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Feature Article

Planning: The Key to Successful CMS Implementation
Judy Glick-Smith
Volume 1, Issue 1
So you think you need content management? The temptation is to call your Information Technology (IT) department and ask them to help you choose a content management system (CMS). Being very tool oriented, your IT department will love buying you the latest "silver bullet" without ever looking at your content requirements or your internal processes. This is the best prescription for failure.

Information Architecture is Just Plain Fun!, An Interview with Lou Rosenfeld
Lou Rosenfeld
Volume 1, Issue 2
In planning the second issue of The Rockley Report, it was unanimous that an issue on Information Architecture would not be complete without hearing from Lou Rosenfeld, information architecture "guru" and co-author of Information Architecture for the Word Wide Web, now in its second edition. We posed a number of questions to learn how he got involved in information architecture, his views on information architecture for the web, and how he sees information architecture extending beyond the web, potentially to all content created, used, and stored throughout an organization. According to Rosenfeld, "structuring, labeling, and organizing information is just plain fun. Well, at least for the oddfellows among us who are into that sort of thing." We happen to agree and are happy to share with you our interview with Lou Rosenfeld. Be sure to also check out Rosenfeld's web site at www.louisrosenfeld.com.

Tony Byrne Talks Technology
Tony Byrne
Volume 1, Issue 3
While content management is not all about technology, technology is a critical component of any content management solution. After all, according to Tony Byrne, "you can't do a CMS implementation without technology." Tony Byrne has established himself as a leader in understanding content management technologies and their role, so if you're looking for information on how technology supports content management, then CMSWatch is the place to look. CMSWatch.com, founded by Byrne in July 2001, provides an independent source of information, trends, opinion, and analysis about Web Content Management (WCM) solutions.

Perspectives on Content Management Education: An Interview with Bob Boiko
Bob Boiko
Volume 1, Issue 4
Bob Boiko wrote the bible on content management, literally. His Content Management Bible was first published in 2001 and its popularity generated a 2nd edition, hot off the presses in November 2004. Apparently, people are keen to learn about content management and rely on the Content Management Bible as an authoritative source.

Using DITA to Develop a New Information Architecture at BMC Software
Wendy Shepperd
Volume 2, Issue 1
BMC Software is a leading provider of enterprise management solutions that empower companies to manage their IT infrastructures from a business perspective. Delivering Business Service Management (BSM), BMC Software solutions span enterprise systems, applications, databases, and service management. To better support the integration that BSM solutions provide, the Information Development organization is using the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) to pilot XML-based structured authoring and advanced content management.

Best Practices

Why start with analysis?
Ann Rockley
Volume 1, Issue 1
One of the most common mistakes that we see is a company picking the tool first, then trying to make their content management requirements fit the functionality of the tool. However, analysis of why projects fail identifies that one of the main reasons for failure is lack of analysis and design. This article draws on recent literature to identify the main reasons for why content management projects fail and provides some possible solutions.

Strategies for Optimum Reuse
Ann Rockley, Cori Czekaj
Volume 1, Issue 2
Reuse is a critical component of a unified content strategy. At each stage of developing the information architecture, information architects refine the reuse strategy to reflect multiple perspectives of reuse, culminating in an optimal reuse plan. This article provides guidance on how to achieve optimum reuse.

Best Practices for Selecting a CMS
James Robertson
Volume 1, Issue 3
Selecting the most effective content management system (CMS) is recognized as a crucial first step for a content management project, yet many organizations struggle with this process. This article draws upon industry experiences to outline the best practice approaches to selecting a CMS, thereby providing the foundation for a successful CMS implementation.

Educate, educate, educate for successful content management
Ann Rockley
Volume 1, Issue 4
Education is a critical component of a successful content management implementation. Education can be as simple as ongoing communication to participants or as organized as formal training sessions. This article identifies who needs to know what to ensure a successful content management implementation.

International Standards and their Impact on Technical Communication and Content Management
Ralph E. Robinson
Volume 2, Issue 1
International Standards are becoming a fact of life in the world of business today. Conceivably, businesses in North America are required to meet quality standards as spelled out in ISO 9001, environmental standards as spelled out in ISO 14001, health and safety standards as spelled out in OHSAS 18001, regulatory standards like Sarbanes-Oxley and 21 CFR Part 11 as well as many other standards specific to the industry in which they operate, such as FAA, SAE, W3C. This article discusses the need for standards and their and impact on business; who is responsible for their development and how they are developed; how they will impact technical communication and technical communicators world-wide; and why technical communicators need to become involved in their development

Information Architecture

Information Architecture of Content Management
Ann Rockley
Volume 1, Issue 1
When people think about content management, they generally think about it from a systems perspective, focusing primarily on tools and technology. While it is true that content management usually requires a technological solution, it also requires that content be designed for reuse, retrieval, and delivery to meet your authors' and customers' needs. Content management requires that tools be configured to support authoring, reviewing, and publishing tasks, but first, those tasks must be designed. Designing content and the processes to create, review, and publish it is what information architecture is all about. The Information Architecture section of The Rockley Report will focus on the different aspects of information architecture for content management. This article introduces you to some of the components of information architecture that we will cover in The Rockley Report over time.

Semantic vs Generic Elements
Ann Rockley
Volume 1, Issue 2
As you begin to model your content you will be faced with the issue of whether to create semantic models or generic models. This article reviews the pros and cons of naming your elements semantically and provides some guidelines for when to name elements semantically.

Impact of Technology on Information Architecture
Ann Rockley
Volume 1, Issue 3
This article points out the key areas where technology impacts information architecture for content management and provides guidelines to help you understand how your information architecture requirements should guide you in your technology decision.

Educating authors for content management
Ann Rockley
Volume 1, Issue 4
Authors are the primary users of your content management system. It is imperative that you teach them how to use the system and how to effectively reuse content. This article identifies the areas where authors need to be educated and provides some guidelines for supporting authors in their tasks.

Content Modeling to Assess Standards
Pamela Kostur
Volume 2, Issue 1
With all the standards out there, can you just pick one and start authoring? Well, it depends. This article describes content modeling to assess standards, focusing on determining expectations and ensuring the standard can meet those expectations.

Tools and Technology

Learn to distinguish between different types of CM systems
Steve Manning
Volume 1, Issue 1
There are a dizzying number of systems on the market that are or can be referred to as Content Management Systems. Determining which content management system is right for you starts with an understanding of the different types of systems and the range of functionality available. Analyzing your needs is critical to selecting the right system.

Implementation: Issues with Granularity
Steve Manning
Volume 1, Issue 2
Making the transition from document management to content management means that you have to look within documents for the structure of your content management system. How big should the pieces of content in your system be? There are many factors that affect the physical granularity of the content you manage.

XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language)
Steve Manning, Diane Mueller-Klingspor
Volume 1, Issue 3
It is difficult to explain XML and its value because XML is such an abstract concept and still widely misunderstood. Sometimes it's easiest to describe XML as an enabling technology, and by talking about the ways in which people are using XML successfully. One such success story is XBRL. In this article, we spoke to Diane Mueller-Klingspor, currently heading up the XML and XBRL efforts at BusinessObjects, for her views on XBRL.

Teaching the New Art of Authoring in XML
Bill Albing
Volume 1, Issue 4
Although XML has been around for years, the use of XML is far from mainstream for most technical writers. There needs to be grounding in the use of XML that goes beyond the programming syntax that is widely available in most XML courses. This article describes one such course the author developed, that combines concepts that are needed by developers of technical content, along with practical exercises and easily understood analogies to give the next generation of technical writers the basis they need.

CMSML: A Standard for Describing and Classifying Content Management Systems
Erik M. Hartman
Volume 2, Issue 1
The number of content management systems is still growing strong. And with the trend of enterprise content management buy-outs and new players in the market, the complexity of these numerous content management systems increases. A means of describing and classifying content management systems would be helpful. This article gives the ins and outs of CMSML, a markup language for content management systems provided by CM Professionals.

Understanding the Scalable Vector Graphics Standard
Sara Porter
Volume 2, Issue 1
In this article I will discuss the standard called Scalable Vector Graphics, or SVG. I begin with a brief explanation of what SVG is and conclude by explaining why SVG is important to adopt and use. The article is written in "non-program speak" and is intended to give a brief, high-level explanation of a very robust and deep technology, including what it is, why use it, and additional advantages of SVG

People, Processes, and Change

Incorporating Usability into Content Management
Pamela Kostur
Volume 1, Issue 1
This article describes the importance of incorporating usability into all stages of implementing content management, including assessing your needs, assessing your users (of both the content and the content management system), and assessing your content. It questions the emphasis of technology in many of the current discussions about content management, and instead, advocates looking to the field of usability to form the basis of a content management implementation.

Issues in Information Architecture
Pamela Kostur
Volume 1, Issue 2
Behind a successful content management implementation is a solid information architecture that describes such things as how information products will be structured, where and how content (and structure) will be reused, as well as what metadata is required to identify how content is used, retrieved, and tracked. Information architecture forms the specification for a unified content strategy, but information architecture brings a new set of challenges to those whose job is to create and disseminate content. This article explores some of the issues specific to information architecture, including: teaching authors about information architecture; distinguishing between reusable content and reusable structure; visually representing information structure (documenting your information architecture); and documenting the architecture.

Technology's Impact on its Users
Pamela Kostur
Volume 1, Issue 3
While implementing a content management system is indeed a technology implementation, it has other drivers, related to people and processes. Implementing a CMS is never just about installing a system; it has tremendous impacts on its users, which must be assessed throughout the project life cycle, and on an ongoing basis once the CMS is up and running. This article explores the impact that CMS technology has on its users, and suggests ways to make the acceptance a technology more successful.

XML: To train, or not to train
Steve Manning
Volume 1, Issue 4
XML continues to grow in use for content creation, which means that more and more content contributors are faced with authoring in XML. But how much XML do you need to know? And therefore, for managers, how much XML training do you need to provide to your content contributors?

Content Management Systems and Web Standards
Jim Byrne
Volume 2, Issue 1
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defines a set of standards for publishing content on the Web. The standards relate to the code used for adding structure to web pages, how those pages are presented to users, and scripting languages used to add dynamic elements to those pages. This article discusses why web standards are important in relation to Content Management Systems (CMS).

Gaining Management Support

Identifying the basis for your business case
Ann Rockley
Volume 1, Issue 1
Identifying Return on Investment (ROI) for your content management business case begins with a thorough analysis. This article reviews the information you need to gather to identify ROI for an effective business case for content management.

XML and DTDs: The Buy vs Build Argument
Ann Rockley, Steve Manning
Volume 1, Issue 2
When deciding to adopt XML as an authoring standard/backbone, one has to consider the question, "Do we need to create our own DTD?" Some will tell you that there are ready-made DTDs out there for you to grab and use. Others will tell you that you must either start from scratch or forget about it. So what's the answer? Here are the pluses and minuses in the Buy vs. Build debate to help you decide what makes sense for you and get the DTD you need.

Applying a Pedagogical Model to Educating Management
Pamela Kostur
Volume 1, Issue 4
When starting a content management project, you generally need support from key stakeholders within your organization. You will need to "educate" management about your project and your reasons behind your project, but to do so, you need to learn about their needs so you can present materials to them appropriately. This article suggests applying a pedagogical model to educating management. This approach may help you to gain support for your project initially, and keep managers informed throughout the project's various phases.

Case Study

Developing Dynamic Content at Ontario Systems
Charles Cantrell
Volume 1, Issue 1
Charles Cantrell, an Information Engineer, describes Ontario Systems' process for delivering dynamically assembled and populated documentation for Artiva, its "highly customizable" accounts receivable management application.

It's Not about Technology... It's about Methodology: HP's Lessons Learned
Scott Abel, Lisa Woods
Volume 1, Issue 2
In this case study, Pat Waychoff, a single sourcing visionary and strategist for HP Network Storage Solutions, TCE Metrics and Initiatives department, describes the evolution from traditional documentation authoring and publishing to single source XML content management. Waychoff offers advice for others who hope to tackle such an initiative on their own. HP's lesson learned: "To be successful," Waychoff says, "you need to recognize that there is no `software' solution. It's not really about technology. It's about methodology."

Developing an Intranet Content Management Strategy
Tim Wilkes, Kelly McCurry
Volume 1, Issue 3
Our client is a Canadian organization that provides financial solutions (loans, insurance and business services) to the agricultural sector. In 2003, its fledgling intranet was suffering from navigation and content issues.

What's in the News

Overview of resources related to analysis
Scott Abel
Volume 1, Issue 1
If you're looking to improve the way you manage content, it's best to start with analysis, then build a solid plan of attack. In this issue of The Rockley Report, we provide you with several resources you may find valuable during the planning and analysis phases.

Information Architecture
Scott Abel
Volume 1, Issue 2
You may not realize it, but information architecture is about far more than the web. In this issue of The Rockley Report, we provide you with several resources you may find valuable in your quest to learn more about the discipline of information architecture and how it relates to the management of all types of content, regardless of delivery medium. Check out the online resources, read a book or two, or attend a conference or online event. Whatever you do, learn as much as you can about information architecture-it's an important aspect of content management and should not be overlooked.

New Content Management Community of Practice, Industry Conferences, Online References and more
Scott Abel
Volume 1, Issue 3
This month is an exciting one for those involved in content management. Most newsworthy, a group of thirty content experts from around the world have announced the formation of CM Professionals, an international community of content management practitioners whose purpose is to further proven best practices based on shared experiences of experts and peers.

Education: Courses available for you!!
Scott Abel
Volume 1, Issue 4
If you're looking to learn about effectively managing content, look no further. In this issue of The Rockley Report, we highlight several educational resources you may find valuable in your quest for content management knowledge. We've created a short list of college and university classes and programs, trade association offerings, and a summary of our own Content Management Workshop Series for your review. We've included some useful links to other online resources that may assist you in finding educational opportunities.

Content Standards Of Interest To Content Managers
Scott Abel
Volume 2, Issue 1
There are a variety of content standards that may come into play when developing content management solutions. This article provides an overview of two useful standards that may be of interest to those creating learning content or serving the content needs of those with visual impairments.

Copyright 2005, The Rockley Group, Inc.