Experiences with Content Management Systems

[Kevin Amery]

Content Management is a very wide ranging field, covering everything from
version control systems all the way up to cataloging, tracking, and securing
every document in an entire enterprise (including hard copies). My guess is
the reason you're not getting much "nitty gritty" is because in order to
drill down beyond a certain level you have to focus on specific types of CM.
Also, with the broader types of CM in most cases the implementation ends up
requiring a lot of custom work.

Also, do NOT pick a CM tool then start trying to figure out how your
organization can work with it. Start from the other side - determine what
tasks, functions, etc. that your organization needs and how your
organization works, then find a CM that is as close a fit as possible. One
of the biggest things about CM that most people fail to see (until it's too
late) is that the software is at most one third of the system. The other two
thirds are 2) the business processes that are implemented to use the
software and 3) the people who will run them. If the processes don't match
what your organization needs, the system will get in your way rather than
helping you. And, if the people who need to use it don't understand or buy
into the processes, then the system will not work, no matter how brilliant
the software may be.

-- 
Until next time...

Kevin Amery