This document provides an overview of content management systems for publishers. It discusses the challenges publishers face in reusing and repurposing content across multiple products. Content management systems address these challenges through centralized content storage, workflow automation, and tools for content creation and delivery. The document reviews different types of content management systems and trends in the publisher industry, providing guidance on conducting requirements analysis and prioritizing initial projects.

1. An Overview of
Content Management
for Publishers
Lisa Bos
www.reallysi.com

2. TODAY’S CHALLENGES
 New media & new products
 Re-using content across multiple
products and media
 Re-purposing content to develop new
products
 Efficiency
 Save time
 Save money
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3. CONTENT MANAGEMENT
 Content management concepts are
designed to address those
challenges:
 Re-use
 Re-purposing
 Efficiency
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4. DEFINITION
A set of processes, methods, and
technologies that enable a publisher
to capture, create, modify,
maintain, interrelate, and deliver
content for publication or other
purposes affordably and with the
needed quality and speed.
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5. CMS’S FOR PUBLISHERS
 There are many flavors of content
management systems of interest to
publishers.
 Some address different points in the
content life cycle (e.g., manuscript
tracking vs. digital asset
management)
 Some address content with different
needs (e.g., magazines vs. journals).
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6. CMS’S FOR PUBLISHERS
 Many publishers use multiple
systems.
 For publishers, it’s helpful to think
of content management as an
approach and collection of systems
and processes – not as a single
software system.
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7. CMS’S FOR PUBLISHERS
 Types of systems include:
 Manuscript tracking
 Peer review
 Document and content management
(e.g., Documentum, XyEnterprise
Content@)
 Production workflow management
(e.g., Quark Publishing System (QPS)
 Digital asset management
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8. OTHER CMS’S
 Most content management products
you’ll find on the Web are NOT
relevant to most publishers
 Web content management
 Enterprise content management
 Intranet content management
 Knowledge management
 Others…
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9. WHAT DOES A CMS LOOK LIKE?
The technology varies, but
most CMS’s are conceptually
similar.
Inputs
CMS
 Inputs are loaded and
processed.
Database / Authors /  People create and enhance
file system Editors /
Reviewers / the content.
Categorizers
 Content is published
Automated /
manual delivery
automatically or with
human involvement.
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10. CMS CHARACTERISTICS
 Content management solutions are
characterized by:
 Centralized content storage
 Controlled access
 Tools for tracking and searching for
content
 Authoring/editing tools, including
forms for capturing metadata (data
about your content)
(cont’d)
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11. CMS CHARACTERISTICS
 Workflow management
 Automation of repetitive steps
 Tools for loading content
 Tools for delivering/extracting content
 Methods for external access
 Methods for collaboration
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12. KEY TECHNOLOGIES
 Databases
 XML (SGML)
 Web technology
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13. TRENDS (May, 2002)
 Bracket Report
 54 editorial, production, executive, and
IT staff members
 Publishers of varying sizes (more than
1/3 < $10M revenue)
 Most in STM market
 Focused on core content management
systems (for editorial and production
needs)
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14. TRENDS (May, 2002)
Primary Need for Content Management
Web & print - single system or solution ...... 61.1%
Web & print – separate process & solutions ... 25.9%
Web or other electronic products only ........ 9.3%
Other ........................................ 3.7%
Print only ................................... 0.0%
 Observations one year later: Publishers continue
to want to drive print and electronic output from
a single solution.
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15. TRENDS (May, 2002)
Perception of Existing Content
Management Products
Existing products support all needs .......... 20.8%
Existing products support many needs ......... 15.1%
Existing products support some/few needs ..... 43.4%
Existing products support no needs ........... 15.1%
Not sure ..................................... 5.7%
 Observations one year later: Products are much
better.
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16. TRENDS (May, 2002)
Technical Approach You Would Take if
Designing A Content Management
Solution Today
Select primary product and build
solution around it ..................... 24.0%
Select a few products that function
as components and integrate with
custom development where needed ........ 44.0%
Develop a mostly custom solution .......... 24.0%
Not sure ................................... 8.0%
 Observations one year later: Appears that more
publishers are buying solutions today, but need
to do the research to be sure.
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17. TRENDS (May, 2002)
Cost to Implement CMS, Excluding Staff
Costs, and Including Hardware, Software, Fees,
Data Conversion
Spent almost nothing ............. 5.7%
Less than $100,000 ............... 15.1%
$100,000 - $250,000 .............. 24.5%
$250,000 - $500,000 .............. 18.9%
More than $500,000 ............... 24.5%
Not sure ......................... 11.3%
 Costs peaked 2000-2002.
 Observations one year later: Average investment
is decreasing. Still a few >$1M systems.
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18. TRENDS (May, 2002)
Expectation of Seeing a Measurable Return
on Investment – Financial or Otherwise
Within 1 year after deployment .... 37.7%
1 – 3 years after deployment ...... 37.7%
5 years after deployment .......... 9.4%
Never ............................. 11.3%
Not sure .......................... 3.8%
 Observations one year later: Most publishers
now expect measurable benefits almost
immediately.
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19. LESSONS LEARNED (May, 2002)
Would Do Differently If Starting Again
Be more structured about requirements
definition and sign off ................ 55.6%
Spend more time on training/documentation . 48.1%
Ask for more time or start earlier ........ 46.3%
Develop system incrementally, in phases ... 44.4%
Ask for more money ........................ 42.6%
Be more structured in software/
technology selection ................... 37.0%
Use different software/technology ......... 29.6%
Obtain more support from other
departments ............................ 25.9%
Use a different vendor/consultant ......... 25.9%
Obtain more support from management ....... 20.4%
Other ..................................... 9.3%
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20. TRENDS (May, 2002)
 Observations one year later: As a
result of content management
projects and electronic product
development projects, publishers are
recognizing the importance of
project management skills for
software development
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21. MORE OBSERVATIONS (May, 2003)
 Publishers are being more careful
about how they implement change
(more focused on process and
results, less on hype and
technology)
 Publishers that invested carefully are
seeing real ROI
 Early adopters are replacing their
systems with newer technology
(cont’d)
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22. MORE OBSERVATIONS (May, 2003)
 Publishers that invested in editorial
and production systems are now
able to look to additional systems:
peer review, collaborative authoring,
digital asset management,
subscription management
 XML continues to be the key
technology
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23. FIRST STEPS
 Don’t start with technology
 Instead, assess your current content
management environment and
challenges:
 Identify the most important
opportunities for change by looking at
key areas in each stage of the content
lifecycle
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24. FIRST STEPS
 Examples of stages:
 Content creation
 Content submission and approval
 Content peer review
 Content development/editing
 Content categorization
 Content production
 Media-specific production
 Product and content delivery
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25. FIRST STEPS
 For each stage, ask:
 Does it take too long?
 Does it cost too much?
 Does it achieve the ideal outcomes
(inputs to next stages)?
 If not, look for opportunities for
improvements within each stage and
then among stages.
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26. FIRST STEPS
 Areas to look:
 Process details and order
 Content types
 Content format
 Content storage
 Content and product requirements (challenge
assumptions)
 Automation
 Software
 Tracking and communication tools
 User characteristics
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27. FIRST STEPS
 Prioritize needed change based on
measurable business objectives.
 Balance this with an understanding
of what is possible in your
organization.
 Determine what kind of projects you
want to do first. (You might need to
acquire software, and you might
not.)
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28. FIRST STEPS
 Remember:
 Investments should correspond directly
business goals.
 You don’t need to do everything at
once. Start with pilot projects.
 You don’t necessarily need to spend a
lot of money to get results, especially
at first.
 Talk to experienced people.
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29. OTHER RESOURCES
 Content Management:
http://www.cmswatch.com/
 XML/SGML (The Cover Pages):
http://xml.coverpages.org/
 Publishing standards:
http://www.idealliance.org
 (Our) newsletter for publishers:
http://www.reallysi.com/newsletter.htm
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30. THANK YOU
Lisa Bos
lbos@reallysi.com
www.reallysi.com
www.reallysi.com