CMS Successes: Critical Factors to Ensure Smooth CMS Implementation

It’s the Content, Not the Tools: Critical Success Factors to Ensure Smooth CMS Adoption Rahel Anne Bailie Intentional Design Inc

Purpose of this session

Look at some facts, fallacies, and fantasies

Dissect some of the marketing speak

Identify the critical success points

Share experiences, information, questions

Fallacy: Tools are the engine

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 have enough in-house resources What kind of content processing power do you need Are your processes documented How much custom work is needed Can the software support your needs What is the TCO

Marketing vs mayhem

Smart client

Component content management

Multi-user enabled client

Cross-media or multi-channel publishing

Integrates with popular translation and publishing tools

DITA-compatible

Feature-rich XML solution

Marketing and feature speak

No standard industry vocabulary

Features 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 how

Not: 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 project

IT hears about a CMS.

The CMS gets installed.

Your group is told to use it.

You find it lacks the right functionality.

You don’t get the resources to customize it.

The project goes sideways.

You go back to manual processing, and IT brands your group “uncooperative.”

Insist on a project plan Activity 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 our docs get restructured Will we change production processes What about our translations Does the project fit with our corporate strategy Do we have to tag everything

Handle governance issues Who owns the content Who will enforce the processes Who will own the budget Is there enough political will Who will own the process Will our staff cope

Adopt a naturalistic system Better usability Better processes Higher rate of acceptance

Consider change management Get cross-dept buy-in Get exec. commitment Make it easy, easy, easy All clear about hows and whys Training, follow-up, evangelize, iterate Plan, decide, communicate

Share information