This is a very old presentation providing some tips on how to evaluate a web content management system (WCMS) along with some details on our in-house WCMS.

1. slate +
tips for evaluating a wcms
Dave Olsen, WVU Web Services
September 30 2008

2. What We’ll Talk About
• Defining CMS
• About slate
• Tips for Evaluating a WCMS
• A Quick Tour
• Questions or Comments

3. Defining CMS
"A CMS is a tool that enables a variety of (centralised)
technical and (de-centralised) non technical staff to create,
edit, manage and finally publish (in a number of formats) a
variety of content (such as text, graphics, video, documents
etc), whilst being constrained by a centralised set of rules,
process and workflows that ensure coherent, validated
electronic content."

4. Defining CMS
Simplified: It’s a system that manages content.
The not so simple part? Defining “content.”
also realize that once you have a “system” you’re locked into it’s
way of thinking about content (e.g. organization, types)

5. Flavors of CMS by Content
• Document Management (PDFs or Word docs)
• Records Management (student recs.)
• Web Content Management (slate)
• Portal (MIX)
• Digital Asset Management (photos)
• Enterprise Content Management

6. What is slate?
• A web content management system focused on
rapid production of traditional web sites at WVU
• Developed to “scratch an itch” in our unit
• Under on-again off-again development for 3 years
• Hosting 150+ production sites
• Managing 500+ users
• Handling 300,000+ page views a month (very old
data)

7. Some Technical Details
• Ruby on Rails Framework
• Apache 2.2 w/ mod_proxy_balancer
• Microsoft SQL Server
• F5 load-balanced 2-server cluster
• Subversion

8. Why did we develop a
WCMS in-house?
• NIHS: Not Invented Here Syndrome
• The ability to build a product that addressed our
goals more directly
• It started as a small project (e.g. no funding) that has
mushroomed

9. Initial Goals for slate
• Limit the disruption to the current process of
creating templates for sites
• Allow broad design flexibility
• One install of a WCMS to deliver multiple sites
• Try new technologies
• Work with centralized services where possible
• Make it simple to publish content

10. Evolution of Goals
aka What We’ve Learned
• Making it easier to use (e.g.WYSIWYG)
• Better documentation.
• Need lots of training.
• Focus. Focus. Focus.
• Faster release cycles of new features and fixes
• Trying to take advantage of being a WCMS.
Especially where content can be shared across
web sites

11. Examples
webservices.wvu.edu

12. Examples
thequestion.blogs.wvu.edu

13. Examples
wvudownloads.wvu.edu

14. Tips for Evaluating
a WCMS
• Figure out what you’re open to:
• Homegrown: evaluate just like a vendor
• Commercial: need lots of hand holding?
• High-end: got big demands?
• Open Source: want a customized solution?
• What are the licensing terms? Pay by seat, site
or install?

15. Tips for Evaluating
a WCMS
• One product will not fit your entire
organization.
• Identify things that you like from your current
process. You don’t want to change it too much
because no one wants more work.
• Don’t underestimate the ease of customizing
and managing templates. It’s not all about
content.

16. Tips for Evaluating
a WCMS
• It’s not about the features. It’s about the
process.
• Ask for full demo’s that you can prep content
for yourself (e.g. don’t accept just the sales pitch)
• Get referrals and try to visit organizations that
are using the product. Real feedback is what
you’ll need.
• Thoroughly evaluate examples provided and
ask vendor if anything was custom

17. Tips for Evaluating
a WCMS
• A good product will not be simple. Evaluate:
• community
• documentation
• support & training
• evolution (e.g. how often their are new releases)
• maturity

18. Other things to
consider...
• Is there a solution that helps manage
content based on guidelines you have to
follow? e.g. HIPAA
• What are the security threats for both the
application and platform?
• What about versatility? Can it deliver blogs,
image galleries, other?
• There may be some hidden costs to take
into account (migrating content, electricity)

19. Demo Time

20. Questions or Comments?