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What
to Look For in a
Content Management System After you've compiled a list of content management systems
that fit your application, you need to narrow the list down
to the ones that have the features that will address your pain
points and make your organization most productive, therefore
saving you time and money. But what are those features?
Below is a list of situations and the corresponding features
that improve those issues. Pick the ones that apply to your
organization and make a list of the corresponding features to
look for. Then ask the vendors you are considering to demonstrate
these features for you.
Situation
Features to Look For
Content
is scattered throughout the organization, resulting in
contributors creating similar or duplicate content.
Single-source
functionality – each chunk of content is
stored only one time in a single repository, enabling
maximum content reuse and eliminating duplicate content.
Content
is duplicated in multiple documents, making it difficult
to find and accurately update all instances of content.
Content reuse
– ability to reuse content across multiple documents
without duplicating it and to have immediate access to
reused content.
Editors
rely on manual processes to cross-reference content.
Bi-directional
link management – automated tracking of cross-referenced
content allows users to automatically update all occurrences
of any piece of content across all publications and prevent
inaccurate content.
Writers
and editors are comfortable with current XML editing tools
and may be reluctant to learn yet another software program.
Integrations
with editing tools - editors take advantage of
the CMS functionality through a menu on the toolbar of
their favorite authoring/editing software.
Content
is published in several languages.
Full
Unicode support – unique character sets,
such as Japanese, Russian, and Arabic, are supported in
the system.
Content
is published in several formats, including print, Web,
and PDF.
Multi-channel
publishing – content is easily repurposed
for publishing to multiple media formats.
Our content
is complex and requires unique editorial processes.
Extensibility
– the CMS is flexible and configurable by the user
to make customizations without additional costly programming.
Users
must manage and find graphics and multimedia files in
addition to text.
Digital
asset management – users store and organize
graphics and multimedia files within the CMS and search
for them based on assigned metadata.
Remote
content contributors work from home or different office
locations.
Web
application – remote users access the system
through a secure Web interface.
Some
content is confidential and requires high security.
Authorized
access control – system administers assign
user privileges and roles, allowing users to only access
the content they are authorized to use.
Our
review process is inefficient and overly complex.
Graphical
workflow – managers create a graphical representation
of the workflow process with checkpoints and email notifications
to alert users of the project’s status and next
step.
We produce
numerous versions of documentation for a large line of
products, making it difficult to ensure the accuracy of
the content.
Global
change capabilities – users change content
in one instance and automatically update it everywhere
else it appears (i.e., change a warning that appears in
20 documents once, rather than 20 times).
Our business
needs are constantly evolving.
Structural flexibility
– ability to change a data model (i.e., DTD) and/or
manage multiple models simultaneously without major changes
to the system.
We need
to ensure this investment will be usable in both the short
and long term.
Corporate stability
– stability in company history, financials and management
team that would suggest viability as a long-term partner.
Our staff
is inexperienced with content management technology.
On-site
training and ongoing customer support - implementation
goes smoothly and future questions get answered.
