| Content management is the organizing, | | | | in the repository. There are many tools and |
| categorizing, and structuring of information | | | | styles. |
| resources (text, images, documents etc.) so | | | | |
| that they can be stored, published, and | | | | Workflow Management: This allows you to |
| edited with ease and flexibility. A content | | | | monitor, adjust, and maintain the process |
| management system (CMS) is used to collect, | | | | through which the creation and publishing |
| manage, and publish content, storing the | | | | tasks are done in your organization. Systems |
| content either as components or whole | | | | range from highly complex to quite simple, |
| documents, while maintaining dynamic links | | | | but all give you a set of tools to manage the |
| between components. | | | | activities of authors and the progress of |
| | | | content. |
| Content management is the organizing, | | | | |
| categorizing, and structuring of information | | | | Content Storage: This feature keeps the |
| resources (text, images, documents etc.) so | | | | content sensibly organized and accessible. |
| that they can be stored, published, and | | | | Most CMS use a relational database; the point |
| edited with ease and flexibility. A content | | | | is to store the content in one place and in a |
| management system (CMS) is used to collect, | | | | consistent fashion. |
| manage, and publish content, storing the | | | | |
| content either as components or whole | | | | Publication Management: This allows you to |
| documents, while maintaining dynamic links | | | | organize your content with metadata and |
| between components. | | | | formatting. CMS have different ways of |
| | | | approaching this, but the better ones allow |
| CMSs allow end-users (typically authors of | | | | you to define and manage your metadata and |
| some sort) to provide new content in the form | | | | your templates. |
| of articles. The articles are typically | | | | |
| entered as plain text, perhaps with markup to | | | | Publishing: Publishing allows you to merge |
| indicate where other resources (such as | | | | the content data and the content formatting |
| pictures) should be placed. The system then | | | | and move it from the repository to your |
| uses rules to style the article, which | | | | publication. Different methods exist, but |
| separates the display from the content, which | | | | they all allow you to push the content out to |
| has a number of advantages when trying to get | | | | some publicly accessible place without the |
| many articles to conform to a consistent | | | | help of your tech team. |
| "look and feel". The system then adds the | | | | |
| articles to a larger collection for | | | | Content portability: Since the CMS stores |
| publishing. | | | | content as data, that data can be inserted |
| | | | into any appropriate output format or |
| The systems also often include some sort of | | | | template. If you want your article to appear |
| concept of the workflow for the target users, | | | | with a blue background in your Members |
| which defines how the new content is to be | | | | section, but with a yellow background in your |
| routed around the system. | | | | General Information section, you don't need |
| | | | to write your article twice. Instead, you |
| A good example of a CMS would be a system for | | | | write it once and assign it to the blue |
| managing a newspaper. In such a system the | | | | template and the yellow template. |
| reporters type articles into the system, | | | | |
| which stores them in a database. Along with | | | | Design flexibility: Similarly, since the CMS |
| the article the system stores attributes, | | | | stores the templates separate from the |
| including keywords, the date and time of | | | | content data, if you want to make a design |
| filing, the reporter's name, etc. The system | | | | change, however small (such as changing the |
| then uses these attributes to find out, given | | | | font color on a particular type of page) or |
| its workflow rules, who should proofread the | | | | sweeping (such as changing the font color, |
| article, approve it for publication, edit it, | | | | type, and size throughout your site), you |
| etc. Later the editors can choose which | | | | only need to change the template; the CMS |
| articles to include (or ignore) in an edition | | | | handles the rest. |
| of the newspaper, which is then laid out and | | | | |
| printed automatically. | | | | Single Storage in a Single Place: In a CMS, |
| | | | all the content data is stored in one place, |
| How Content Management System Work | | | | in a consistent way and perhaps most |
| | | | importantly, only once. |
| 1. A professional web developer designs a web | | | | |
| page format - typically with a logo at the | | | | If you've ever suffered because you have nine |
| top and standard navigation options across | | | | different versions of an article and you |
| the top, down the left hand side, and/or at | | | | can't figure out which one to use, you'll be |
| the foot of the page. | | | | happier with a CMS. The system maintains one |
| | | | copy of the content, regardless of how you |
| 2. This new format is used to create a master | | | | plan to use it. If, for example, you have a |
| template. | | | | press release that's displayed in your Press |
| | | | Release section, your News Section, and your |
| 3. All the web developers in the organization | | | | Archives section, and a mistake is |
| get to use special software that lets them | | | | discovered, the process for fixing it will be |
| add text and images to web pages, | | | | easier. Without a CMS, you would probably |
| automatically using the master template. | | | | have to fix the mistake in three files; with |
| | | | a CMS, you would fix it in one file (because |
| 4. A professional web developer designs a web | | | | there's only one data file anyway), and the |
| page format - typically with a logo at the | | | | change appears in all three locations. |
| top, and standard navigation options across | | | | |
| the top, down the left hand side, and/or at | | | | Because your content is stored consistently |
| the foot of the page. | | | | in one system, it's much easier to create |
| | | | relationships (usually hyperlinks) between |
| 5. This new format is used to create a master | | | | content pieces and maintain them. For |
| template. | | | | example, if you have several pieces that link |
| | | | to each other, and you move one, the CMS will |
| 6. All the web developers in the organization | | | | make the necessary changes to keep the links |
| get to use special software that lets them | | | | working. |
| add text and images to web pages, | | | | |
| automatically using the master template. | | | | It's also simpler to create a new piece of |
| | | | content by aggregating other pieces. For |
| 7. Each completed page is submitted to an | | | | example, let's say you have a collection of |
| editor, who might make changes or send it | | | | Internet tips, each stored as a separate |
| back to the writer for revision. When the | | | | Piece of content, but all united by the same |
| page is OK, the editor clicks an on-screen | | | | metadata. A CMS makes it easy to present all |
| PUBLISH button and uploads the page to the | | | | those pieces together by creating a template |
| web server, so that the world can read it. | | | | that shows all content that had the metadata, |
| | | | in this case, "type: tip" and "subject: |
| 8. Each page is usually saved on a text | | | | internet". It's also much easier to survey |
| database. Most web pages have file names that | | | | what you have |
| end in .htm or .html, but sometimes you will | | | | |
| see pages ending in other file extensions, | | | | Finally, should you decide to take all your |
| such as .php. These are often generated by | | | | content and migrate it to some new format, |
| content management systems. However, some | | | | the process should be much easier |
| CMSs will generate plain .html pages, which | | | | |
| are more easily found by search engines. | | | | This entire means more time and money saved: |
| | | | you don't duplicate work, you don't lose |
| 9. The CMS also generates indexes, showing | | | | content, and you spend less time managing |
| what files have been changed when, who | | | | content. |
| updated which file, and so on. | | | | |
| | | | Workflow Management: Any good CMS will have |
| 10. The more elaborate CMS perform a lot more | | | | some sort of workflow management scheme. This |
| functions (such as archives, built-in search | | | | usually involves defining certain roles -- |
| engines, permission control, and workflow | | | | such as author, editor, and publisher -- and |
| management), but the above ones are basic. | | | | giving each of those roles some abilities and |
| | | | responsibilities. |
| 11. Giving control back to content owners, | | | | |
| allowing them to user their web browser to | | | | Likewise, content can exist in a number of |
| add and edit content on the site with no | | | | states, such as draft, final, published, or |
| special knowledge required. | | | | archive, and each state has certain |
| | | | characteristics. |
| 12. Separating page content from format and | | | | |
| design, creating a more consistent look and | | | | Combine the roles and the states, wrap some |
| feel across the site. | | | | logic around it, and you have a workflow |
| | | | system. The author is assigned to create the |
| 13. Faster publication of content and updates | | | | draft, the editor is notified that the draft |
| as well as immediate site-wide changes. | | | | is ready to be edited, etc. |
| | | | |
| 14. Automation of all navigation, internal | | | | Workflow management facilitates better |
| links, and other site sections where rules | | | | communication, progress tracking, and more |
| can be imposed on content, eliminating | | | | efficient content transitions. Even a basic |
| internal broken links or orphaned pages. | | | | system will notify the appropriate role that |
| | | | a piece of content has reached a state where |
| 15. The ability to schedule the publication | | | | it needs attention. More advanced systems |
| or expiration of a page and all links to that | | | | allow all sorts of triggers and controls to |
| page. | | | | be put into place. None of these features are |
| | | | going to do the work of managing your |
| 16. Development of workflow and approval | | | | processes; rather, they give you better |
| processes; turning management of your website | | | | visibility into the process and better tools |
| into a business process. | | | | to do the work. |
| | | | |
| 17. The ability to customize the level of | | | | The major gain here is control, which saves |
| design and formatting control given to site | | | | time and money by speeding communication and |
| authors. | | | | preventing mistakes. The workflow system |
| | | | handles much of the communication, tracking, |
| 18. Development of user templates for content | | | | and measuring so your authors, editors, and |
| delivery using existing site design or in | | | | publishers can concentrate on writing, |
| conjunction with a site redesign. | | | | reviewing, and publishing, instead of walking |
| | | | around checking on things, looking for lost |
| 19. Development of customized approval | | | | drafts, and trying to figure out where all |
| workflow. | | | | the time has gone. |
| | | | |
| 20. Creation of user accounts and roles to | | | | Automated Publishing: When it comes to |
| fit your desired level of control and access. | | | | freeing technical resources from publishing |
| | | | tasks, almost any CMS shines. The CMS allows |
| 21. Integration with existing applications | | | | non-technical people to schedule, trigger, |
| and databases. | | | | and otherwise manage the process of moving |
| | | | the content to the production environment. |
| 22. User training to assist content authors | | | | |
| in becoming familiar with the system | | | | If your valuable technical people are |
| | | | constantly distracted by pushing out small |
| Benefits of Content Management System | | | | text changes, regularly releasing new |
| | | | articles, or fixing layout issues, the CMS |
| - Content Authoring: This allows your content | | | | will change their worlds. With a CMS in |
| contributors to create content and store it | | | | place, these tasks become things that |
| in the repository. There are many tools and | | | | publishers and editors can do, usually with a |
| styles. | | | | powerful set of tools available within the |
| | | | CMS. The technical people maintain the CMS, |
| - Workflow Management: This allows you to | | | | but it's at much higher level, and their time |
| monitor, adjust, and maintain the process | | | | is greatly freed to handle more technical |
| through which the creation and publishing | | | | issues throughout your organization. |
| tasks are done in your organization. Systems | | | | |
| range from highly complex to quite simple, | | | | Usually, the actual time required to publish |
| but all give you a set of tools to manage the | | | | your content is reduced. More importantly, |
| activities of authors and the progress of | | | | the time it does take is spent by the most |
| content. | | | | appropriate people (authors, editors, |
| | | | publishers), and not by people who are |
| - Content Storage: This feature keeps the | | | | probably supposed to be working on a new Web |
| content sensibly organized and accessible. | | | | site feature or tuning up the network. |
| Most CMS use a relational database; the point | | | | |
| is to store the content in one place and in a | | | | Hopefully, you have a more specific idea of |
| consistent fashion. | | | | what a CMS does, and how a CMS might save |
| | | | your organization time, effort, and therefore |
| Content Authoring: This allows your content | | | | money. |
| contributors to create content and store it | | | | |