Avoiding the Pitfalls of Content Management Implementations

Content management has grown from an enabling technology supporting public Web site development to a mission-critical foundation for a wide range of strategic business initiatives. During the advent of the Web, companies simply sought a Web presence to provide basic information about the company and its products. Over time the simple Web site matured into broader e-commerce initiatives as companies began transacting business with customers and partners over the Web. Today, organizations are realizing that managing and streamlining content across the enterprise is not only important for specific e-business projects, but is also critical for making strategic initiatives across the enterprise more cost-efficient and productive. Since the investment in implementing an enterprise content management system is substantial, and effectively managing the content has become more closely tied with realizing business and revenue goals, it has become even more important for content management implementations to be successful.

Five Common “Traps” of Content Management Implementations

Like most mission-critical technology initiatives, implementing a content management system quickly is imperative in order to realize the expected return on investment. However, speed is not the sole success factor, and an organization considering purchasing and implementing a content management system should fully evaluate its needs. Rushing into an implementation without fully weighing the options and defining the goals can lead to failure—due to budget overrun, missed deadlines, or not producing the desired ROI.

Following are five common mistakes organizations make when implementing their content management solution. Avoiding these common traps may mean the difference between success and failure:

• Miscalculating the total cost of ownership: Not all content management systems are created equally—many simply do not provide out-of-the-box functionality, which means buyers will face escalating consulting fees and long implementation times before realizing benefits from their investment in content management.;

• Not accommodating the needs of non-technical users: The majority of your content “consumers” and “producers” are not part of your technical staff. Rather, employees throughout the enterprise generate volumes of spreadsheets and text documents that need to be quickly Web-enabled for distribution within the company. Ignoring their need for a content management system that is easy-to-use, browser-based and allows for multiple content contributors spells disaster for enterprise-wide adoption.;

• Underestimating the change management component of your content management implementation: Introducing a content management system where everyone across the enterprise can contribute and publish content to one or more Web sites is, even today, a cultural paradigm shift away from funneling all content through a Webmaster. A successful implementation hinges on your business users embracing and using the new content management system so that your organization can fully reap the efficiency and cost-saving benefits.;

• Ignoring requirements for integrating the content management system with other applications: It is important to consider how well the content management system will integrate with the full breadth of applications that also support your strategic business initiatives. Does it integrate with your application or commerce server? Does it integrate with your corporate portal solution? Does it integrate with your back-end databases and other infrastructure?;

• Failing to think about future needs: By investing in a content management system, you are investing in your long-term strategic goals. You need to plan and purchase accordingly, making sure that the content management system you select will meet your growing needs. Will it scale to accommodate your organization’s growth, both domestically and internationally? Will it support wireless technology? What about platform considerations, such as J2EE or .Net?;

Choosing Your Content Management System Wisely

By carefully assessing your organization’s needs and evaluating the content management systems on the market, you can avoid the common pitfalls that occur in implementations. Specifically, your content management system should offer:

• Ease-of-use: Your technical and non-technical users alike should fully adopt and use your new content management system for maximum productivity and collaboration across your enterprise.;

• Rapid deployment: Look for out-of-the-box functionality to avoid the downward spiral of consulting time and fees.;

• Contribution and conversion of native file formats: Systems that enable users to contribute content in common forms, such as Word or Excel, then automatically convert and publish those documents in Web formats enable quick adoption from your business users.;

• Scalability: As your organization grows, your need to manage content will grow as well, so it is imperative to look for a system that accommodates your immediate needs and will meet your changing needs over time.;

• Flexibility: Your new content management system should be flexible enough to integrate with your other e-business applications or be installed on a standalone basis, if necessary. ;

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About Stellent

Stellent, formerly known as IntraNet Solutions, is a global provider of enterprise content management solutions for scalable business Web sites. The company has been ranked one of the top three content management vendors by industry analyst firms Gartner Dataquest, Forrester Research and Aberdeen Group, and has more than 1,500 customers, including many of the Global 2000. Its customer roster includes Merrill Lynch, Agilent Technologies, Target Corp., Cox Communications, Yahoo!, Hewlett-Packard and Ericsson Telecom AB. Stellent is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and maintains offices throughout the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific