Local Government Web Network conference 2010

Factors to consider when selecting a CMS

Or, why features lists shouldn't drive your CMS selection process

Selecting a CMS/LG Web Network 2

Agenda

• Introductions

• Lack of choice isn’t the problem: a look at what’s out there

• ‘One size fits all’ doesn’t apply to CMSs, nor should it apply to the evaluation process

• CMS selection process must haves:– Business objectives (vs features lists)– Narrowing the field– User stories/scenarios (vs functional ‘requirements’)– Demos

19/08/2010

Selecting a CMS @ LG Web Network 2010 3

Who I am

Malini Raha

[email protected]

@atomic_anu

0448839716

19/08/2010


About you?

19/08/2010


A look at what’s out there

• Sources of information

• Industry reports

• What counts as a CMS

• CMS paradigms

• CMS vendors & implementers19/08/2010


Sources of CMS information

• http://cmswatch.com

• http://cmswire.com

• http://cmsmatrix.org

19/08/2010


Even more info on CMSs

• Forrester Wave

• Gartner Magic Quadrant

19/08/2010


Sources of CMS information

• Other councils• Australian• Overseas

19/08/2010


What counts as a CMS

19/08/2010


What counts as a CMS solution

19/08/2010

Processes

Supp

ort &

mai

nten

ance 3rd party/legacy apps

Integration

CMS

Hosting

Core

Pre-built add-ons

Config-urations

Custom add-ons


CMS paradigms

Understanding different models, unlikely to be a selection factor for local governments & councils:

• Front end / back end

• Delivery on request / delivery on publishing

• Multi-site / federated

• Open source / proprietary

• Hosted / installed

19/08/2010


CMS vendors

• Local Australian vendors (107) & international CMSs in Australia

(35)

source: http://www.steptwo.com.au/resources/australian-cms

• also, Open Source products19/08/2010


Vendors & implementers

19/08/2010

Processes

Supp

ort &

mai

nten


Integration

CMS

Hosting

you

you

youCore

Pre-built add-ons

Config-urations

Custom add-ons



19/08/2010

Processes

Supp

ort &

mai

nten


Integration

CMS

Hosting

you

you

youCore

Pre-built add-ons

Config-urations

Custom add-ons

V

V



19/08/2010

Processes

Supp

ort &

mai

nten


Integration

CMS

Hosting

you

you

you

SP

SPH

SP

Core

Pre-built add-ons

Config-urations

Custom add-ons

V

SP

SP

V


Selection process

Typical process:• Scope

• RFT– Non-functional

requirements– Functional requirements

(list of features)

• Scoring & shortlist

• Demos

• References19/08/2010

Alternative process:• Business objectives

– Long list

• RFT– User stories

• Shortlist

• References

• Demos


Organisational objectives• Key performance indicators for this project? (external objectives)

– Streamline the online experience for visitors, maximising user paths and goal orientation

– Bring a sense of community to the site– To increase perception of the city by residents as a friendly and safe city– Reduce the number of dog complaints

• Involving stakeholders (internal objectives)

– Generate efficiencies and reduce costs by improving the administrative system– Reduce risk, demonstrable local successes

• Measuring outcomes (success?!)

– Measuring usability– Measuring efficiency– Measuring perception

19/08/2010


Narrowing the field

• Lot’s of options, begin filtering – Based on technology– Based on budget– Based on project management

processes

19/08/2010


Technology

• Hosting environment

• Platform

• Legacy systems

• Integrating with other applications

19/08/2010


Technology

• Hosting environment

• Platform

• Legacy systems

• Integrating with other applications

19/08/2010


Budget

• License fees

• Service fees

• Total cost of ownership

19/08/2010


What are you looking for in an implementer?

• Delivery model/process

• Quality Assurance

• Deployment procedure

• Service Level Agreements

19/08/2010


User stories vs functional requirements

• Examples of functional requirements

“A2.1.1 Ability to establish a variety of roles within a workflow process

A2.1.2 Ability to assign, grant or withhold workflow permissions to specific roles or individuals.

A2.1.3 Provide workflow schemas that support sequential

approval steps.”

• Instead, user stories provide scenarios how the CMS will be used “Richard enters the text for the page, and creates a link to the supporting PDF. Once the content has been spell-checked,

Richard submits the page for review by Jane, his manager.”

source: http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/kmc_scenarios/index.html

19/08/2010


Other short listing considerations

• What’s it really about, the service provider or the CMS?

• Who will be implement-ing the solution?

– Management consultancies– Digital agencies– Vendor’s professional services– Your in-house team

19/08/2010


Other short listing considerations

• What’s it really about, the service provider or the CMS?

• Who will be implement-ing the solution?

– Management consultancies– Digital agencies– Vendor’s professional services– Your in-house team

19/08/2010

Sidebar: Content management inconvenient truths

•It’s the crew and not the tool – forget about finding the best CMS, but do work hard to find the best implementation crew

•On average organisations change their CMS every 3 years

•Standards are nice, but elusive

source: http://www.jboye.com/blogpost/10-years-web-content-management-some-inconvenient-truths


Demonstrations

• Demonstrations requested from shortlisted bidders – short list of 3 - 4 bidders

• Time cap – 1 hour

• Provide a script - build on the user stories already used in the RFT

• Involve representatives from groups that will interact with the CMS

19/08/2010


Summary

• Lead with organisational objectives

• Your requirements– use non-functional requirements to filter– should be collaboratively compiled with multiple stakeholder

input – involve those who will be using the CMS– express them as usage scenarios, not features/functionality

matrices

• Demonstrations, following your script, are key

• Evaluations– Discuss, debate, vote – important for the evaluation team to

include stakeholders– Qualitative vs quantitative

19/08/2010


Questions?

Thank you!

19/08/2010