenue potential, etc.)

Size of project - cost, time, resources

Complexity of project

Competing efforts

Other factors (upcoming site changes, emerging technologies, etc.)

Governance (cont.) Develop model for making decisions for home page management Content organization on home page - determined by user preferences and metrics as well as business strategy Additions/changes to navigation elements on home page Day-to-day oversight of content submissions and editorial features

Develop model for making decisions for home page management

Content organization on home page - determined by user preferences and metrics as well as business strategy

Additions/changes to navigation elements on home page

Day-to-day oversight of content submissions and editorial features

Governance (cont.) Strategy and long-range planning Involve your stakeholders in determining your vision for the site Agree on a time line for longer-term changes (often three to five years) Determine your funding model for larger, long-term projects (often either a chargeback or capital expense) Include a plan for review, updating and modification of your plan as business conditions will change Make sure IT strategy is in line with business strategy

Strategy and long-range planning

Involve your stakeholders in determining your vision for the site

Agree on a time line for longer-term changes (often three to five years)

Determine your funding model for larger, long-term projects (often either a chargeback or capital expense)

Include a plan for review, updating and modification of your plan as business conditions will change

Make sure IT strategy is in line with business strategy

Lessons learned “ You don’t know what you don’t know” “ Breathe into the bag” “ The offshore team went over budget” “ We did it!”

“ You don’t know what you don’t know”

“ Breathe into the bag”

“ The offshore team went over budget”

“ We did it!”

Conclusion You can do it, too - just don’t underestimate the effort. Get the support you need early on - both from stakeholders and management. Above all, remain flexible - this is not the “end,” just a stop along the way.

You can do it, too - just don’t underestimate the effort.

Get the support you need early on - both from stakeholders and management.

Above all, remain flexible - this is not the “end,” just a stop along the way.

Questions/contact Laura Melcher E-mail: [email_address] .org Office phone: 312-329-8572

Laura Melcher

E-mail: [email_address] .org

Office phone: 312-329-8572