Content Management System =/= Management of Content

The CMS honey trap

Myth 1: The ‘IT Solution’

Myth 1: The ‘IT Solution’ psychological diversion: we can ‘solve’ the web site! lure of the project: CMS becomes the reason, rather than the means ill-defined goals: “process” becomes secondary to the “project” - the implementation of the CMS myth of ‘the end’ – it’s done! Project finishes – management lose interest

psychological diversion: we can ‘solve’ the web site!

lure of the project: CMS becomes the reason, rather than the means

ill-defined goals: “process” becomes secondary to the “project” - the implementation of the CMS

myth of ‘the end’ – it’s done! Project finishes – management lose interest

Myth 2: ‘Enabling content owners’

Myth 2: ‘Enabling content owners’ inexpert authors: they will break it! fonts, grammar, images, links, writing for the web inexpert editors: not usability experts, information architects or marketing specialists devolved = not joined up: approval/editorial processes aren’t effectively applied in devolved environs lack of vision: content owners do not see or understand ‘the big picture’

inexpert authors: they will break it! fonts, grammar, images, links, writing for the web

inexpert editors: not usability experts, information architects or marketing specialists

devolved = not joined up: approval/editorial processes aren’t effectively applied in devolved environs

lack of vision: content owners do not see or understand ‘the big picture’

Myth 3: global changes

Myth 3: global changes architecture: CMS monolith ill-suited to institutional/external changing needs and practices flexibility: web is driven by immediacy : needs, opportunities, challenges to which a CMS is ill-suited standards and accessibility: today’s standard is tomorrow’s deprecated tag; one man’s accessibility guideline is another man’s barrier

architecture: CMS monolith ill-suited to institutional/external changing needs and practices

flexibility: web is driven by immediacy : needs, opportunities, challenges to which a CMS is ill-suited

standards and accessibility: today’s standard is tomorrow’s deprecated tag; one man’s accessibility guideline is another man’s barrier

Myth 4: saving money CMS

Myth 4: saving money setup costs: specification; acquisition; configuration; integration staffing costs: technical, managerial, support, authors, editors ongoing costs: changes, training support, in bed with the enemy (vendor) no end in sight: where’s the exit strategy?

setup costs: specification; acquisition; configuration; integration

staffing costs: technical, managerial, support, authors, editors

ongoing costs: changes, training support, in bed with the enemy (vendor)

no end in sight: where’s the exit strategy?

So what’s the solution? I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering.

I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering.

Huge paradigm shift! new ‘things’: procedures, roles, tools web ü ber alles: changing the institutional practices (hundreds?) of years change management: disruption, distraction during setup; learning; resentment, rejection: it was fun when I could use Dreamweaver

new ‘things’: procedures, roles, tools

web ü ber alles: changing the institutional practices (hundreds?) of years

change management: disruption, distraction during setup; learning; resentment, rejection: it was fun when I could use Dreamweaver

What is Content Management? 1 Identifying: clients’ needs organisation’s needs content - information audit content owners/ stakeholders the ‘big picture’ Organising reallocation of duties: writers and publishers training in writing for the web editorial controls review processes - cyclical

Identifying:

clients’ needs

organisation’s needs

content - information audit

content owners/ stakeholders

the ‘big picture’

Organising

reallocation of duties: writers and publishers

training in writing for the web

editorial controls

review processes - cyclical

What is Content Management? 2 Enabling authority quality assurance sign-off review Consolidating technical skills medium literacy architecture vision

Enabling

authority

quality assurance

sign-off

review

Consolidating

technical skills

medium literacy

architecture

vision

Conclusion CMS does not itself deliver many of the purported benefits DEFINE your solution Solution involves people, processes & (last & least) technology A CMS is just one possible technology CMS can be an expensive distraction - is it really necessary? You’d better know what you want it to do You’d better know what it will take to do it You’d better be happy with the end result

CMS does not itself deliver many of the purported benefits

DEFINE your solution

Solution involves people, processes & (last & least) technology

A CMS is just one possible technology

CMS can be an expensive distraction - is it really necessary?

You’d better know what you want it to do

You’d better know what it will take to do it

You’d better be happy with the end result

Mike McConnell – [email_address] Iain Middleton – iain@imiddleton.com