The value proposition of a Web Content Management system

I had an interesting discussion with some colleagues about the way Web Content Management (WCM) vendors present their product; especially, the value of their product. Basically, having evaluated and implemented a WCM at my last employer, I can safely say that we have very much gained in efficiency. However, it's also the case that we have had major challenges because of the WCM: Demands on our team for new site development as well as constant requests for assistance from the 40 or so content editors started to put a strain on the team. This is the issue: WCMs will increase site publishing efficiency by decentralizing the effort, but now, there are added pressure on Web teams for training, hand-holding, and content approval, not to mention assistance in putting content that may not exactly fit the templates and layouts. All in a day's work.

Policies not policing

An interesting dilemma facing Web teams today is that on the one hand they need to encourage content creativity while ensuring that the site remains uniform. Best practices show that you need to have policies and guidelines in place to ensure that content is developed, vetted, approved and published in a matter that reflects positivily the corporation's brand and image. However, a balance between enforcing policies and policing Web site development is sometimes difficult to achieve. Corporate culture will often dictate how much policing is necessary to control sufficiently the publishing process. A good rule of thumb is to monitor site publishing while educating content providers, and make them aware of the policies as part off their training. Today's more advanced Web publishing can help in this matter.

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