From the Ridiculous to the Sublime? Lessons from Implementing a Corporate CMS at the University of Southampton [B2]

Abstract

Within any institution there are numerous individuals with a desire to publish on the Web, and have often been free to do so, free from such concerns as accessibility, usability, standards or what anyone else in the organisation might be doing. CMS offers the opportunity to present audiences with a more coherent view of the organisation, but only if the content providers are willing to accept guidance on how best to prepare their material, and service providers are willing to listen to the needs of the various individuals and departments.
The importance of spending time and effort on preparation before migrating to a corporate CMS cannot be overstated. In order to find out our customer requirements and equip ourselves with a thorough site specification, we have developed a practical workshop/workbook model. Departments and services are guided through a site analysis process that leads to the production of a site ‘blueprint’ – essential for a successful CMS migration. In this workshop we will provide a brief summary of the CMS implementation project at Southampton, then, working in groups, participants will be asked to complete a section of the workbook for a hypothetical Web site.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the session participants will:

  • Have made use of a tested methodology and toolkit that can be used within their own institutions
  • Have gained a better understanding of the requirements necessary for CMS driven Web sites.