Detoxing Failing Content Management Projects

Detoxing Failing Content Management

ProjectsEducation, ownership, and discipline

Joe Pairman

Implemented DITA: bus. case, info model, CCMS, training

Designed mobile content delivery platform

Consulting & coaching: structured content & IA

Solved many localization / web delivery problems

Failures C-D: Catastrophes to Disappointments

IBM: survey of 1,500 change management execs

(some IT projects, some others)

59% of projects failed to fully meet their objectives44% missed a time, budget or quality goal

15% either missed all goals or were stopped

KPMG: global IT project management survey of 600 orgs

In 12 months, 49% had suffered a recent project failure

Dr Dobbs Journal: 586 responses to email survey

70% of respondents had been involved in a project they knew would fail right from the start

Geneca: interviews with 600 people involved in software dev.

75% of project participants lack confidence that their projects will succeed.

Some IT project failure stats

A DITA disappointment: high hopes

A large technology design company’s documentation was unstructured

A cross departmental audit showed opportunities for:

• Efficiency!

• Quality improvements!

• Innovative delivery!

…through structured content

A DITA disappointment: stagnation and unrest

Solution was rolled out to one team first (very sensible)

Initial knowledge level was patchy, but enthusiasm high (very typical)

Initial outputs were based on previous PDF (understandable)

A DITA disappointment: stagnation and unrest

Solution was rolled out to one team first (very sensible)

Initial knowledge level was patchy, but enthusiasm high (very typical)

Initial outputs were based on previous PDF (understandable)

but after a couple of years…

Still only one team was using the solution

The original stylesheets were in a mess, with frustration about outputs

People were “throwing rocks at each other”

Some gloom, some sunshine

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Traditional

Ad-Hoc

Agile

Iterative

Lean

Successful Challenged Failed

Lean-ish

Leaner

Leanest

The Toyota Production System emphasizes:

• Going and observing where work is done, “where value is created”

• Developing human skills and problem-solving

• A disciplined continuous improvement process

…just like experience on the content production line.

Leanest

Five CM project problems and some solutions countermeasures

Problem: a solution that doesn’t solve things for users

• Onerous workflows

• Attribute values and arbitrary markup details to remember and enter manually

• Co-opting a tool that’s designed for a different purpose

• Barely presentable outputs

Countermeasure: observe and learn from system users

• Go to people’s desks

• Talk through their work processes — their difficulties but also the things they like about the current way of working

• Don’t put words in their mouths!

• In requirements stage, develop proper user stories

• Encourage suggestions on a continuing basis

Problem: unrealistic goals due to lack of knowledge

CCMS

WCMS

DMS


CCMS

WCMS

DMS DITA DITA DITA


or just…

Countermeasure: effective training/orientation at outset

Chief&exec&/&VP&

Director&

Key&stakeholder/par8cipant&


Director&

Project&captain&

Chief&exec&/&VP&

Director&



Director&

Project&captain&

• Provide direct examples and hands-on whenever possible

• Keep all training contextually relevant

• Focus on enabling decisions

Countermeasure: effective training/orientation at outset

Problem: failure to consistently back project

• Waning enthusiasm — other projects take priority

• New people come on board, wanting a clean sweep

• Project can end up on the wrong side of the investment/cost-cutting cycle

Countermeasure: pre-consensus & ongoing updates

Informal consultation to build a solid foundation, so no-one feels pressured to support a proposal they’re not comfortable with (Nemawashi).

Ongoing updates to keep the enthusiasm and address any emerging concerns.

• Demoralizing and inefficient at best.

• Dooms project at worst.

Problem: missed schedule/scope/budget goals

Countermeasure I: exploit current resources

Countermeasure I: exploit current resources

If you’re considering a large revamp, stop and consider how you could first improve what you’ve got

• Topic structures in Word/FM/ID templates?

• Use basic tools for authoring, version control, publishing

• Static site builder tech? (Jekyll / Pelican, etc.)

If a big solution has been implemented, don’t chuck it out (straightaway)

• What knowledge and skills have been gained?

• What can the tool usefully do (even if not up to original goals)?

Countermeasure II: take a step-by-step approach

• Know where you’re going but tackle a phase at a time

• Manage expectations: “slow” now = faster overall

• Lots of methodologies, but don’t get too hung up on them — simple is good

Countermeasure II: take a step-by-step approach

Problem: wasted effort


Everyone doing things differently:

• Inconsistent naming

• Different structures (element sequences)

• Arbitrary reuse

• Cloning documents/topics for any reason

Weakens all the benefits of content management: it’s expensive and quality suffers


Above all:

Creating content that doesn’t add

value.




• Arbitrary reuse



Countermeasure I: create content that’s needed




• Arbitrary reuse



“Pull” system for content

creation

No more “someone

might need this!”

Countermeasure II: agree initial standards

Naming conventions

Clear document structures/topic types

Agreement on what can be reused and how

Countermeasure II: agree initial standards

Naming conventions

Clear document structures/topic types

Agreement on what can be reused and how

Flow chart / decision tree for reuse decisions

Countermeasure III: nudge towards standards

Support consistency with:

• Cleanup of existing content (automated where possible)

• Name placeholders to type over?

• Just enough workflow. But make it visible!

• Structure constraints and templates

• Visual indicators on reusable content

Countermeasure IV: monitor standards &

encourage suggestionsFoster small-group leaders

Reward suggestions

• Visual recognition for a start

• Perhaps small material rewards such as vouchers

Meet regularly

Deliver quick actions on suggestions, or clear reasons not to implement them

Systematic problem-solving process

Stop!

Do you know where you’re going? (The value you want to create?)

Stop!

Do you know where you’re going? (The value you want to create?)

Tackle problems in the gap between current state and organizational/customer needs

And now to PDCA

Or OPDCAObserve first!

O > P > D > C > A

Observe in the places where value is added

• Where authors, graphic designers, reviewers, publication captains work

• The tools they use

• The interactions they make

• Where effort is wasted

• How progress is visualized

If there’s already a planned solution, does it have any chance?

O > P > D > C > A

Plan the next phase of action

• Assess what’s feasible

• Educate stakeholders and management so they can inform decisions

• Build consensus and gather feedback (nemawashi)

O > P > D > C > A

Do enough to evaluate the planned action

• Lots of little OPDCAs — trying ideas out in prototype or lightweight tools: how does this topic structure feel for authors? how does this presentation go down with users?

• But don’t “do” to the point of no return…

O > P > D > C > A

Check, or “study” (Deming) the results of your doing

• Is this way of doing things feasible?

• Is it an improvement?

• Do adjustments need to be made? (Go straight back to Observe and Plan.)

O > P > D > C > AAct, or “enact” the new way of working

• Document and announce the standard ways of working: guidelines and procedures

• Conduct further training if necessary

• Keep looking for improvements…

Thoughts? Questions?

Get in touch:@joepairman

[email protected]

https://twitter.com/joepairman

mailto:[email protected]

Detoxing Failing Content Management Projects

Technology

Transcript of Detoxing Failing Content Management Projects