Why Content Management Projects Succeed or Fail
September 25, 2003
Someone raised an excellent new topic on cms-list, seeking input on why CMS projects sometimes fail. This has already sparked some lively discussion. If you have a technical take on CMS efforts, cms-list is an especially useful list.
I have seen both successes and failures in content management projects. While I have not attempted to formally catalog the reasons, certain things seem to be consistent, at least on the "successful" side. I have noticed at least three major things in common with successful projects.
- Successful projects have champions. Someone has already mentioned this on cms-list, correctly noting that large CMS projects require support from a key driver in upper management. I would also argue that CMS projects need champions at the working level—beginning with the architects and including both editorial champions and graphic design champions. The editorial champions are those people who know the content, how the audience uses it, and how to continually improve it. The more input these people have in the project, the better the outcome.
- Successful projects have metrics. I believe in calculating ROI. My most successful clients have well developed metrics for how long things take to accomplish and how much they cost. They know how much it costs to develop content, and they know how much it costs to add functionality to their content management systems. They then make decisions based on hard data, with an eye on return on investment and profitability.
- Successful projects begin with a lot of skepticism. I had an engagement recently where I presented an analysis of three competing CMS proposals to my client. Each was from a reputable vendor, and had been prepared based on extensive input from the client and from me. We worked very hard to develop an apples-to-apples comparison for client management. The proposals all fell within a range of 15% of each other, including training, professional services, and maintenance over the first 18 months. When I was done with my presentation, one of the first questions from one of the corporate officers was, "So they all think this can be done for about $600,000?" I answered yes. So he turned to his colleagues and said, "Well we need to budget about $2 million then." This was followed by a hearty, knowing laugh. They had all been here before.
I realized the three elements listed here also have something in common—they are all related to a high-level of engagement, communication, and consistency in management style. That same group of champions knows and works with the organization's metrics and is committed to ROI from major initiatives. That same group of champions is skeptical about what vendors (and consultants!) tell them and takes ownership themselves. I have been struck by how successful projects have open and ongoing communication. Skepticism is a healthy thing.
Posted by Bill Trippe at September 25, 2003 2:23 PM
Comments
cms-list reports itself to be "on hiatus since January 13." What's up with that?
Anyway, I have a physical stake in content metrics at the moment (read: metrics due Wed. lots left to do).
The metrics that I'm delivering are, for the moment, rudimentary and to be frank, amateurish. The problem is that I am not trained in stats, nor in business analysis and I don't yet have the services of a metrics 'team' at my disposal, although I'm told this is on the way.
Long term, my goal is to be able to measure the value of the content my org produces both to customers and to ourselves, since we are consumers of our own knowledge assets as much as our customers.
Measuring value is the tricky part. I'm making some assumptions, based on the data I figure I can get as well as a few other things. One assumption is that as an org. we should be focusing our limited resources on content that matters the most. The only way to determine this is to measure demand. By the same token (I'm using this phrase too much lately) I also need to be able to measure supply. I need to answer the questions 'What information do customers need?' and 'What information are we supplying?' This is the direction I'm working toward.
On the surface it sounds fairly simple, but I'm finding it isn't. It's simple to measure publishing activity. And it's simple to measure stats relating to lifecycle, assuming you have a CM that permits these kinds of queries. But value is an aggregation of information.
I expect to capture and weight the following data:
- Keyword searching activity by customers
- Support topics viewed by customers, sorted by product and topics
- Proximity to recent product releases (the more recent the release, the higher the demand for knowledge relating to new release)
- Proximity of other 'events'-- new OS, etc.
What's your experience in this context?
StephenG, Content Manager
IBM Rational Customer Support
Hi Stephen,
Great posting! You ask so many good questions and raise so many good issues.
First of all, it is great that you have the opportunity and inclination to try to develop quantitative measures such as these. It's also great that your organization seems to be supportive of this. I try to keep up with professional issues in technical communication and customer support. The question of how to measure the value of documentation and other written communications is still a largely unanswered one.
I don't know the technology you are using for distributing the content, but you should be able to derive the kinds of statistics you mention from the standard Web logs and tools on your site.
I would love to hear more as the project progresses. I should mention that this entry is actually the most frequently visited on my site, so it will be interesting to see what other kinds of comments your post solicits.
Thanks again,
Bill
Posted by Bill Trippe at March 8, 2004 8:06 PMPost a comment
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If I'm starting a new internet business, do I need to get a business license even if I'm doing all of my business over the net? Seems odd to have to go down to the county and get a business license when I'm not doing local business. But I'm afraid to ask my county because I'm sure they want my money.
Posted by cynthia harper at January 16, 2004 1:25 AM