Implementing and managing Content Management Systems

Implementing and Managing
Web and Intranet Content
Management System

Current Structure of the IT Team
• Single Enterprise Web Server/Web site
• Total Number of staff: 9 (Web developers,
Technical support staff + IT Manager)
• Departments: Finance, Operations, Marketing,
HR and Administration
• Other departments have Intranets created
with ASP and in different designs

Structure of Existing Web Site
• Single Web Site maintained by the Company
• Web site maintained in Company’s server
• Static HTML pages
• CSS based design
• Number of pages: Around 10,000
• Operating Environment: PHP, MySQL
• Several intranets are available for HR,
Marketing, Operations, etc. created in ASP

Management Issues with
Existing Setup
• Changes to the content are sent by email to web
site developers /IT team
• Changes to the content are constant and rapidly
required
• Revised content requires approval by another
Manager, sometimes not available immediately
leading to delays
• Different intranets with different designs for
different departments
• Intranets are managed by staff in other
department

Operational Issues with IT Unit
• IT staff are overwhelmed with work because
web pages requiring revision are high in
volume
• Under staffed – need more personnel
• IT staff are required to manage data and other
critical business applications
• IT staff are required to maintain the
company’s IT infrastructure – a critical activity

Operational Issues with IT Unit
• IT staff are having less time to maintain the web
server
• Web page updations on the server sometimes
take around 14 days during peak business time
• Delays in web page updation affects marketing
and operations
• Overall value is effected for business and with
stake-holders/customers
• Management is dissatisfied with IT but sensitive
and willing to help IT to overcome problems
• The management is ready to adopt operational
changes in IT

Management strategy for IT
• The company will have one single central intranet
and web site
• Web page formats to be standardized to reflect
the company’s values and goals
• Web page designs will be created in one uniform
and standard format
• Web pages, intranets to be centrally managed by
IT team
• Hire more staff to exclusively manage web site
and intranets
• Implement Content Management System and
train existing staff on using CMS

Management Strategy for IT
Effectiveness
• IT Manager along with HR will work out the cost
involved in hiring new staff for web site
maintenance
• IT Manager will explore the options in web based
CMS platforms
• IT Manager shall prepare an overall plan of
implementation of the new system and ensure
the exercise is completed within a fixed timeline
• IT Manager will workout the cost of
implementing a web based CMS and workout the
return of investment

Management Strategy for IT
Effectiveness
• IT Manager shall ensure the existing pages can be
quickly ported in the new system that runs in the
existing infrastructure
• IT Manager will explore different CMS options
and apprise the management on the benefits and
other costs involved
• IT Manager shall prepare a training plan to orient
staff on CMS
• IT Manager shall prepare an operating plan to
achieve this activity quickly

Getting Started with CMS
• What are Content Management systems?
 CMS is a collection of procedures used to manage
workflow in a collaborative environment
• Wiktionary Definition:
A computer software system for organizing and
facilitating collaborative creation of documents and
other content, especially for loading to a website

Getting Started with CMS
• What is Web CMS?
 The processes and procedures used in the
creation and management of web content is
called web CMS. With Web CMS the user can,
Design
Perform Content Updates
Work with Dynamic Content

What can CMS do?
• Allows web page updates using an ordinary web
browser (e.g. IE, Firefox, Safari, Mozilla etc.)
• Reduces overall work as those responsible for
content can update it directly and submit it for
approval
• Allows different access levels for individuals with
different roles (e.g. Marketing, Managers, etc)
• Enables documents to be published for fixed
terms; older versions of documents can be re-
used (versioning)
• The Sitestat tracking code built-in
• Easy to manage simple content pages.

Basic Features of CMS
• Access Control: Who is allowed to do what?
• Version Control: Return to a previously saved
version
• Library: Page templates, images, other assets
• Content Repository: Text and other assets
stored in a database or XML repository
• Publishing Functionality: Creates web pages
using content and templates

Objectives of Implementing CMS
• Delegate content creation throughout the company
regardless of contributors’ skills
• Enable the creation, management, and usage of
standardized metadata
• Continue to support a diverse array of existing
technology platforms
• Consolidate the current technology environment
wherever possible
• Improve the quality of the company’s web sites
through the implementation of standards across
presentation, metadata, governance, discovery, and
navigation

Preparing for CMS
• The company’s needs are realistic
– The right system to suit the company’s need
– Accept the consistency/flexibility tradeoff
• Extra time is spent on Information Architecture
– A modular design is built with reusable content
– Process and design elements are standardized as
much as possible
• Don’t neglect the content in favor of IA
(Information Architecture) and technology
– Extra time is planned for authoring and migration

Types of CMS
There are different types of CMS:
• Web CMS (WCMS)
 Web CMS allows users to manipulate web pages
without the requiring technical skills. This is applied to
intranets, websites and extranets
• Enterprise CMS (ECMS)
 These systems handle content and assets and also
records other information such as the structure of the
organization. This is a formal system and includes a
wide range of processes and tools

Types of CMS
There are different types of CMS:
• Mobile CMS (MCMS)
 The mobile industry is rapidly growing, hence there is a
demand for content delivery on mobile devices. The
MCMS were originally designed for business to
customer (B2C) and also business to business (B2B)
• Component CMS (CCMS)
 CCMS allows granularity, a paragraph of content is
stored in the system and can be used by a document or
a series of documents

How does a CMS work?
• Basic information flow in a CMS includes,
1. Template designed
2. Content is entered as plain-text or HTML into
database
3. Content is placed in a template for display to the
end user
Content is
available
Content
Template

The components of CMS
• The CMS is made up of the following major
systems:
Application
Server
Database
Authoring
Templates
Publishing
User
Interface
HTML
Pages
Templates

The Basic CMS Architecture
Web Authors
Context Diagram
Content
Management
System
Intranet
Servers
Extranet
Servers
Web Content
Web Pages
Web Surfers
Students, Staff
Interested Parties
Services Provided :-
 Ease of editing
 Collaborative Authoring
 Standard templates
 Backup and Archiving
 Routing and Approval processes
 Version Control
 Metadata Management
Directory and
Security
Services
Template
Designers
Approvers

Template
Approved Page

The Metadata Workflow Process
Author
Creates
Content
CMS applies
Metadata
Approver checks
Work
Metadata sent to
the Search Engine
CMS publishes to
the web servers
Approved
Not Approved
Available on the web

Benefits of using CMS
• CMS are Web development platforms designed
to simplify content creation and management
• CMS allows to Create, Manage, Measure,
Optimize and Modify content
• Simplifies web site development and
maintenance without the need for technical
skills
• CMS reduces cost and time in developing and
maintaining web sites

• CMS allows the integration of different web
based technologies
 CMS can handle Web 2.0
 Allows ‘Dynamic’ We page creation
 Allows visitors to create their own web page
designs
 Provides may readymade templates for content
porting and publishing quickly
 Visitors get engaged more due to the flexibility in
web site

• Dynamic content keeps visitors engaged with the site
• Content automation is the major benefit and this
simplifies many development tasks
• Improves the quality of the company web sites
• The implementation of standards across presentation,
metadata, governance, and navigation will enhance
quality
• Ease of use will remove some of the barriers to quality
• The dimensions of quality in this instance are accuracy,
availability, discoverability, relevance, and timeliness of
information

• Accuracy: Enables the approval process to confirm the
accuracy of the information
• Availability: Ensure that the information is published,
backed up, versioned, and restorable through automated
process
• Discoverability: Ensure that the information can be located
through effective use of metadata driven searches
• Relevance: Enable a process to ensure relevance through
the use of approval processes
• Timeliness of information: Simplify and automate the
publication of web site information and enable removal of
information through the use of automated scheduling
processes.

• Distributed Authorship:
 Some kinds of content updated directly by
content providers
 Content goes live instantly, or once an
editorial check is complete
 No need for a page editor/tools
 No knowledge of HTML or other technology
required
 Staff would require training in use of CMS
authoring interface

• Efficiency:
 Allows direct content creation
 Page appearance controlled from a
collection of central templates
 Navigation aids and links are generated
automatically
 End Result: staff spend less time in
maintaining site

• Centralized Updating:
 Links can be quickly added for all sites
 Text can be changed for all sites t appear uniform
 Navigation features are simplified for all sites
 All management is done from a central interface or
template
• Emerging Management tools:
 Mobile content, Digital Video content, Flash driven
content, etc

• Content Scheduling and Content Integration:
 Content can be set to a timer
 Content can be displayed only during a specified
period
 Content can be erased/hidden after a specified
period
 Many CMS comes with own blogging software
 CMS can interoperate with other popular
blogging software

The Inevitable Changes
• Web development team could be reduced or
vanished
• Some parts of the site can be updated directly
by staff
• Look and feel would have to be more
consistent
• More staff time is focused on special projects
rather than day-to-day updating

Preparing for CMS
• Requires many skills: writing, gathering assets,
designing a temple driven website and authoring
templates, technology implementation,
workflow…
• Requires coordination across diverse
departments and roles
• Requires rigorous project management
• “A CMS is probably the most complex rollout you
and your IT colleagues are likely to have to
manage.” – Martin White, CMS Consultant and
Writer

Preparing for CMS
• The company has to be realistic in
expectations
• Going beyond "requirements gathering" to
requirements prototyping: prioritize what is
needed and better to try a prototype first
• Resist Futurities or suffer from the resulting
complexity

Preparing for CMS
• The CMS design and technology is tightly
integrated
• CMS configuration is technical work and often
performed by information technologists
• Yet many tasks for example, creating
authoring templates, require a well-designed
user interface for content authors
• Therefore, designers must be proactive and
find/learn where their skills are needed

Preparing for CMS
• Content is not neglected
• The focus is much on design and implementation,
• More attention is needed for content creation
and migration
• Ultimately, the CMS is implemented to deliver
content – hence it has to be prioritized
appropriately
• Migrating old content into CMS will always take
longer than expected

Preparing for CMS
• Reusable content requires standardization
• Standardization is done on many levels:
– Format of Information
– Web Sites/Intranets
– Metadata
– Authoring and Publishing Templates
• Require collaboration and coordination across
an organization

The CMS Framework
• Establish metrics
• Size of company
• Project management proficiency
• Degree of centralized content management
processes
• Type of content
• Variety of content
• Variety of publishing channels
• The content to be managed

CMS Options - Explored
• Implementing a CMS is more for…
 Comfort - finding the right tool
 Support – Safety and simplicity in web content
and web site/intranet maintenance
 Most CMS have popular development tools
 Most CMS have support communities
 CMS offers specific tools for specific designs and
features

• There are two major categories of CMS:
 Proprietary CMS
 Open Source CMS
• Proprietary CMS:
 In this system some other company owns license to
the CMS application and the client company can use
their CMS for maintaining its web site
 Proprietary CMS has many limitations. Services on
the web such as ‘Build it yourself’ websites run on
proprietary CMS

• Open Source CMS
 Open Source CMS are cheaper with no licensing
fees, easier to use and no contracts required for
long term use
 Popular open source CMS runs on PHP. Some
commonly available tools are WordPress, Joomla,
Drupal, etc.
 Free modules, plug-ins, and tools are available
along with thousands of templates

• CMS tools are designed to offer a wide range
of solutions and applications
• Open-source CMS tools provide plenty of
room for development and evolves through
community cooperation
• Open source CMS allows developers from
across the world to participate in creating
something new

• Open-source CMS also creates standards
• GPL (General Public License) gives individuals
access to program source code and distribute
• Some Vendors modify and sell open source
code as solutions. They also offer technical
support and unique tools for the company
• Open source allows the freedom to modify a
program code to meet their own needs

• Open source applications include:
 Sourceforge.net
 Digital Media Development Tools:
Audacity (http://www.audacity.sourceforge.net/)
Blender (http://www.blender.org/)
Gimp (www.gimp.org)
Aviary (http://aviary.com)
 Business Productivity Tools
Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/)
 Enterprise Data Tools:
MySQL (http://www.mysql.com)

• Centralized Content Management Processes
 How much do departments need to synchronize
authoring and publishing processes?
 To what extend do sites/content/applications
interact?
Many departments
author and publish
content with no
standards
One department
authors and
publishes all content
in a standardized way
Higher complexity Lower complexity

• Buy a CMS to suit the company’s needs
Content:
CMS: Digital Asset
Management
Source Code
Management
Document
Management
Web Content
Management
MultimediaSoftware CodeDocumentsWebsite
content

• Heterogeneous content requires more tough
standardization decisions
Easier to standardize Harder to standardize
Low level of variation
among content items,
pages, site sections, and
sites
High level of variation
among content items,
pages, site sections, and
sites

• CMS implementation should answer the
following questions
1. Who are the target visitors?
2. What are their needs
3. What does the company offer for their needs?
4. How is the CMS helping visitors to accomplish
their needs?
5. How are the events measured?

CMS: Up and Running
• The steps to make CMS ready are:
 Install the CMS
 Configure the required specifications
 Apply the visual design

CMS: Up and Running
• Content is the winner – visitors are more
frequent and they have a reason to come back
• Social media integration helps visitors to get
involved and share with others
• Dynamic web site creates an opportunity for
frequent updates. Visitors are able to generate
more content

CMS: Up and Running
• With CMS the company has many benefits
such as,
 Chat rooms
 Discussion Boards
 E-commerce functions
 Media players
 Tools and utilities
 Many more……

CMS: Up and Running
• CMS offers features to control the website:
 Email accounts
 Backup tools
 Analytics tools
 Software tools
 Create semantic
relationships

CMS: Up and Running
• Bigger sites (>100K pages) require more than
efficiency, they require automation
• Even with reusable content, it’s not cost-
effective to touch every piece of content on
every type of page
• Once content is authored, only touch each
type of content
• Accomplished via a Semantic CMS…

CMS: Up and Running
• Inventory all content present on current site
• Port it all to some non-HTML format (word,
text)
• Input into CMS
• Set up linking and site structure
• Set up user accounts
• User Training

References
• http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/content_management_system
• http://www.cms.co.uk/types/
• http://www.econtentmag.com/r5/2002/firewall7_02.html
• http://www.managingenterprisecontent.com/
• CMS Watch http://www.cmswatch.com/
• Metadata & Taxonomies for a More Flexible Information
Architecture
http://www.asis.org/Conferences/Summit2002/IA_Summit_031602
.ppt
• Smarter Content Publishing
http://www.digital-web.com/features/feature_2002-08.shtml
• Ontology Development and Relationship Modeling for Enterprises
and Enterprise Websites, Brett Lider (IA Summit 2003)
• IA CMS http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ia-cms/
• CMS List http://www.cms-list.org/

References
• Content Management System article at Wikipedia-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system
• University of Sidney-
http://www.mpg.usyd.edu.au/osd/Projects/cms/index.shtml
• Baylor University Libraries- http://www3.baylor.edu/Library/
• “CMSs: Who Needs Them”-
http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue30/techwatch/
• “CMS in Higher Education”(pdf)-
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0325.pdf
• CMS Watch.com- http://www.cmswatch.com/

Implementing and managing Content Management Systems

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