Enterprise content management systems help companies control, manage, utilize and share essential information, thereby optimizing the business process. It integrates with the organization’s applications, enhances the agility of content delivery to users, mitigates risk, and eliminates redundancy largely.
It is essential that companies select the right enterprise content management system (ECMS) as the cost of installing the ECMS can be hefty and an ECMS that is unsuitable for the business can be a very costly mistake. The type of business and how installing an ECMS will affect the business both need to be analyzed. All of the important stakeholders have to be involved in making the choice to select the right enterprise content management system. It will help if the company creates a list of its requirements.
Requirements of a Good Enterprise Content Management System: The most important users of an enterprise content management system are the content creators. All areas within the system have to be analyzed carefully to see what effect they have on the work done by the content creators. They need to have full access to all features to properly set up the system and make sure it is working for everyone who will use it. All systems should allow multiple users as well as non-technical authoring, single sourcing, have powerful linking capabilities, capture metadata, and be easy to use and maintain.
The system should ensure continuous flow of content without interruption. Users must have strict version control and it has to be easy to archive the content. It should have good security to prevent misuse of sensitive data and easily integrate with external systems.
The enterprise content management systems must produce pro-active reports to be used by users as well as administrators. Publishing of the reports is another aspect to be carefully considered and the style sheets, page templates and ability to support multiple formats have to be analyzed. The enterprise content management systems should be user-friendly and content must be easily tracked by good usage statistics. It should be easily accessible and easy to navigate; content must be able to be viewed using any browser. It is essential to train personnel to use the system effectively. The scalability of the enterprise content management system, the IT constraints and the resources required to install the system have to be clearly discussed and determined.
Enterprise content management systems ensure that all applications used in an organization deliver their content to a repository, which makes provides the information needed to the various applications on time. They are used by companies to capture, manage, store, deliver and preserve content.
Enterprise content management systems are a necessity in the ever changing and highly competitive business world. For an enterprise to function optimally, invisible but effective enterprise content management systems are mandatory. Selecting the right ECMS that is cost effective, that helps in organizing and managing a business and that helps users make informed decisions through the reliable availability of secure, accurate real-time information is vital. There are firms that offer products and services to help you run a successful business.
Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Gordon
Saturday, April 21, 2007
What to Look for in a Content Management System (CMS)
Content Management Systems are a great way to maintain the integrity of your web site by allowing you, not a web designer, to have control of your content.. When you look for a CMS, look for one that is designed to provide a user-friendly environment that can accommodate multiple users with varying skill levels. Some CMS systems are designed as software that installs on your servers or your PC, while other CMS’s are hosted by the system’s developers and accessed over the Internet via a browser. This type of CMS is generaly less expensive than those installed on your server. Not only will they be less expensive in most cases…you should shop around…but many are suppied as “software-on-demand” and are priced per session. That means you only pay when you use it.
Another thing you should look for is the features of the CMS. It should have all the features of MS Word and be so simple to use that your content developers will be able to begin creating and editing content with ease. CMS systems come in multiple flavors and can be deployed for both small and large companies.
Many of the better-designed CMS’s are based on authentication level, which means that content developers are granted permission to access the authorized areas within the system. This permission-based content access management utility is very popular and is designed and developed for creating, accessing, and managing menus, submenus, hyperlinks, new page creations, etc. It should offer authorized content developers the ability to navigate quickly and intuitively, using pull-down and drill-down menus to get to specific areas of your web site. Most CMS’s have an auto-log-out procedure that can be implemented if a content editor leaves an active session open without making any changes for a certain predetermined length of time. In such cases all unsaved work should be queued for immediate review once the content developer logs back in.
Find a CMS that is designed with no restrictions on page lengths and quantity of content, and allows your content developers to preview new or changed content easily. Users should be able to make multiple content changes that will be made immediately without extensive wait or reload time.
Pictures and images are extremely important for some companies web sites. They may need to upload new photos often, or remove them when they are obsolite. Therefore you need to find out if that option for your photos is avaialbe in the sytem you choose. An important question to ask is, how much control will you have of where and how your pictures appear within the layout of your web pages? This may seem like a very simple question, but you would be surprised how many people do not ask it. Another question is, how easy are the tools within the CMS to use and how much training, if any, and support you will get from the CMS’s developer?
Your web site is a critical connection between your company and your customers/visitors. Keeping your content up-to-date can be the most effective way to sell your products and services and ensure that your web site works for you, not against you.
Judith Stolpner is the Director of Marketing at Blue Robin Inc.-Blue Robin is recognized as experts in building customized eBusiness Infrastructures. Blue Robin also designs web-based solutions for small to mid sized companies including cost effective Content Management Systems. Judith has been involved with web marketing since 1995. http://www.bluerobininc.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judith_Stolpner
Another thing you should look for is the features of the CMS. It should have all the features of MS Word and be so simple to use that your content developers will be able to begin creating and editing content with ease. CMS systems come in multiple flavors and can be deployed for both small and large companies.
Many of the better-designed CMS’s are based on authentication level, which means that content developers are granted permission to access the authorized areas within the system. This permission-based content access management utility is very popular and is designed and developed for creating, accessing, and managing menus, submenus, hyperlinks, new page creations, etc. It should offer authorized content developers the ability to navigate quickly and intuitively, using pull-down and drill-down menus to get to specific areas of your web site. Most CMS’s have an auto-log-out procedure that can be implemented if a content editor leaves an active session open without making any changes for a certain predetermined length of time. In such cases all unsaved work should be queued for immediate review once the content developer logs back in.
Find a CMS that is designed with no restrictions on page lengths and quantity of content, and allows your content developers to preview new or changed content easily. Users should be able to make multiple content changes that will be made immediately without extensive wait or reload time.
Pictures and images are extremely important for some companies web sites. They may need to upload new photos often, or remove them when they are obsolite. Therefore you need to find out if that option for your photos is avaialbe in the sytem you choose. An important question to ask is, how much control will you have of where and how your pictures appear within the layout of your web pages? This may seem like a very simple question, but you would be surprised how many people do not ask it. Another question is, how easy are the tools within the CMS to use and how much training, if any, and support you will get from the CMS’s developer?
Your web site is a critical connection between your company and your customers/visitors. Keeping your content up-to-date can be the most effective way to sell your products and services and ensure that your web site works for you, not against you.
Judith Stolpner is the Director of Marketing at Blue Robin Inc.-Blue Robin is recognized as experts in building customized eBusiness Infrastructures. Blue Robin also designs web-based solutions for small to mid sized companies including cost effective Content Management Systems. Judith has been involved with web marketing since 1995. http://www.bluerobininc.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judith_Stolpner
Understanding Content Management Systems
Web site design is not a one-size-fits-all practice. As web sites can serve a number of different purposes - supply information, attract new sales, create a community, etc - it only makes sense that web design possibilities be just as varied. One of the first considerations in creating a web design is whether a content management system, or CMS, makes sense. There are some situations when a CMS is clearly the best choice, while it may be an unnecessary collection of bells and whistles at other times.
What is a content management system?In a nutshell, a CMS is software that organizes, powers and monitors a web site. It includes a "front end" viewable by any web user and a password-protected "back end" the general public does not see. Management of the site is centralized from this back end. Depending upon how the site is built, a content management system could include features for archiving older content, entering new content, accessing traffic metrics, managing navigation, banner rotation, polls, streaming media uploads and shopping carts, for example. The possibilities are limited only by the content management system's configuration and capabilities.
How are traditional web designs and content management systems different?Unlike a CMS, "traditional" or basic HTML-based web design does not include a front and back end. Effective management of these sites requires knowledge of good coding practice, the ability to create new or integrate pre-written scripts to add functionality as needed and the creation of an efficient file/directory structure to accomodate growth.A content management system, on the other hand, does not require specialized technical skill to use. Managing or expanding the web site is a centralized process. More advanced coding knowledge would only be required should installation of additional functionality be desired.
Major benefits of a content management system
When is a CMS unnecessary?
Despite its convenience and options, a content management system is not always the best choice. Web sites created to act only as a point of contact for a brick and mortar business, for example, may have no need for CMS functionality. Similarly, small informational web sites with no plans for future growth would not benefit from a content management system's scalability. If the benefits of using a CMS do not speak to the purpose or scope of a site, it really can be an unnecessary choice.
Choosing the best web design
Whether or not a web design should be CMS-based or not depends entirely upon the site's purpose, plans for growth, functionality, and the availabilty of a webmaster or technically-savvy personnel to manage the site. A CMS would be the ideal web design choice for a business seeking to offer its customers the convenience of Internet orders, but not for a business only wishing to inform it customers of its location and hours of operation.
About the Author : R. Harvey Bravman is the owner of Advanced Digital Replication, Inc. providers of web design, SEO, SEM and a full range of state-of-the-art CD and DVD replication/duplication services since 1998.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._Harvey_Bravman
What is a content management system?In a nutshell, a CMS is software that organizes, powers and monitors a web site. It includes a "front end" viewable by any web user and a password-protected "back end" the general public does not see. Management of the site is centralized from this back end. Depending upon how the site is built, a content management system could include features for archiving older content, entering new content, accessing traffic metrics, managing navigation, banner rotation, polls, streaming media uploads and shopping carts, for example. The possibilities are limited only by the content management system's configuration and capabilities.
How are traditional web designs and content management systems different?Unlike a CMS, "traditional" or basic HTML-based web design does not include a front and back end. Effective management of these sites requires knowledge of good coding practice, the ability to create new or integrate pre-written scripts to add functionality as needed and the creation of an efficient file/directory structure to accomodate growth.A content management system, on the other hand, does not require specialized technical skill to use. Managing or expanding the web site is a centralized process. More advanced coding knowledge would only be required should installation of additional functionality be desired.
Major benefits of a content management system
- Coding skills are not required
- Convenience
- Scalability
When is a CMS unnecessary?
Despite its convenience and options, a content management system is not always the best choice. Web sites created to act only as a point of contact for a brick and mortar business, for example, may have no need for CMS functionality. Similarly, small informational web sites with no plans for future growth would not benefit from a content management system's scalability. If the benefits of using a CMS do not speak to the purpose or scope of a site, it really can be an unnecessary choice.
Choosing the best web design
Whether or not a web design should be CMS-based or not depends entirely upon the site's purpose, plans for growth, functionality, and the availabilty of a webmaster or technically-savvy personnel to manage the site. A CMS would be the ideal web design choice for a business seeking to offer its customers the convenience of Internet orders, but not for a business only wishing to inform it customers of its location and hours of operation.
About the Author : R. Harvey Bravman is the owner of Advanced Digital Replication, Inc. providers of web design, SEO, SEM and a full range of state-of-the-art CD and DVD replication/duplication services since 1998.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._Harvey_Bravman
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