Advantages of CMS CMS Debate: Challenging the Consensus Piero Tintori - TERMINALFOUR [email_address] Stephen Pope - Eduserv [email_address]

Agenda Defining Web Content Management What is a WCMS? What isn’t a WCMS? The key advantages of a WCMS Life without a WCMS

Defining Web Content Management

What is a WCMS?

What isn’t a WCMS?

The key advantages of a WCMS

Life without a WCMS

Defining Web Content Management Our definition: Software automation of the tasks involved in publishing and managing content on a website A system that allows users update content on a website

Our definition:

Software automation of the tasks involved in publishing and managing content on a website

A system that allows users update content on a website

Defining Web Content Management What is also WCMS? Blogs – simple content management Wiki Discussion boards What isn’t a WCMS? A database on its own (no business logic) Unstructured files

What is also WCMS?

Blogs – simple content management

Wiki

Discussion boards

What isn’t a WCMS?

A database on its own (no business logic)

Unstructured files

The key advantages of a CMS Stephen Pope [stephen.pope@eduserv.org.uk]

The key advantages of a CMS

Stephen Pope

[stephen.pope@eduserv.org.uk]

The Manual Edit .. Someone in the company wants an important press release put on the web site. Release is emailed (probably in word format) to the web team (or external company) Web team have to download the original page from the website / create a new page from a template then manually convert the text/formatting into HTML. Press release has to go live at 12 midnight so someone has to wake up and upload it at 11:59pm :¬/

Someone in the company wants an important press release put on the web site.

Release is emailed (probably in word format) to the web team (or external company)

Web team have to download the original page from the website / create a new page from a template then manually convert the text/formatting into HTML.

Press release has to go live at 12 midnight so someone has to wake up and upload it at 11:59pm :¬/

Workflow Enforce standards Editorial Control Editor final approval / Preview content in place. Version control – instant rollback – nothing overwritten.

Enforce standards

Editorial Control

Editor final approval / Preview content in place.

Version control – instant rollback – nothing overwritten.

Workflow Publishing Control Hide / Schedule / Expire / Archive Quality Control Compel alt tags / tidy html / check spelling Accountability / Paper trail

Publishing Control

Hide / Schedule / Expire / Archive

Quality Control

Compel alt tags / tidy html / check spelling

Accountability / Paper trail

Security Granular role based security No more ‘Pandora's Box’ – people only see what they are allowed to see. Delegate Responsibility Different people can be in charge of their own parts of the web site (press/events) No need for everything to pass through the web team!

Granular role based security

No more ‘Pandora's Box’ – people only see what they are allowed to see.

Delegate Responsibility

Different people can be in charge of their own parts of the web site (press/events)

No need for everything to pass through the web team!

Content Delivery Scheduled Publish / Archive Multiple Platforms (Web/Mobile/RSS) Multiple Languages Multiple Audiences (Metadata) Edit in place Publish to Staging / DR / Static SES URLs / Aliases Snapshots for FOI requirements

Scheduled Publish / Archive

Multiple Platforms (Web/Mobile/RSS)

Multiple Languages

Multiple Audiences (Metadata)

Edit in place

Publish to Staging / DR / Static

SES URLs / Aliases

Snapshots for FOI requirements

Rapid Development Separation of content from presentation People of all skill levels involved Design Content Migration Quick re-skinning Reusable elements such as templates and renderings (breadcrumb / nav. menus) Centralised Content / Documents (extranet / intranet) / Links – Update Once ! Security / Workflow controls Modules - Probably been written before !

Separation of content from presentation

People of all skill levels involved

Design

Content Migration

Quick re-skinning

Reusable elements such as templates and renderings (breadcrumb / nav. menus)

Centralised Content / Documents (extranet / intranet) / Links – Update Once !

Security / Workflow controls

Modules - Probably been written before !

Maintenance Rapid Updates Common Interface Quick to train Content users in charge of their own content not web devs. Import / Paste from office apps Manage many users Workflow Distributed contributions Rollbacks Centralised document management

Rapid Updates

Common Interface

Quick to train

Content users in charge of their own content not web devs.

Import / Paste from office apps

Manage many users

Workflow

Distributed contributions

Rollbacks

Centralised document management

System Integration Doesn’t all have to be out of the box Security - Integrate with LDAP/Athens/Shib Documents – Sharepoint / Central Store Search Engines – Google/Dtsearch/Ultraseek Data-Providers (XML/SQL) Stats Will always needs customisation

Doesn’t all have to be out of the box

Security - Integrate with LDAP/Athens/Shib

Documents – Sharepoint / Central Store

Search Engines – Google/Dtsearch/Ultraseek

Data-Providers (XML/SQL)

Stats

Will always needs customisation

Open Standards Information freely available Data in XML Route out Minimise Migration Presentation in XSLT Small changes can be made by people with HTML knowledge Not locked into custom API for presentation XAML / SAML / XACML

Information freely available

Data in XML

Route out

Minimise Migration

Presentation in XSLT

Small changes can be made by people with HTML knowledge

Not locked into custom API for presentation

XAML / SAML / XACML

Life without a CMS Stephen Pope [stephen.pope@eduserv.org.uk]

Life without a CMS

Stephen Pope

[stephen.pope@eduserv.org.uk]

Problem Areas Tedious Web Management The Webmaster Bottleneck “ Enterprise Cut and Paste” Corporate Governance Reuse of Content

Tedious Web Management

The Webmaster Bottleneck

“ Enterprise Cut and Paste”

Corporate Governance

Reuse of Content

Tedious Web Management Your spend most of your time making minor changes to areas that won’t even be appreciated by people Fixing broken links Restructuring Site Map No time to work on more interesting features and developments

Your spend most of your time making minor changes to areas that won’t even be appreciated by people

Fixing broken links

Restructuring Site Map

No time to work on more interesting features and developments

The Webmaster Bottleneck You become the typing pool of the organisation “ Enterprise Cut and Paste” Build up of frustration Publishers want to publish faster and have control Webmasters find that “Cut and paste” is boring work Would be publishers don’t understand the work involved

You become the typing pool of the organisation

“ Enterprise Cut and Paste”

Build up of frustration

Publishers want to publish faster and have control

Webmasters find that “Cut and paste” is boring work

Would be publishers don’t understand the work involved

Corporate Governance “ Extra bureaucracy to cover ourselves from complaints” Version control – snap shots = Lots and lots of backup tapes! Who signed off what… in the absence of an audit trail who is responsible?

“ Extra bureaucracy to cover ourselves from complaints”

Version control – snap shots = Lots and lots of backup tapes!

Who signed off what… in the absence of an audit trail who is responsible?

Reuse of Content If you have good content… get more value from it… reuse it Five websites = five times the work 5 Languages = five times the work excluding translation Different versions of the same content in different places

If you have good content… get more value from it… reuse it

Five websites = five times the work

5 Languages = five times the work excluding translation

Different versions of the same content in different places

Conclusion WCMS will make you life easier… Your internal publishers will be happier… Your visitors will have up-to-date and consistent / accessible content…

WCMS will make you life easier…

Your internal publishers will be happier…

Your visitors will have up-to-date and consistent / accessible content…

Conclusion CMS may change your life….

CMS may change your life….