Getting Real About Content Workflow for Your CMS (Confab Higher Ed 2017)
0 likes479 views
The document discusses the challenges and solutions related to content workflow in higher education content management systems (CMS). It emphasizes that effective workflow is a people problem rather than a technology issue and suggests realistic, simple, and flexible approaches to improve content processes. The author also highlights the importance of understanding organizational culture and creating relevant guides and tools to facilitate smoother content creation and publishing workflows.
![[Collaboration:] It’s not
about latching on to
someone else’s process or
finding the next shiny tool
that will save the day…
“
Rebekah Cancino
Content Strategy and
User Experience Design Consultant
#ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/getting-real-cms-workflow-confab-higher-ed-final-upload-2-171115013530/85/Getting-Real-About-Content-Workflow-for-Your-CMS-Confab-Higher-Ed-2017-61-320.jpg)
Getting Real About Content Workflow for Your CMS (Confab Higher Ed 2017)
- 1. Getting Real About Content Workflow for Your CMS Confab Higher Ed 2017 • November 7, 2017 Rick Allen • @epublishmedia
- 2. We all have workflow
- 3. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia 1 Plan a thing 2 Do a thing 3 Use a thing
- 4. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia PublishPlan Create Revise Approve Test Do we have time for this? Really? I’m the only one here!
- 5. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia PublishCreate For the love of God, use spell check.
- 6. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia PublishCreate Approve Don’t touch my workflow!
- 7. Another thing we all do…
- 8. Eat lunch
- 10. “Hey, Rick. What’s for lunch?”
- 15. Turkey Sandwich Good Workflow Exciting Predictable Simple Convenient Gets the job done
- 16. Getting Real About the Work We Do
- 17. State of Drupal 2016 Survey Source: https://www.drupal.org/blog/moving-the-drupal-8-workflow-initiative-along
- 18. WordPress Industry Survey 2016 Source: https://torquemag.io/2016/12/wordpress-industry-survey-2016-results/ What are the biggest challenges working in WordPress? 47% Concerns around security 29% Lack of easy workflow 20% Lack of robust commerce solutions
- 19. Workflow helps us wrangle… Roles & responsibilities Tasks Guides & tools Schedules & deadlines • • • #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia • Who’s doing what? What do I need to do? How should I do it? When should I do it?
- 20. Higher ed CMS promises…
- 21. 21 “Easy.” “Maximum flexibility.” “Manage the entire content life cycle.” “Exceptional user experience.”“Instantly publish… no bottlenecks.”“Built-in logical workflow.”“Easily manage distributed content.” “Fully integrated content workflow system.”
- 23. Workflow is the single most overpurchased aspect of any CMS. An astonishing amount of money has been wasted in pursuit of hypothetical workflow fantasies that will never see the light of day. “ Deane Barker Author, Web Content Management: Systems, Features, and Best Practices
- 24. Content workflow is a people problem, not a technology problem.
- 25. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia PublishPlan Create Revise Approve Build } CMS Workflow
- 26. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia CMS Workflow PublishPlan Create Revise Approve Build Now what?
- 27. Workflow doesn’t end with “publish.”
- 28. Why standardized workflow fails Reality is the worst:
- 30. Different goals Different habits Different responsibilities Different resources People work differently
- 31. Things are too complex #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 32. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia PublishPlan Create Revise Approve Build unnecessary tasks Tasks: • Determine need for new content • Request new content Tasks: • Create draft of new copy • Send to content editor for review Tasks: • Copyedit • Return to author for rewrite or send for approval Tasks: • Review content for accuracy • Return to author for rewrite or submit for development Tasks: • Build content in email or web template • Submit for publication Tasks: • Publish content on schedule
- 33. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia PublishPlan Create Revise Approve Build Schedule: • Varies Schedule: • 2 days Schedule: • 1 day Schedule: • 6 hours Schedule: • 6 hours Schedule: • 3 hour irrelevant scheduling
- 34. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia PublishPlan Create Revise Approve Build Roles: • Editor-in-Chief • Editor • SME Roles: • Author • Editor Roles: • Editor • SEO Specialist Roles: • Editor-in-Chief • Editor • SME Roles: • Author • Editor • Publisher Roles: • Author • Editor • Publisher Unclear responsibilities
- 35. Wrong tools #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 37. No collaboration #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 38. PublishPlan Create Revise Approve Build
- 41. How to make workflow great. Let’s be happy:
- 42. How to make workflow great Be realistic1. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 45. Know your resources Marketing and Communications at Cedarville University https://www.cedarville.edu/Marketing-and-Communications.aspx
- 46. Know your resources BTSU Student Marketing & Media Team https://www.bgsu.edu/bowen-thompson-student-union/conference-and-event-services/marketing-and-media-team.html
- 47. How to make workflow great Be realistic Be simple 1. 2. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 48. When we created Camera+, the concept was to have a professional camera on your iPhone. As a photographer, you think you need lots of knobs and endless things to adjust each image… “ Lisa Bettany Cofounder, Camera+ #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 49. …But we realized people just want to capture moments and share them. When we do add something, it’s like our clarity filter that brings out the shadows and contrast on flat photos, which everyone can use. “ Lisa Bettany Cofounder, Camera+ #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 50. What do you need? Let’s talk. • What does your content planning and publishing process look like? • Who requests, creates, edits, approves, publishes, and measures content? • What authoring, publishing and measurement tools do you use? • What processes work and what don’t? really V • • • •
- 51. Simple things that help make content happen • Web publishing guide • Web writing guidelines • Content template • Content calendar • Content group • Training • • • • • • #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia Single page Single page Single page Google Sheets Small, purposeful meetings Content goals, not CMS features
- 52. How to make workflow great Be realistic Be simple Be flexible3. #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia 1. 2.
- 53. Support the way people really work
- 54. Technically, I think the biggest issue with our current CMS workflow is that it is hard to be flexible. I’d like to route different content to different people… “ Mike Powers Director of Electronic Communications Indiana University of Pennsylvania #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 55. … I’d like to send different sorts of content to different members of my team. That’s difficult to impossible. Same for sending content back for review: just reject, edit or decline. “ Mike Powers Director of Electronic Communications Indiana University of Pennsylvania #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 56. Our CMS is…people? “ Amanda Costello Lead Content Strategist, CEHD University of Minnesota #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 57. Use what works
- 58. Source: https://www.slideshare.net/mozhet/20131112-confab-keynotehewitt #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 59. Start with Google Docs. Seriously. “ Mike Petroff Senior Associate Director, Content Strategy Harvard University #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 61. [Collaboration:] It’s not about latching on to someone else’s process or finding the next shiny tool that will save the day… “ Rebekah Cancino Content Strategy and User Experience Design Consultant #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 62. …It's about creating the environment for our own process to emerge.“ Rebekah Cancino Content Strategy and User Experience Design Consultant #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 63. The goal of workflow is to help people do great work.
- 65. Editor Web Group Editor Editor Author Author Author AuthorAuthor Author Author Author Content Strategist Author Author Web Group Content Governance Model (Sample 1)
- 66. PublishPlan Create Review/ Approve Revise Multiple Roles Author Subject Matter Expert Editor Editor • Departments responsible for their own content • Quality control • More expert content contributors • Scalable Benefits • Reduced sense of accountability • Publishing bottlenecks • Lots of people to train Risks/Challenges: Content Workflow Model (Example 1)
- 67. Author Author Author Content Strategist Content Owner Content Governance Model (Sample 2) Web Group
- 68. RevisePlan Create Publish Review Multiple Roles Author Subject Matter Expert Content Strategist • No editing/approval bottlenecks • Timely content • Global oversight Benefits • Redundant or duplicate content (short-term) • Inaccurate or off-brand content (short-term) • Additional responsibility and training for authors Risks/Challenges: Content Workflow Model (Example 2) Author
- 70. Our new workflow involves a small group of frequent users who are empowered to make regular content additions and changes… “ Binky Lush & Charlie Morris Penn State University Libraries #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 71. …and a content board led by a content strategist that will review these changes after-the-fact, in batches. “ Binky Lush & Charlie Morris Penn State University Libraries #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia
- 72. Changes to Make it Work Hired a content strategist Created and trained a team of “Author Experts” Worked with HR to formally add responsibilities Created intranet for all staff to publish • • #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia • •
- 73. Plan for content workflow How do people work? What do they need to get work done? • • #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia Remember…
- 74. Develop content workflow Create useful, relevant guides and tools. Create content workflow around common tasks and processes. Create CMS workflow to support content workflow. • • • #ConfabEDU • @epublishmedia Remember…
- 75. Workflow doesn’t need to be boring.
- 76. Rick Allen ePublish Media, Inc. @epublishmedia www.epublishmedia.com Thanks!