PeopleSoft.com Case Study Enterprise Information Architecture March 16, 2002 Chiara Fox, PeopleSoft Peter Merholz, Adaptive Path

What We’ll Talk About I. Project Overview II. The Role of the IA In the Enterprise III. Merging Top-Down and Bottom-Up IA IV. Content Analysis Methodologies

I. Project Overview

II. The Role of the IA In the Enterprise

III. Merging Top-Down and Bottom-Up IA

IV. Content Analysis Methodologies

I. Project Overview: The Problem Three separate web properties with different architectures PeopleSoft.com, Customer Connection, and Alliance Connection No unified user experience and quality varies Resources are duplicated (sometimes triplicated) Hard for users to find things cross-site due to differences in IA Difficult to share content that is the same across sites Each site has separate technical backend Sites published with FutureTense, Lotus Notes, and other relational databases Three sites, three search engines, no structured content Two Internet Systems teams to support the different platforms Need to plan for implementation of PeopleSoft Portal

Three separate web properties with different architectures

PeopleSoft.com, Customer Connection, and Alliance Connection

No unified user experience and quality varies

Resources are duplicated (sometimes triplicated)

Hard for users to find things cross-site due to differences in IA

Difficult to share content that is the same across sites

Each site has separate technical backend

Sites published with FutureTense, Lotus Notes, and other relational databases

Three sites, three search engines, no structured content

Two Internet Systems teams to support the different platforms

Need to plan for implementation of PeopleSoft Portal

Project Overview: The Team Consultants – Adaptive Path and Lot21 Indi Young, Janice Fraser, Peter Merholz, Marcus Haid In-house – Web development team Chiara Fox, Information Architect Camille Sobalvarro, Manager Design & Information Architecture 11 web producers 10 member migration “posse” 2 thesaurus developer/IA/indexer consultants 3 designers + 2 design consultants 4 usability and metrics specialists 15 technical developers + 3 CMS consultants

Consultants – Adaptive Path and Lot21

Indi Young, Janice Fraser, Peter Merholz, Marcus Haid

In-house – Web development team

Chiara Fox, Information Architect

Camille Sobalvarro, Manager Design & Information Architecture

11 web producers

10 member migration “posse”

2 thesaurus developer/IA/indexer consultants

3 designers + 2 design consultants

4 usability and metrics specialists

15 technical developers + 3 CMS consultants

Project Overview: The Process

Project Overview: Implementation Tracks Visual design and site style guide Content migration, including ROT removal Installation and preparation of Interwoven’s TeamSite (templates, workflow, scripting) Metadata development (schema, vocabularies, indexing) Training (on using system, creating and using templates, architecture, indexing) Refining IA at a highly detailed level as content was migrated

Visual design and site style guide

Content migration, including ROT removal

Installation and preparation of Interwoven’s TeamSite (templates, workflow, scripting)

Metadata development (schema, vocabularies, indexing)

Training (on using system, creating and using templates, architecture, indexing)

Refining IA at a highly detailed level as content was migrated

II. The Role of the IA in the Enterprise Hub of the entire process Liaison between many teams Migrator training One title, many roles

Hub of the entire process

Liaison between many teams

Migrator training

One title, many roles

Role of the IA: Hub of Process Only team member with detailed knowledge of all content on all sites Had vision of how sites should function when complete Understood every aspect of the architecture, wireframes, blueprint, and other specifications

Only team member with detailed knowledge of all content on all sites

Had vision of how sites should function when complete

Understood every aspect of the architecture, wireframes, blueprint, and other specifications

Role of the IA: Liaison Between Many Teams Consultants Information architecture, CMS implementation, graphic design Internet Systems In-house designers Other departments within PeopleSoft, such as product marketing

Consultants

Information architecture, CMS implementation, graphic design

Internet Systems

In-house designers

Other departments within PeopleSoft, such as product marketing

Role of the IA: Migrator Training Understand new architecture How content fits into wireframes Use of CMS templates “Ask Dr. IA” newsletter

Understand new architecture

How content fits into wireframes

Use of CMS templates

“Ask Dr. IA” newsletter

Role of the IA: One Title, Many Roles Project manager XML coder Vocabulary editor Content migrator Copyeditor Directory creator CMS system architecture designer

Project manager

XML coder

Vocabulary editor

Content migrator

Copyeditor

Directory creator

CMS system architecture designer

III. Merging Top-Down and Bottom-Up IA Two primary approaches to developing the new information architecture Top-Down Driven by user research Develop mental models of audience types Derive main site organization from this understanding of approaches to the task Bottom-Up Foundation for designing architecture Building product module pages Metadata development Site and product indexes

Two primary approaches to developing the new information architecture

Top-Down

Driven by user research

Develop mental models of audience types

Derive main site organization from this understanding of approaches to the task

Bottom-Up

Foundation for designing architecture

Building product module pages

Metadata development

Site and product indexes

Top-Down IA: User Interviews 19 subjects 6 potential customers, 7 current customers, 6 alliance partners Four slices – C-level, Director, Manager, Implementer Hour-long task analysis interviews, probing how the person was involved in the process of purchasing enterprise-level software

19 subjects

6 potential customers, 7 current customers, 6 alliance partners

Four slices – C-level, Director, Manager, Implementer

Hour-long task analysis interviews, probing how the person was involved in the process of purchasing enterprise-level software

Create a “mental model” for an audience

For each set of tasks, map the content that could be used to support it

Which still resembles…

Bottom-Up IA: Forms the Foundation Closely linked with the content analysis Focused on: Understanding and describing the content Finding the patterns and groupings Matching content with user needs Results are leveraged in different ways

Closely linked with the content analysis

Focused on:

Understanding and describing the content

Finding the patterns and groupings

Matching content with user needs

Results are leveraged in different ways

Bottom-Up IA: Building Product Module Pages Went through the site and pulled together all information related to products Support Upgrades Marketing Used sticky notes to gather the items into logical groups Logical groups became the tabs on the module pages

Went through the site and pulled together all information related to products

Support

Upgrades

Marketing

Used sticky notes to gather the items into logical groups

Logical groups became the tabs on the module pages

Bottom-up IA: Metadata Development 12 attribute schema developed based upon patterns found and functionality we wanted 10 controlled vocabularies developed of varying complexity Individual thesauri were developed for the products, services, and subject attributes Semi-automatic indexing tool used to tag content, as well as manual tagging

12 attribute schema developed based upon patterns found and functionality we wanted

10 controlled vocabularies developed of varying complexity

Individual thesauri were developed for the products, services, and subject attributes

Semi-automatic indexing tool used to tag content, as well as manual tagging

FINANCIALS [Financial Analytics] FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT [Financial Analytics] Analytic Forecasting {Financial Analytic Forecasting} {Financial Forecasting} Asset Liability Management {Liability Management} Asset Management {Managing Assets} Balanced Scorecard Billing {Bills} Budgeting {Budgets} CFO Portal {Portal for CFO} {Chief Financial Officer Portal} {Portal for Chief Financial Officer} Contracts {Contracting} Deduction Management {Deductions} {Managing Deduction} eBill Payment {e-Bill Payment} {Bill Payment} Expenses Financial Insight [Financial Analytics] General Ledger {G/L} Payables {Accounts Payable} {A/P} Projects Purchasing Receivables {Accounts Receivable} {A/R} MARKETPAY [MarketPlace] TREASURY MANAGEMENT Deal Management {Managing Deals} {Management of Deals} Risk Management {Risk} {Managing Risk} {Management of Risk}

Bottom-up IA: Site Index & Product Index Alternative to the primary navigation for getting to content Indexed just like a back of the book index Product index based upon the product vocabulary Australian Indexers Society award for Web Indexes

Alternative to the primary navigation for getting to content

Indexed just like a back of the book index

Product index based upon the product vocabulary

Australian Indexers Society award for Web Indexes

IV. Content Analysis Methodologies Many methodologies of content analysis were employed Content inventory Unified content map Product matrix Classification scheme analysis

Many methodologies of content analysis were employed

Content inventory

Unified content map

Product matrix

Classification scheme analysis

Content Analysis: Content Inventory Clicked through thousands of pages across the three properties (8,000 lines in the Excel spreadsheet) Automated attempts insufficient—manual attention required Tagged each piece of content with metadata, preparing it for both IA and CMS migration Content types Where it lives Link Ids Etc.

Clicked through thousands of pages across the three properties (8,000 lines in the Excel spreadsheet)

Automated attempts insufficient—manual attention required

Tagged each piece of content with metadata, preparing it for both IA and CMS migration

Content types

Where it lives

Link Ids

Etc.

Content Analysis: Unified Content Map Graphical representation of content on the sites Shows redundancies and gaps in content between the sites

Graphical representation of content on the sites

Shows redundancies and gaps in content between the sites

PeopleSoft.com Customer Connection

PeopleSoft.com

Customer Connection

Content Analysis: Product Matrix Began as a way to understand how products fit together Illustrates the atom –> molecule –> crystal model Forms the basis of the product hierarchy Now used in other departments to understand how products are structured

Began as a way to understand how products fit together

Illustrates the atom –> molecule –> crystal model

Forms the basis of the product hierarchy

Now used in other departments to understand how products are structured

Content Analysis: Classification Scheme Analysis Done early in project Compare terms used across the different sites Great for building a case for the project by showing inconsistencies Used to discover alternate terms for vocabularies

Done early in project

Compare terms used across the different sites

Great for building a case for the project by showing inconsistencies

Used to discover alternate terms for vocabularies

Thank You Chiara Fox Information Architect, PeopleSoft [email_address] http://www.chiarafox.com Peter Merholz Partner, Adaptive Path [email_address] http://www.peterme.com

Chiara Fox

Information Architect, PeopleSoft

[email_address]

http://www.chiarafox.com

Peter Merholz

Partner, Adaptive Path

[email_address]

http://www.peterme.com