Change Management

1
Change Management

• The Content Perspective

2
Brand-Building Studio

• Creative Disciplines
• Have evolved to more than just Design (e.g.,
  Content Strategy, Information Architecture and
  Usability)
• Focus market-facing applications (b-b and b-c)
  -- e-commerce, informational, educational,
  entertainment
• Manage creations of brand expressions and
  user-interfaces
• Considerations words, graphics, layout, types of
  information, meaning, expression, emotion,
  language, culture, color, archetypes, etc.

3
Convergence

• Effective web development requires
• Collaboration of distinct disciplines (Strategy,
  Technology, Brand-Building, etc.) during all
  phases of development Non-linear simultaneity
• Time maximization
• Communication -- no one can work effectively in a
  silo
• Common understanding of the development framework
  and critical interdependencies
• Effective change management -- tracking changes
  and mapping out potential effects on other areas

4
Change Management During Development

• Content Development Migration
• Change always happens during development -- it is
  expected and is considered part of the process
• Creative development is highly dependent on other
  disciplines
• Changes to technology and business requirements
  often have a direct impact on the user interface
• Tracking tools include
• Internal and external change orders
• Use cases -- detailed documentation of functional
  specification that can serve as the key
  repository of process changes
• Site Architecture

5
Web Site Development Process Content
Change Complexity
What?
Key Activities
Define editorial framework Assess content
assets Identify gaps
LOW LOW
Framework Text
Phase 1 Discover
Define and finalize page-level content Prepare
reusable content assets Initiate content
development as required
MEDIUM LOW
Phase 2 Design
Framework Text
Prioritize content to be migrated Continue
content development as required Initiate and
conclude content migration (including third-party
content)
Phase 3 Develop
HIGH LOW
Framework Text
Code freeze Testing and editing Final content
load (as applicable)
HIGH MEDUIM
Framework Text
Phase 4 Deploy
6
Change Management Post-Development

• Changes to content framework
• High complexity
• Can affect architecture, interface design, user
  processes, technological infrastructure, etc.
• Text and images
• Information that needs to be dynamic is
  identified during development
• Must be low complexity to change as required
• Style Guide is provided

7
Change Management Post-Development

• Content Management
• Change is a requirement
• Change is generally not an event or a problem
• Users demand fresh information
• Many B to B initiatives built on the premise of
  providing unique and timely information (e.g.,
  Screaming Media, Isyndicate, etc.)
• Personalization, customization, localization,
  regionalization, etc. all require dynamic
  information -- conditional change is often part
  of the applications initial requirements
• Those required to change the information may not
  have technical expertise
• Effective content creation requires
  qualitative,subjective and creative expertise

8
Change Management Post-Development

• Content Management Tools
• Facilitate the publishing processes that support
  frequently changing information over the
  post-development lifetime of an application
• i.e., What happens when the coders go away?
• Popular content management tools include
• Eprise Participant Server
• IBM Content Server
• InterLeaf BladeRunner (now owned by Broadvision)
• Microsoft Site Server
• Vignette Content Management Server
• Interwoven TeamSite

9
Change Management Post-Development

• Content Management Tool, e.g., Interwovens
  TeamSite
• Four parts of TeamSite
• Workarea
• A virtual copy of the website -- changes wont
  affect the live sites content
• Staging Area
• Content from various workareas is integrated and
  tested
• Edition
• Post-staging area archived, read-only copy
• Branch
• A website or part of a website

10
Change Management Post-Development

• Content Management Tool, e.g., Interwovens Team
  Site
• TeamSite Roles
• Authors
• Content creators can submit files to the work
  area
• Editors
• Own one or more workareas can delete files,
  assign work to authors and submit to the staging
  area
• Administrator
• Owns branches and has extended privilages can
  publish the live website the Webmaster
• Master
• Own the primary branch may control the server

11
Change Management Post-Development

• Quality Key Questions
• How can we assure quality?
• What are the parameters?
• How is it measured?
• How can editorial quality be preserved?

12
Organizational Issues

• Organizational Issues
• Understanding of the publishing cycle
• Approval levels / Roles
• Approval procedures, process, principles
• Generation of unique, desirable, high-quality
  information
• Misperception of time and resources required
• Staff training and development
• Online-offline information integration
• Continually evolving audience wants and needs --
  demand for change
• Continually improving competitor offerings
• Globalization Multiple languages and cultures
• Editorial integrity and quality

13
Content Change Management

• Processes and tools are required to manage
• Quality
• Editorial
• Brand messaging
• Consistency
• Costs
• Time
• Resources