Chapter 16 Content Management Systems

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Chapter 16 Content Management Systems
2
The Content Management Process
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Overview CMS for UCS

• Content is created in a authoring tool, then
  saved into CMS (repository)
• Content is saved into the repository as
  individual element
• Metadata is added
• Within the repository, content is managed and
  then delivered to the appropriate media

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Content Management Process
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Overview CMS for UCS (Cont.)

• A CMS must save content so that it can be reused
  two parts of saving content
• The content itself is divided into elements of
  the appropriate sizes for intended reuse
• Metadata is added into the elements to define
  these elements for effective reuse, retrieval,
  and tracking
• A CMS does more than save content
• The content needs to be accessible for various
  projects or people
• Archives need to be built to allow access to
  previous versions and to track change over time
• Security is required to control access to various
  authors and content users
• Access control, version control, updates,
  archives, and translation

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"Saved as" Elements

• As content is saved into CMS, it is "saved as"
  individual elements in the repository and the
  metadata is added
• To assist authors in writing contextually,
  content is usually authored in documents or large
  components, although content may be reused at a
  much more granular level
• Before being stored in the repository, content is
  broken apart into its individual elements and
  then saved
• Segmentation or bursting
• You define the level of segmentation in a
  segmentation map
• Organizations typically have different
  segmentation maps for different types of content

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"Saved as" Elements (Cont.)

• For nested reuse map
• You may decided to keep all the nested content
  together in one larger element because the
  content is only reused within itself
• Take B-Brother product description in Chapter 2
  as an example
• You would store the description as an element and
  use a filter to take out the pieces that are not
  relevant in a given information product
• In this case, the segmentation map would identify
  that the content should not be segmented ? it
  should be stored at the paragraph level
  (un-segmented)
• Flexible segmentation maps are important to UCS
  to ensure the content can be stored at an
  appropriate level for retrievability, reuse, and
  management

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Content Stored as a paragraph Element VS. Stored
as Separate Elements
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"Saved as" Elements (Cont.)

• Vendor questions
• Does the CMS support segmentation or bursting?
• Can you define the level of granularity?
• Can you define multiple levels of granularity
  depending on the type of content?
• Can you change the level of granularity at a
  later date?

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Metadata

• Metadata can be applied to the content in AT, or
  it can be applied as the content is checked into
  CMS
• Whenever possible, you want metadata
  automatically applied to the elements of content
• For example when metadata is inherited to all
  sub-elements
• Metadata is the key to effective retrieval and
  reuse of content in UCS.
• Metadata needs to be easy to create and easy for
  authors to apply to ensure the metadata is
  applied correctly

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Contact Container with Inherited Metadata
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Metadata (Cont.)

• Vendor questions
• Can metadata be applied in AT? Is metadata
  applied as content is checked in? How simple is
  it for authors to select and apply metadata?
• Can sub-elements of a container element
  automatically inherited the metadata of the
  container element?
• What types of metadata can be automatically
  applied?
• How easy is it to create a new metatag?
• Can the facility for creating/changing metatags
  be secured so that only the system administrator
  can make changes?

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Access Control

• Access control secures content and identifies who
  can read, create, modify, and delete content
• Access is based on roles authors, editors,
  reviewers
• Certain elements may be accessible only to a
  certain group
• Check to ensure you can set access control at any
  level of granularity
• If the information product is secured at a
  specific level, then all the content in it should
  be secured at the same level
• Ex. Company logo.

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Access Control (Cont.)

• Vendor questions
• What security features are provided to protect
  sensitive documents from unauthorized access and
  modification?
• What levels of security are provided (create,
  read only, modify)?
• At what level of granularity can content be
  secured?
• Is an element's level of security maintained
  wherever it is reused?

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Check-in/Check-out

• When authors want to work on content they check
  it out and check it back in again when they are
  finished with it
• This ensures only one person is working on the
  same content at any one time and that multiple
  people cannot concurrently change (or save) the
  content and create a conflict or even destroy the
  version that was saved by the first person
• Possible to check out previous and current
  versions
• When changes occur to both versions, the content
  branches
• Should be discouraged unless it is required
  because it could cause confusion or inaccuracies
  if the wrong version is used

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Check-in/Check-out

• Vendor questions
• How easy is it to check-in/check-out content? Is
  content then locked so other authors cannot also
  check it out and change it?
• Can the system administrator check in content
  that is checked out by someone else (useful, for
  example, if an author is sick)?

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Version Control

• Version control ensures that each time content is
  checked in, another version (copy) is created and
  it is assigned a new version number
• Ensure that every change to content is saved and
  that every change can be tracked
• Enable you to use multiple versions of the same
  content in different situations
• It is important to be able to version each
  element, not just at the container level or
  information product level
• It is also important to be able to version an
  entire approved information product as it is
  deivered

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Version Control (Cont.)

• Version control can be saved as complete new
  versions (previous version change) or as deltas
  (changes only)
• Vendor questions
• Is every element versioned individually?
• What types of versioning are provided?
• Are changes stored as complete new versions of an
  element or does CMS store the deltas (changes
  only) from the current/original version?

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Updates

• Three types of update for reuse
• Automatically update -- Optionally update -- No
  update
• Authors reusing the content are responsible for
  determining what type of update they want on the
  reused elements
• The system default is usually optionally update
• Different elements can have different update
  options
• Vendor questions
• What are the update options?
• How easy is it to change a selected update (for
  example, automatic update to no update)

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Repository

• CMS repository manages the content RDBMS,
  OODB
• Vendor questions
• What content formats does the CMS support, and at
  what level of granularity does it support them
  (file, section, paragraph)
• What type of database does the CM software use?
• Can the CMS accommodate the demands of enterprise
  implementations (ex. of users and volume of
  documents)

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Search and Retrieval

• It should be possible to search and retrieve
  content based on individual elements, containers,
  and whole information products
• Authors should also be able to find edits, find
  edits made by particular people or at particular
  times, search for comments, and search and
  retrieve on any type of information contained in
  CMS
• Full-text retrieval, metadata retrieval
• Vendor questions
• What type of search engine is available? Can you
  add your own?
• What types of searching are supported?
• Can search criteria be restricted based on user
  security profiles?

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Archive

• Previous versions of content that are finalized
  and approved but no longer current should be
  archived (stored)
• Content is archived based on a set of rules that
  specify the period of time in which the content
  is considered to be valid or accurate
• CMS can automatically delete expired content or
  can prompt a manager to review the content and
  determine whether it should be archived
• Vendor questions
• How is archiving, obsoleting, and deleting
  handled? How do you set the rules?
• How can you reinstate an archive? How can
  archives be searched? Can archives be summarized
  or commented for easy access later?

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Translation

• Store the multiple language versions of the
  content
• Ensure that CMS can create a relationship between
  the source content and the translated content
• Ensure that when the source content changes, the
  localized content is identified (through
  metadata) as requiring new translation
• Vendor questions
• Can CMS create a relationship between the source
  content and multiple translated versions of the
  content
• Can CMS integrate with a memory translation tool?
  With what memory translation tools can it
  integrate? Can CMS be modified to integrate with
  other memory translation tools if necessary?

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Workflow

• See Chapter 17

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The Types of Content Management Systems
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Web Content Management System (WCMS)

• WCMS assists an organization in automating
  various aspects of web content creation, content
  management, and delivery
• Delivery to the Web is its primary format, but
  many WCMS systems also deliver to wireless
  devices

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Web Content Management System (WCMS) (Cont.)

• Advantages
• The interface and functionality of a WCMS are
  designed to support the web site creation and
  management content cycle, and provide strong
  support for collaborative authoring, testing, and
  controlled delivery of content to the web site
• Authoring and management is managed in stages
• Authors work in their own content work areas to
  create content, view and review the content, and
  test functionality
• When content has been approved, it is moved into
  a staging area, where it is assembled according
  to your design and integrated with content from
  other work areas
• Approved edition (version) archived
• Personalization
• Delivery to the web (and wireless devices) is
  directly integrated

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Web Content Management System (WCMS) (Cont.)

• Disadvantages
• Designed to create, manage, and deliver web-based
  content only
• In an enterprise environment where paper, and the
  complexities of paper is also required, WCMS
  fails to meet these needs
• The level of granularity of reuse may be
  insufficient for your requirements
• Granularity of a web page and page components is
  supported
• Functionality such as nested reuse and granular
  content that can be exchanged among different
  types of content is rarely supported
• If WCMS relies on an HTML editor or forms for
  input, the complexities of other types of content
  will not be supported

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Transaction CMS (TCMS)

• Designed to manage e-commerce transactions
• Focus on managing the exchange of money through
  web-based product e-catalogs
• Typically integrate with legacy systems for
  inventory, pricing, and shipping
• Shopping cart functionality
• A key component of TCMS is security
• Many provide personalization features and provide
  personalized product recommendations to customers
• Most TCMSs manage transactional information and
  provide full WCMS

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Transaction CMS (TCMS) (Cont.)

• Advantages
• Strong support of e-commerce interactions and
  their capability to interface with legacy systems
  for the transfer of product information
• Disadvantages
• TCMSs are web-based only and do not support the
  requirements of enterprise content

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Integrated Document Management Systems (IMDS)

• Initially manage enterprise (whole) documents
• Have moved to the management of elements of
  content
• IDMSs can interface with multiple types of
  authoring tools to manage multiple types of
  content
• Need to convert into common format for reuse
• IDMSs can deliver content in the original source
  format, or converted into other formats
• A common function of many IDMSs is imaging of
  content
• Widespread acceptance in organizations where
  security of content and strong control of content
  is required
• Audit trails, electronic signatures
• CRM and web content management components

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Integrated Document Management Systems (IMDS)
(Cont.)

• Advantages
• Longevity stable interface and financially
  secure vendors
• Very strong on traditional content management
• Some provide the capability to deliver
  publications and web content
• Disadvantages
• Longevity interface may be hard for users
  (before Windows)
• Do not always provide effective content
  management
• Granularity of the elements may be only at the
  section or sub-section level
• Many do not support nested reuse or systematic
  reuse
• Not all support the web content life cycle

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Publication Content Management Systems (PCMS)

• PCMSs have served the needs of the technical
  publication industry and book publishing industry
  for years
• SGML ? XML
• Can handle the complexities of paper with
  automated TOC generation, indexes,
  cross-references
• Most support compound documents or virtual
  documents
• The majority support granular reuse (paragraph or
  smaller)
• Systematic reuse is supported in XML-based
  systems
• Support delivery to a large variety of media

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Publication Content Management Systems (PCMS)
(Cont.)

• Advantages
• Provide standard CMS capabilities
• Provide robust content management for
  publications-oriented content
• Support multiple levels of granularity of content
  and compound documents
• Support most type of reuse
• Strong multiple media delivery capabilities
• Disadvantages
• Do not support the web content management life
  cycle

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Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS)

• LCMSs are content management systems that support
  the web-based learning materials content life
  cycle and the components of learning content
  (text, graphics, simulations, sound, video,
  animation)
• The majority are now SCORM-compliant (reuse and
  share)
• Many are web-based authoring tools combined with
  a CMS that handles traditional CMS functionality
• May include tools for the creation of
  simulations, animations, and multimedia
• Most support opportunistic reuse and locked or
  derivative reuse, but few support systematic
  reuse. Some support nested reuse
• Some LCMSs contain Learning Management System
  (LMS) functionality such as registration, course
  tracking, and evaluation, but most integrate with
  a separate LMS

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Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS) (Cont.)

• Advantages
• Specifically designed to manage the web-based
  learning materials content life cycle (no other
  CMS can effectively handle this cycle)
• LCMSs deliver the functionality of an e-learning
  authoring tool with the added functionality of a
  CMS
• Disadvantages
• Only a few provide paper output, but it is very
  rudimentary
• LCMS is a closed environment ? very difficult to
  share reusable content with other content areas
  in the organization

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Enterprise Content Management Systems (ECMS)

• Many WCMS and some IDMS vendors have started to
  use the phrase Enterprise Content Management to
  describe their products
• WCM is good, but need to manage other types of
  content as well
• Approaching ECM in different ways
• Some now provide XML-based systems that can
  interface with XML-based publishing tools to
  provide paper output
• Some have continued to focus on web-based
  delivery but now include e-commerce or CRM
  functionality
• Some have simply incorporated PDF delivery
• Some IDMS vendors now support more robust web
  delivery and now call themselves enterprise
  content management systems

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Enterprise Content Management Systems (ECMS)
(Cont.)

• Advantages
• ECM vendors support a broader-based content
  management life cycle
• Disadvantages
• No consistency in systems that are called ECMS
• The increased functionality may or may not meet
  your ECM needs

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Others

• Knowledge management systems (KMS)
• Manage both structured and unstructured knowledge
  within the enterprise
• Focus on the discovery and synthesis of
  information, and on collecting together all the
  knowledge in the organization and indexing it for
  fast retrieval
• Make organizational information accessible
  through a portal
• Typically manage documents and data, not elements
  of content
• May interface with a CMS and make both structured
  and unstructured content available through a
  portal

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Others (Cont.)

• Customer Relationship Management System (CRMS)
• CRMSs collect and integrate customer information
  manage information such as customer contact
  information, products and configurations of
  products they have purchased, the kinds of
  questions they have asked, and buyer profiles
• Tend to manage data, but they often need to share
  data and content with other systems in the
  organization
• Application server/development tools
• A number of CMS tools are built from traditional
  application server development tools
• Typically the functionality provided is that of
  web content management

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Database versus CMS

• CMSs use a database for storing content
• A database provides only a portion of the
  functionality of a CMS
• A database begins life as a blank slate no
  structure, no functionality, no interface until
  you create it
• CMS can be thought as an intelligent layer on top
  of the database that provides both a UI and adds
  business logic

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Database versus CMS (Cont.)

• A CMS provides a tremendous amount of
  functionality out of the database, such as
• Predefined content repository model
• Support for content relationships
• Built-in reports (such as where used, history, or
  relationships)
• Simplified creation of metadata
• Pre-configured system triggers (notification of
  change)
• Version control
• Access control (security)
• Integration with authoring tools
• Workflow

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Can one CMS do it all?

• MAYBE
• The key to a single solution is the capability to
  share content among the CMS, the authoring tools,
  and the delivery tools
• If your organization decides to go with best of
  breed tools
• Common information models (structures)
• Common ways of tagging content (style/structure
  tags)
• Common metadata