Copyright © Joe Gollner 2012

The Anatomy of

Content Management

Joe Gollner, M.Phil.

Gnostyx Research Inc.

jag@gnostyx.com

www.gnostyx.com

www.gollner.ca

@joegollner

Intelligent Content 2012

The Anatomy of Content Management

Topics

A Warm-up Case Study

Content Lifecycle Model

Core Definitions

Content Solution Technologies

The Reality & Potential of

Content Management

A Wrap-up Case Study

The Iron Laws of

Content Management

Conclusion

Content Management at its Best

Case Study: • Regulatory agency

• Economic oversight

• eLearning application

• Training new staff

• Bilingual content

• Flexible infrastructure

• Emerging requirements

• Iterative evolution

Subject Matter Experts

Emergent Requirements

Initial Conditions

Diverse Sources

Evolving Technical

Requirements

Evolving Requirements

User Feedback

Transition Mechanism

Content Transformation

(Sources to DITA)

Initial Implementation

Iterative Evolution

XML Store

1

2

3Regulatory Process

eLearning

Environment

(2004 – Present)

Operational

Deployment

eLearning

types

DITA

AJAX Editing

Online AccessResult: A Practical Education Workbench

Content Lifecycles & the Circle of Life

Content Lifecycle models have historically been circular – until now…

Content Lifecycle

Macro Level

Enterprise focus

Micro Level

Content project focus

An activity diagram

All activities run

concurrently

Strategy is the

instigator

Delivery is the

proving ground

The Content Lifecycle Model

CONTENTACQUISITION

CONTENTEVOLUTION

CONTENTSTRATEGY

CONTENTMANAGEMENT

CONTENTDELIVERY

Content Strategy

Mediating between the myriad of influences

to establish a vision for what can be achieved

with the right content delivered in the right ways

Validated through delivery prototyping

A vision must be made tangible to take hold…

Content Acquisition

Creating and/or converting content to establish

the potential to execute on the strategy

Refined through pilot delivery deployments

Content Lifecycle Components

CONTENTSTRATEGY

CONTENTACQUISITION

CONTENTACQUISITION

CONTENTEVOLUTION

CONTENTSTRATEGY

CONTENTMANAGEMENT

CONTENTDELIVERY

Content Lifecycle Components

Content Delivery

Publishing information products

Ideally adapted to each users’ unique needs

Content Management

Applying a formal process to content activities

Facilitating the many activities that need to occur

Content Evolution

Engaging the whole stakeholder community

Adapting content to incorporate contributions

CONTENTEVOLUTION

CONTENTMANAGEMENT

CONTENTDELIVERY

CONTENTACQUISITION

CONTENTEVOLUTION

CONTENTSTRATEGY

CONTENTMANAGEMENT

CONTENTDELIVERY

Relative Prominence of Lifecycle Activities

Key Points

Delivery is the

central focus

Value to clients

Efficiency to users

Returns to sponsors

Content Management

is essential as a support

Sustaining delivery

Enabling evolution

Streamlining acquisition

Not restricting strategic options

Content Delivery

Content Evolution

Content Acquisition

Content Strategy

ContentManagement

Concepts

Content

Information

Publishing

Information

Management

Content

Management

Intelligent Content

Core Concepts: Some Definitions

Core Concept: What is Content?

Content

Core Concepts: Content & Information

Content is potential information (an asset)

Is what we

plan, design, create, reuse & manage

so that we can deliver effective

information products

Is the meaningful organization of data

communicated in a specific context

with the purpose of influencing others

Information is a transaction (an action)

In a sense, an information transaction contains selected content

Information

Publishing

The process of transforming content resources

into information products that can be effectively transacted

In order to be effective, information transactions must combine

a variety of data structures into a coherent whole governed by

the rhetorical patterns with which people communicate

Information Management

The application of management controls & measurements

to the information transactions underlying enterprise business

processes & for which organizations are accountable

Related Definitions

Content Management is the definition, application &

optimization of formalized processes to the business

of planning, acquiring, delivering & evolving content

Content Management seeks to keep everything in

sync: roles, users, content, processes, tools, models

Content Management is important because without

it complexity will overwhelm the organization

The more intelligent the content, the more important

Content Management becomes

Content Management

Intelligent Content in Practice

A Practical Definition

Intelligent Content is designed, created, managed and deployed

using open standards [i.e., XML] so that the resulting information

products can be exactly tailored to the needs of the user and

can be efficiently maintained & leveraged by the content owner

Intelligent Content is

Portable

Reusable

Findable

Manageable

Processable

Sustainable

Intelligent Content exposes its meaning in ways

that both people & machines can use

Building Blocks of Intelligent Content

Content Components

Text Modules

Media Assets

Data Sources

Relationship Links

Metadata Properties

Concept Taxonomies

Assembly Maps

Governing Models

Processing Rules

Formatting Instructions

Distribution Rights

Technology Considerations

Management Systems

Authoring Environments

Publishing Processes

Discovery Frameworks

Social Media Venues

Mobile Devices

XML – Extensible Markup Language

XSLT – Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations

XQuery – XML Query Language

RDF – Resource Description Framework

OWL – Web Ontology Language (built on RDF)

DITA – Darwin Information Typing Architecture

BPMN – Business Process Modeling Notation

XLIFF – XML Localization Interchange File Format

HTML5 – Next generation standard for web content

ePub 3.0 – Leading standard for eBooks (XHTML5)

Nuts & Bolts: Key Supporting Standards

Content Solution Technologies

Based on the

Content Lifecycle

Categorizes the

different tools &

techniques that

can be applied

Some areas are

more developed

than others

Content Solution Technology Landscape

CREATION& CONVERSION

ANALYSIS& DESIGN

ASSET & WORKMANAGEMENT

ENGAGE& ADAPT

PUBLISH& DELIVER

The tools & techniques for

Analyzing

Modeling

Exemplifying

Content resources & processes

Standards

Invaluable resources

although imperfect

The Achilles Heel of the CM Industry

Weak tools & techniques for analyzing & modeling content

Generally poor approaches to engaging stakeholders

Analysis & Design ANALYSIS& DESIGN

XML Editors

Dedicated tools (20+ years of history behind them)

Web based editors (coming along)

Alternatives (e.g., based on MS Word) try to hide the XML

Emergent alternatives hold great promise

Collaborative web-based authoring environments

Conversion

A variety of approaches exist to draw upon

• Manual: usually not entirely avoidable & often essential

• Automation: this is no magic

but it is largely under-utilized

Creation & Conversion CREATION& CONVERSION

Automated Publishing

Select / compile assets & render desired outputs

Dynamic Publishing

Automated publishing done according to request context

Staged Publishing

Generates outputs in forms that can be further tailored

Interchange Delivery

Can be standards-based or geared to loading target tools

Depends on high levels of efficient automation

The value of expertise & experience is prominent here

Good automation is precise, scalable & sustainable

Publish & Deliver PUBLISH

& DELIVER

The specific role of Content Management

Protect assets (don’t lose anything)

Facilitate work processes (don’t waste resources)

• Manual

• Automated

Maintain & enhance the quality of the information products

Provide tracking & reporting services

• Enabling management oversight & continuous improvement

Enable new products by

• Freeing up resources to perform higher value work

• Permitting the levels of complexity to be increased

• Elevating the intelligence of the content & associated products

Asset & Work Management

ASSET & WORKMANAGEMENT

The delivery is not the end of the story,

… it is the beginning

Community engagement is a

tremendous source of value

Metrics

Ranking

Feedback

Commentary

Augmentation

Modification

Substitution

Engage & Adapt: Social Media

ENGAGE& ADAPT

Depending on the industry, this activity

can assume a prominent role where all

other activities are continuously

performed by the community members.

Community-based Docs:

Government policies: Great

Consumers products: Good

Medications: No so good

Airplanes: Really bad

Rethinking Content Management Projects

Based on

Content Lifecycle

Solutions are a

form of intelligent

information product

Solution Delivery

Continues to play

a central role

Prototyping, piloting

& deploying to

achieve results &

learn lessons

Content Solution Project Roadmap

SOLUTIONACQUISITION

SOLUTIONEVOLUTION

SOLUTIONSTRATEGY

SOLUTIONMANAGEMENT

SOLUTIONDELIVERY

Content Solution Project Lifecycle

Strategy Acquisition Delivery Evolution

Project LifecycleRelative Level of Investment

Execution

Management

Content SolutionProject Lifecycle

Every project is different but certain patterns reoccur.

Investment in strategy formulation & prototyping pays long-term benefits.

Underfunding evolution, as distinct from maintenance, is the most common error.

The Stark Reality of Most CM Projects

Productivity

Cost

Tim

e

Productivity Hit

Typical Content Management Investment Curve

Productivity Gains & other benefits begin to offset aggregate costs

between 18 and 24 months after project initiation (in better cases)

Typical CM project requires modernization re-investment between 48 and 60 months

after project initiation – meaning the overall investment is never offset

Aggregate Cost

ExpendituresGain

Offset

CM Projects place an emphasis on the management activity as the initial priority

Hold Still for a Moment

The Trouble with Content Management

Content Management can be expensive

Licensing costs are often high

Customization & implementation costs are substantially greater (× 5)

Impact on team members & infrastructure can be substantial

Content Management provides general benefits

Largely focused on “contingent benefits”

• Risk reduction

• Improved information discovery & reuse

These benefits difficult to translate into recoverable savings

Management understandably becomes interested

• And not in a good way

The Promise of Content Management

Productivity

Cost

Tim

e

Productivity Hit

Target Content Management Investment Curve

A focus on the Content Lifecycle & on Content Delivery will reduce expenditures & lower the

productivity hit while accelerating gains. This can offset aggregate costs

in a much shorter period

Flexible architecture supports continuous evolution instead of cyclic

re-investment in modernization – with each evolutionary step being self-funded

Gain

Offset

Aggregate Cost

Expenditures

Intelligent Content changes the economics of Content Management – in a good way!

A Content Management Success Story (Current)

Partner ContentAdministrator

Core ContentAdministrator

Partner Content Sources

Client

Solution Data Quality & Taxonomy

Management Team

Stakeholder Governance Committee

ContentAggregation &Categorization

Process

ExtensibleContent Store

Content Discovery Interface

Web Delivery PlatformContent Management System (CMS)

Web Services Interface for

PartnerApplications

Multi-Jurisdictional

Content Aggregation, Integration, Enrichment & Delivery Environment

The Iron Laws of Content Management

Content Management must transcend any one CMS if it’s to be considered Content Management

Don’t commit to a CMS until you fully understand your content and what you need to do with it

You can only understand your content by working with it

Tailor your investments in Content Management to what helps you to be efficient

Be useful, or you’re not managing anything!

It’s about the content…

and the benefits you

can delivery with it!

Content Management must be

placed into its proper context within

an effective Content Solution

Content Lifecycle

Provides a model for

• Content Activities

• Content Solutions

• Content Solution

Projects

The Key Point:

Delivery is the

proving ground

Content Solutions

Content Management

Systems that do

something useful

Conclusion

CONTENTACQUISITION

CONTENTEVOLUTION

CONTENTSTRATEGY

CONTENTMANAGEMENT

CONTENTDELIVERY

Questions

Making Connections

Joe Gollner

Gnostyx Research Inc.

www.gnostyx.com

jag@gnostyx.com

The Content Philosopher Blog

www.gollner.ca