Finding Correct Content Managemet System
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The list of requirements for an enterprise-wide CMS is quite large and it shall
continue to grow with the growth of technology. Group the items into
categories, to make this list more manageable.
One classification scheme that has worked well for us is:
This list covers the full lifecycle of a content management system, from
initially creating the content, through to delivering it to end users.
This section gives you some starting points for your requirements gathering
process. These ideas have been distilled from the CMS projects we have been
involved in. This is far from a complete list, and is no replacement for a full
requirements gathering process.
This is the functionality required by the authors (content creators) using the
CMS.
Without an effective authoring process, use of the CMS will wither and fail
within a year of implementation.
Key requirements may include:
Integrated
authoring environment
The CMS must provide a seamless and powerful environment for content creators.
This ensures that authors have easy access to the full range of features
provided by the CMS.
Separation of
content and presentation
It is not possible to publish to multiple formats without a strict separation of
content and presentation.
Authoring must be style-based, with all formatting applied during publishing.
Multi-user
authoring
The CMS will have many simultaneous users. Features such as record locking
ensure that clashing changes are prevented.
Single-sourcing
(content re-use)
A single page (or even paragraph) will often be used in different contexts, or
delivered to different user groups.
This is a prerequisite to managing different platforms (intranet, internet) from
the same content source.
(This is a complex requirement that warrants a whitepaper of its own.)
Metadata
creation
Capturing metadata (creator, subject, keywords, etc) is critical when managing a
large content repository.
This also includes keyword indexes, subject taxonomies and topic maps.
Powerful
linking
Authors will create many cross-links between pages, and these must be stable
against restructuring.
Non-technical
authoring
Authors must not be required to use HTML (or other technical knowledge) when
creating pages.
Ease of use
& efficiency
For a CMS to be successful, it must be easy to create and maintain content.
Content management
The core of most CMS solutions is a central repository, supported by a range of
tools for manipulating and managing the content.
Key requirements may include:
Version control
& archiving
Strict version control is necessary for legal accountability, backup and
disaster recovery. A simple but powerful interface must be provided for these
features.
Workflow
Decentralised content creation relies heavily on a powerful workflow model, that
can be easily customised, and is resilient against organisational change.
Security
Adequate security levels and audit trails must be in place to protect the
integrity of the content.
Integration
with external systems
A CMS is typically only one of a number of systems used to present information
on the intranet or website.
An enterprise-wide CMS will only be successful if it can be cleanly integrated
with existing business systems.
The mechanisms for achieving this must be fully documented, and based on open or
industry standards.
Reporting
The CMS must provide an extensive range of reports, for both users and
administrators. Ideally, the system should pro- actively report on any issues
that arise.
Support for customised reporting is also desirable.
The publishing engine takes the content stored in the repository, and generates
the final pages. While this may be a dynamic or batch process, the same basic
requirements apply. Key requirements may include:
Stylesheets
Final appearance is controlled through the use of stylesheets. This provides
flexibility and expandability.
Page templates
Overall page layout is specified via page templates. Ideally, a non-technical
interface should be provided for managing this.
Extensibility
It must be simple to integrate code "snippets" (or equivalent) to provide
additional publishing functionality. The CMS must support a process of
"continual improvement" in interface design.
Support for
multiple formats
The CMS must publish to multiple formats, such as: HTML (web), printed, PDF,
hand-held (WAP), and more.
It should be possible to add support for additional formats, which will be
necessary as new standards evolve.
In order to achieve high-quality in every format, it is critical that the
content be separated from presentation at the time of authoring. This allows
distinct stylesheets to be used for each output.
Personalization
Different information is presented based on either user profiles, or metadata in
the source content. This is typically required for large "portal" websites.
Usage
statistics
The CMS must allow comprehensive usage statistics to be gathered, including:
most popular pages, daily usage, and search engine usage.
This information allows the success of the site to be tracked, and any usability
issues identified.
Presentation
The published pages must meet certain standards if they are to be of value to
your users. It is important to specify these requirements if you are asking the
vendor to design the appearance and layout of the web pages.
Key requirements may include:
Usability
This covers aspects such as ease of use, learnability and efficiency. Usability
can be assured by conducting tests on the prototype designs with real users.
Usability heuristics (guidelines) must also be followed.
Accessibility
The CMS must conform to standards such as the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
(WAI).
Cross browser
support
The pages must be viewable in all major web browsers (Internet Explorer,
Netscape, Opera, etc). Specify which browser versions are to be supported.
Limited
client-side functionality
You may wish to limit which client-side technologies (Java, JavaScript, Flash,
etc) are required to view the site. This is more important for a website than
an intranet.
Speed
Page size must be limited to ensure that load times are acceptable for users.
Specify the typical user access methods (LAN, modem, cable, etc).
Valid HTML
All pages must conform to the current HTML specification. This ensures maximum
compatibility across browsers and platforms.
Effective
navigation
Users must be provided with consistent, comprehensive and usable na