WHY CMS? WHY NOW?

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CMS OVERVIEW

• Why CMS? What is it? What are the benefits and how can it help me?

• Centralia College web content management – What’s up?• Web Governance – What’s that and why is it important?• Planning for CMS with Needs Assessment – What’s your

content? What’s your process?• Qs & As

WHAT IS WEB CMS?

An application on a web server, connected to a database that serves as a repository for your web content…

Where you login to access content…

To create, edit & manage information and content on the web.

WEB CMS – WHAT DOES IT DO?

• Allows one to create, publish, edit, and maintain web content, all from a central interface that a user logs into.

• Manages multiple pages and contributors in a collaborative environment.

• Provides the infrastructure for multiple users to effectively contribute content.

WEB CMS – WHY USE IT?

• Addresses a common problem of websites becoming increasingly complex with a growing number of content owners but limited staff & resources to maintain it.

• Makes delivery of content easier and structures content for easier management.

• Manages multiple pages and content contributors.

• Sharing and reusing content saves time, structured content can be reused.

• Provides controls for content providers with limited or restricted access (preview of draft versions can be done before publishing live).

GENERAL BENEFITS OF CMS

• Empowers content owners to make better use of their information, to maintain current, accurate, and high quality content.

• Maintains consistency and enforces brand integrity.

• Users can easily update content without having to transfer files back and forth to a web server.

• Allows for workflow management & a collaborative environment among users, and the ability to schedule updates to regularly updated content.

• Ensures consistency of content between pages sharing the same database information.

• Allows multiple authors to add or change content.

CMS BENEFITS OUR STUDENTS

• Providing updated & accurate public content is an important service for prospective and current students.

• Updated content is essential for an audience-centric site. Our public facing site specifically targets the recruiting of new students.

• Would allow content contributors in various campus departments to provide current, relevant, accurate information for prospective and current students, our site’s primary target audiences.

CMS BENEFITS THE COLLEGE

• Allows streamlining of workflow processes by giving control of online content to the content owners (source) rather than to technical staff.

• Empowers nontechnical users - putting the management of content with the source and owner responsible for the content.

• Encourages the creation of an editorial workflow.• Supports the collaborative management of content via a central

web-based system.• Helps maintain design consistency and brand integrity.

CENTRALIA COLLEGE WEB MANAGEMENT

• Stats• Site Index• CC Content Owners & Managers

CMS FOR A COMPLEX WEBSITE

Centralia College website stats

2006: ~ 6 main web pages

Current Production/development site:79,516 files and 7,292 folders/directories

Live site:Approx. 4,000 pages (html) to main public site.

Instruction content - Academics & Programs:

78 directories, 42 files (root)

WEB CMS – HOW DOES IT WORK?

• CMS provides an authoring environment for easy authoring of structured web content. It can be forms based, in-context or drag and drop, and allows contributors to edit web pages from within their browser.

• Uses design templates / customized CSS.

• Offers predefined regions / content modules.

WEB CMS – WHAT CAN IT OFFER?

• Browser based editing via WYSIWYG interface

• Auto save drafts, push publishing (no FTP)

• Scheduled content publishing

• Outdated content update reminders

• User role assignments (admin, author, editor)

• Collaborative environment

• Access permissions and controls

• Multi site imports

• Content sharing across sites/pages

• Customizable workflows

• Flexibility to meet future needs not just short term needs

• In-context editing

• Enforces consistent look

• Versioning, workflow management

• Image management

• Reusable content blocks & assets

WEB GOVERNANCE – WHAT’S THAT?

With multiple content contributors, Web Governance is critical to the long-term success of our website. A Web Governance policy describes how to manage and publish content, and includes:• Designated areas of responsibility

• Website management team

• Governance/management models

Web Governance Plan: • The 5 Rs: Roles, Responsibilities, Relationships, Rules, and Review

• Sample workflows for website management models

• Create and enforce rules that will improve our website

Q & AHow is your web content currently managed?

1. How many websites/subsites does your department or unit manage?

2. How many pages of online content are you currently responsible for and how many do you manage?

3. How do you currently update your information online?

4. Who in your organization currently manages and updates content?

5. How often is content updated? What content and pages are updated?

6. How many people will need to update content? Who will need to update content?

7. What types of content will need to be updated frequently?

8. What types of content will need to be updated infrequently?

9. What is working/not working about your current method of managing content?

What do you hope to achieve with a web CMS?

1. Who in your organization will be using the CMS?

2. What would your workflow steps look like for publishing content?

3. Are there any internal processes that would affect your timeline for CMS implementation?

4. What are some of your short-term goals that could be achieved with a CMS?

5. What are some of your long-term goals that could be achieved with a CMS?

6. What resources are available? 7. What challenges do you face?

8. What features specific to your content would you need in a CMS (ex: forms, calendar, feeds, etc)?

9. Do you have any plans or ideas for improving your unit’s web presence over the next few years?• More rich content; Content focus: more, better, up-to-date content• Greater focus on target audiences; Presenting information in a modern, engaging way

Technology Considerations1. What business processes rely on your web content (ex: academic support, student

enrollment/registration, marketing, event management, alumni affairs, student affairs, etc)?

2. What internal systems or applications would you want to integrate with a CMS (course info, advisor portal, student portal, faculty/staff intranet)?

3. Do you have other web applications that should interface with the CMS?

4. Is all your web content hosted in-house or do you have content hosted off campus?

5. Where are your users located (single office, distributed offices, home)?

6. How satisfied are you with your current web pages?

7. How are your web pages organized in terms of sections and sub-sections?