There are two types of CMS users: frequent ‘power’ users, and less-frequent ‘business’ users. The needs of both groups must be met.
Article category: content management
JULY 2008
Content migration: options and strategies
Explores the options for migrating content as part of a site redesign, giving tips and suggestions.
CMb 2008-04
In-context vs back-end authoring
There are two common ways of editing content in a CMS, and each has its strengths and weaknesses.
CMb 2008-03
Clean up your LDAP or Active Directory
Before personalisation can be implemented, underlying LDAP or Active Directory implementations need to be cleaned up.
CMb 2008-01
Time needed to select a CMS
There is a simple answer to the question: how long will it take to choose a new CMS?
CMb 2007-16
Does your CMS vendor have product expertise?
More than just about finding the right CMS product, it’s also about obtaining a vendor who can support your needs for the lifetime of the solution.
SEPTEMBER 2007
Using scenarios to select a CMS
Content management scenarios provide a ‘day in the life’ description of how the CMS will be used in practice.”
CMb 2007-12
Avoid long-term strategies
All too often, 18-24 month information management strategies fail to deliver benefits, but there is an alternative.
CMb 2007-10
Personalisation vs segmentation
This briefing draws a clear line between two separate functionalities: personalisation and segmentation.
JUNE 2007
Do staff make use of personalisation features?
This article discusses the results of a worldwide survey conducted to guage what extent personalisation is being used in intranets and portals.
MAY 2007
11 usability principles for CMS products
If a CMS is not usable then it will not be successfully used by authors, and this can be assessed during product selection.
CMb 2007-01
Automating three types of forms
There is a ‘rule of thirds’ that can be used to categorise the main types of forms that exist on an intranet.
DECEMBER 2006
Top 10 mistakes when selecting a CMS
Organisations often make the selection of a CMS much harder than it needs to be. They do this by running into common pitfalls that impact on the selection and success of the CMS project.
CMb 2006-22
Plan before CMS implementation
The day the contract is signed with the CMS vendor, the vendor will show up asking: so, what are we actually implementing?
CMb 2006-18
Separate design and the CMS
Organisations are almost always better served by separating out the design and the CMS, and sourcing these from different providers.
CMb 2006-15
Types of portal: a definition
Portals are not a one size fits all solution and there are many different types. This briefing provides at-a-glance definitions for a range of portal types.
CMb 2006-05
Obtain search in your CMS?
How good are the search capabilities built into CMS products, and when should you make use of them?
CMS vendors are evaluating us
We are looking for the product that is the best fit to the organisation’s needs. What is rarely recognised, however, is that while we are evaluating vendors, CMS vendors are also evaluating us.
CMb 2006-03
Intranet authoring: a hobby?
Much is expected of intranet authors, in terms of the quality, accuracy and timliness of published material. Yet, many organisations treat intranet authoring as a hobby.
FEBRUARY 2006
Taking a business-centric approach to portals
Now that the early hype has died down, it is not surprising to find that portals have both strengths and weaknesses, which have a major impact on project success.
CMb 2005-18
Will your chosen CMS vendor go bust?
One of the greatest fears when selecting a new CMS is that the vendor will go bust, but more must be done that just purchasing from a ‘big’ vendor and hoping for the best.
CMb 2005-15
Not all content needs to be of equal quality
Efforts should be targeted at improving the quality of key information, while applying lower standards to the majority of intranet content.
CMb 2005-13
More users = simpler CMS
When deploying a CMS across the whole organisation, the rule is: the more users, the simpler (and more usable) the system should be.
CMb 2005-10
Spending patterns during CMS implementation
There are three clear phases to the adoption of a content management system. The activities and spending patterns during these phases needs to be understood, to ensure that sufficient time and resources are made available.
APRIL 2005
CMS interoperability?
While the goal of interoperability between content management systems (CMS) is very important, it is limited by the lack of implemented standards.
CMb 2005-02
Is workflow the wrong metaphor?
The unspoken truth is that workflow often doesn’t work well in practice, leading to the question: is workflow the wrong metaphor?
SEPTEMBER 2004
Content reuse in practice
While content reuse may be a goal of many CMS projects, it is often complex to implement in practice.
JULY 2004
Successfully deploying a content management system
Implementing a CMS is not easy. Our experience has shown that there are five key aspects that must be addressed as part of the deployment project.
CMb 2004-10
Self-sufficiency in a CMS
The requirement for self-sufficiency should be addressed by all organisations looking to purchase a content management system.
MAY 2004
Selecting a Content Management System
AGIMO Better Practice Checklist, for those given the responsibility to determine CMS requirements and evaluate products.
MAY 2004
Implementing a Content Management System
AGIMO Better Practice Checklist, on the implementation of a content management system (CMS).
CMb 2004-07
After the CMS implementation project
While it is vital to ensure that the initial implementation project is successful, this is only the beginning of an ongoing commitment to growing the use of content management throughout the organisation.
CMb 2004-08
Using narrative in a CMS tender
Consider presenting requirements in ‘narrative’ format, as this provides a more complete description of needs, and gives much-needed context to vendors responding to the tender.
FEBRUARY 2004
Open-source content management systems
Open-source CMS has now matured to the point where it should be considered alongside commercial products, but is not without its weaknesses and issues.
CMb 2004-04
Definition of information management terms
This briefing provides an at-a-glance definition of terms for a range of information systems, including CMS, DMS and RMS.
CMb 2004-01
Sources of CMS uncertainty
In the context of limited budgets and timetables, organisations must identify the most uncertain aspects of a CMS project, and concentrate management efforts on them.
DECEMBER 2003
Dynamic or batch publishing?
There are two main publishing models used by content management systems: dynamic and batch publishing, and each has its strengths and weaknesses.
NOVEMBER 2003
Choosing the right CMS authoring tools
There is no single best authoring environment provided by a content management system. Instead, the authoring tools must be matched to the job at hand to ensure they are easy and efficient to use.
CMb 2003-18
Understanding the CMS marketplace
An important first step is to gain an understanding of the CMS marketplace. This briefing outlines a few of the practical ways of doing so.
CMb 2003-16
What is the purpose of a CMS tender?
There are real problems with many tenders released, and it is valuable to revisit the purpose of a CMS tender.
JULY 2003
XML and content management systems
This article explores the role of XML in the context of content management systems, focusing specifically on the business issues.
CMb 2003-12
Specifying technology in a CMS tender
While a CMS tender should focus on business requirements, technology issues will need to be specified, but in a way that ensures the best system is not knocked out of the running.
JUNE 2003
So, what is a CMS?
Gives a practical introduction to content management systems, and how they can benefit an organisation.
CMb 2003-11
The importance of CMS usability
The success of a CMS depends it being used, and whether authors create content. It these two challenges makes the usability of the CMS critically important.
CMb 2003-08
A consumer survey of CMS vendor websites
The results of a survey into consumer opinions about CMS vendor websites, conducted during March 2003.
CMb 2003-06
A CM project presents unique challenges
The unique challenges facing a CMS project must be recognised and addressed if the project is to be successful.
CMb 2003-05
Requirements-focused CMS selection
By following a requirements-focused methodology, instead of feature-driven approach, the right CMS can be selected to meet your unique business needs.
CMb 2003-04
Is it DM or CM?
This briefing helps to dispell the widespread confusion in the marketplace between document management systems (DMS) and content management systems (CMS).
FEBRUARY 2003
Metrics for KM and CM
Metrics are an effective way of setting project targets, assessing success, and tracking ongoing health. This article summarises a range of practical KM and CM-related metrics.
CMb 2003-02
Looking towards the future of CM
A look forward to the future direction of the CMS marketplace, in January 2003.
CMb 2003-01
Why every small website needs a CMS
A non-technical introduction to how a CMS can benefit any website, however small.
AUGUST 2002
What are the goals of a CMS?
Content management systems should be made to meet specific business goals. Without a clear vision of these goals, it is impossible to track the success of the project, or ensure that the benefits are maximised.
JUNE 2002
How to revive a zombie CM system
Without care and attention, a CMS can slide into a state of living death. Such systems can be revived by implementing a number of practical (and non-technical) activities.
APRIL 2002
Centralised or decentralised authoring?
There is no ‘correct’ answer to this question. To get the best business outcomes, you must understand the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches.
MARCH 2002
Losing sight of the content in a CMS
Why spend millions on managing content that no-one understands or needs? This article provides tips for getting the best value out of your business content.
JANUARY 2002
How to evaluate a content management system
There are a huge number of vendors and products in the CMS market, and comparing them is difficult. This paper describes tools, techniques and tips for selecting a CMS that meets your needs.
CASE STUDY (AUGUST 2001)
NRMA Case Study
Read about the project to create a customised content management system for the NRMA. It now holds over 15,000 pages, and is constant use by a dedicated team of over half a dozen authors.