Throughout the book, we have described the various phases of implementing a unified content strategy, starting from analysis and working through to selecting tools and managing the change. This appendix provides a checklist for implementing a unified content strategy. Some portions of the checklist apply to processes that are unique to a unified content strategy and refer to the chapters in the book where you can find more information. We’ve also included some processes (such as usability testing) that are common to many implementation projects and should be part of your unified content implementation. However, because these processes are not explained in the book, there are no references to chapters where you can read up on them further. You can find additional references in the bibliography.
Starting with a thorough analysis is key to a successful unified content strategy. Thorough analysis ensures that your strategy addresses your organization’s specific needs and goals.
The analysis phase has four stages, as described in Table A.1.
Table A.1. Analysis
|
Stages: What’s involved |
Tasks: What to do |
Deliverables |
Refer to… |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Identify the “pain” in your organization. |
Ask the following questions:
|
Analysis report |
Chapter 4, “Where does it really hurt?” |
|
Analyze the content creation life cycle. |
Identify your current content life cycle. Identify who does what within that life cycle; learn what their issues are. |
Analysis report |
Chapter 5, “Analyzing the content life cycle” |
|
Conduct a content audit. |
Examine the content in your organization to determine how it’s used and how it can be reused Establish the scope ofthe audit. Select representative samples of content. Conduct a top-level analysis of samples, looking for structural similarities that indicate where to analyze further. Look at selected samples closely, making observations about how content is used and how it can be reused. Create a reuse map, illustrating potential content reuse and the type of reuse. |
Analysis report |
Chapter 6, “Performing a content audit” |
|
Formulate your vision for a new, unified content life cycle. |
The new content life cycle is based on the issues you identified in the first three stages: identify pain, analyze content life cycle, and conduct content audit to form the basis for implementing the unified content strategy. Identify how to address issues. Document a new life cycle, addressing each phase of the life cycle, such as create, review, manage, and deliver. |
Recommendations report |
Chapter 7, “Envisioning your unified content life cycle” |
Design is one of the most critical phases of implementing a unified content strategy. During the design phase, you figure out how you will address the issues you discovered during your analyses—how you will realize your vision for a new content life cycle. You design information models that specify how information will be used and reused; you define metadata to ensure that every element of content can be tracked, retrieved, and reused; you design dynamic content to suit users’ unique needs; you design workflow to ensure that content moves through the content life cycle; and you plan the change management processes (including security) you’ll need to help the changes take place.
The design phase has six stages, as shown in Table A.2:
Table A.2. Design
|
Stages: What’s involved |
Tasks: What to do |
Deliverables |
Refer to… |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Create information models. |
Identify all possible uses for the information. Identify the level of reuse required. Create detailed audience profiles including their objectives for the information. Determine the granularity of the information. Identify the structure of the information product, showing how all the elements fit together. Build models for each information product and each information element within the product. |
An information model spreadsheet that outlines the elements for each information product and indicates how each element is structured and reused. The spreadsheet also includes the metadata for each element. |
Chapter 8, “Information modeling” |
|
Define metadata. |
Identify and evaluate industry metadata standards. Define your taxonomy and controlled vocabulary. Define your metadata for reuse. Define your metadata for retrieval. Define your metadata for tracking. |
The metadata specification. |
Chapter 9, “Designing metadata” |
|
Design dynamic content (if appropriate). |
Create personas for your key customer types. Design metadata and user profiles. Identify dynamic elements in models. Define rules for the assembly of dynamic content. |
Revised information model spreadsheet. User personas. Business rules. |
Chapter 10, “Designing dynamic content” |
|
Design workflow. |
Select start and end points for all the tasks within your content life cycle. Determine everything that has to happen in between, assigning tasks to roles. Identify all the interactions and dependencies, notifications and approvals. Figure in the “what ifs.” Document your workflow in swimlane diagrams, showing players’ roles in the appropriate swimlanes. Examine your documented workflow to simplify where possible. |
Swimlane diagrams illustrating your designed workflow. |
Chapter 11, “Designing workflow” |
|
Develop organizational change management plan. |
Though not part of design, you should begin to address change management during the design phase. Tasks include:
|
The organizational change management plan. |
Chapter 21, “Managing change” |
|
Define your security model. |
Define groups and individual users; identity who gets access to what. Create the Access Control List (ACL). Configure the security in the selected tools. |
Security model. User and group security profiles. Access control list. Security configured for the system. |
Chapter 16, “Content management systems” |
Evaluating and selecting tools is a large part of implementing a unified content strategy. There are many types of tools available and you need to select ones that meet your organization’s needs, your authors’ abilities, and what you’ve decided to do with your information (established during the design phase). Using everything you learned in the analysis and design phases—and referring to your new content life cycle—evaluate tools and technologies as described in Table A.3.
Table A.3. Tools and technologies
|
Stages: What’s involved |
Tasks: What to do |
Deliverables |
Refer to… |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Evaluate tools and technologies. |
Identify your criteria for selection. Develop a weighting system for your criteria. Develop a list of vendors to investigate. Request a custom demonstration from vendors that interest you. Send out an RFI/RFP to selected vendors that includes your detailed criteria and ask them to respond to your questions. Evaluate the responses or compare the custom demonstration against your criteria. Pick three vendors that most effectively meet your criteria (best ranking). Ask vendors to use a sample of your content to create a content specific demonstration for you. Narrow your selection down to one or two vendors. Conduct a proof-of-concept to test the required functionality and determine whether the product meets your needs. Purchase the product if it performs well in the proof-of-concept. |
Tool selection criteria RFI/RFP (if applicable) Tools to support your various authoring, content management, workflow, and delivery needs |
Chapter 13, “Evaluating tools” Chapter 14, “The role of XML” Chapter 15, “Authoring tools” Chapter 16, “Content management systems” Chapter 18, “Delivery systems” Appendix C, “Vendors” Appendix D, “Tools checklist” |
Moving forward with your unified content strategy means changing the way you work. As you develop your proof-of-concept and pilot, you need to help your authors to collaborate, provide them with guidelines and training on how to write and structure content in the same way, and roll out your strategy throughout your organization. You also need to put together your change management plan, implement your models, and install and configure your software and hardware. Table A.4 summarizes the stages of developing your strategy.
Table A.4. Development
|
Stages: What’s involved |
Tasks: What to do |
Deliverables |
Refer to… |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Implement collaborative authoring. |
Identify everyone in creating content and what their role is; hold “kickoff” meeting at the beginning of projects. content requirements Design collaboration into workflow. Information models Develop resource–focused budgets based on content requirements across the organization, rather than department-specific budgets. analysis, modeling Introduce models to everyone in the organization who creates content; revisit models iteratively. Authoring and Make changes to models, authoring processes, and standards by consensus and not by democratic vote; train authors in conflict management techniques. Encourage authors to relinquish ownership of their content; content with a discernible style is not necessarily reusable. |
Project plans and kickoff meetings Budgets based on the silos” “Buy-ins” from authors Training in information Chapter 11 design, and structured writing collaboration tools |
Chapter 19, “Collaborative authoring Breaking down |
|
Implement structured writing |
Train writers in information analysis, modeling, design, and structured writing so they all have the same understanding of how to create content and how to write to information models. Provide usable tools that support collaborative process, not impede them. Define writing standard that focus on rather than on format. documentation and Create standards for each element, so wherever the element appears, it is consistent, and so it is also consistent with the other elements contained in the information product. Train authors in structured writing and support them with tools and with comprehensive models to follow. Create style sheets that are applied when the content is published to its various formats. |
Structured writing standard (and possibly templates or DTDs) Information models “Authoring Format style sheets for each output Authoring tools Structured writing training | |
|
Address organizational change. |
Communicate the following on an ongoing basis; communicate:
|
Organizational change plan |
Chapter 21, “Managing change” |
|
Implement your design. |
Create templates. Create web forms (if using). Create DTDs. Develop style sheets. |
Chapter 12, “Implementing your design” | |
|
Install and configure hardware/software. |
Write configuration specification. Configure tools. Write scripts. |
System specification Installed and configured system |
N/A (not covered in book) |
|
Create workflows in CMS. |
Create workflows using CMS functionality. |
Workflows created in the CMS | |
|
Develop a prototype. |
Select short sample (existing content) for prototype testing. Convert/restructure content according to your new models. Publish (deliver content) using the system. Analyze gaps (prototype against requirements). Create prototype report. |
A working prototype Prototype gap analysis report |
N/A (not covered in book) |
During this phase of the project, you use your prototype to extensively test the system’s functionality, the information models, business processes, and the workflows. Although many of these tasks are required for most project implementations, they are not specific to a unified content strategy and are not covered in the book. Table A.5 describes the stages of testing and making system modifications.
Table A.5. Testing and system modifications
|
Stages: What’s involved |
Tasks: What to do |
Deliverables |
Refer to… |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Conduct usability test. |
Define the objectives of the test (what you want to learn). Define success criteria. Define the test questions. Develop any necessary information or training to support the test participants in understanding their tasks. Identify the usability test participants. Develop the pre- and post- usability test questionnaires and coordinate times with participants. Conduct the usability test. Summarize the usability test findings. Create a usability test report covering results and recommendations. Revise the user interface and processes where necessary. |
Usability test plan Usability test questionnaires List of usability test participants Usability test Usability test report Possibly, a modified system |
N/A (not covered in book) |
|
Conduct verification test. |
Create verification test plan. Test functionality. Identify problem areas. Document problems (bugs). Determine appropriate changes and create Engineering Change Notices for system changes. |
Verification test plan Problems reports Engineering Change Notices |
N/A (not covered in books) |
|
Revise specification. |
Update specification Review. |
Revised specification |
N/A (not covered in book) |
|
Implement system modifications. |
Revise information frameworks. Revise style sheets. Revise all batches and scripts. |
Revised style sheets Revised batches Revised scripts | |
|
Implement process modifications. |
Identify modifications to processes. Update process descriptions Update process maps. Communicate changes to authors. |
Revised process descriptions Revised process maps |
N/A (not covered in book) |
|
Implement workflow modifications. |
Update workflow diagrams. Update workflows in the system Communicate changes to authors |
Revised workflow diagrams Revised workflows in the system |
A pilot is required to selectively roll out and test the new tools and processes in a controlled environment that will not impact key deliverables. To conduct a pilot, you select a group, department, or area you will use to roll out a scaled-down version of the unified content strategy so you can thoroughly test the processes and infrastructure. Again, although conducting a pilot is critical, it is not unique to a unified content strategy and accordingly, there are no chapter references provided.
After the pilot is complete, the rest of the process can be prioritized for implemention. Table A.6 describes the stages of conducting a pilot.
Table A.6. Pilot
|
Stages: What’s involved |
Tasks: What to do |
Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
|
Create pilot plan. |
Create a pilot plan. Create pilot monitoring plan. Create a pilot schedule. Create a pilot participant agreement. |
Pilot plan Pilot monitoring plan Pilot schedule Pilot participant agreement |
|
Select and brief participants. |
Create pilot selection criteria. Evaluate plans against criteria. Select one or more documents for inclusion in the pilot process. Meet with the teams to communicate the vision and pilot plan. Get signatures of all parties on the pilot participant agreement. |
Pilot selection criteria Selected documents Signed pilot participant agreement |
|
Install pilot on pilot server and participants’ machines. |
Configure pilot server. Install tools. Configure tools. |
Configured pilot server Configured author interface |
|
Develop preliminary training plan and materials. |
Perform task analysis. Identify roles to be trained. Identify learning styles. Identify learning objectives. Determine the delivery mechanism. Write training plan. Write training materials. |
Training plan Preliminary training materials |
|
Conduct pilot training. |
Train staff. Collect feedback. Create feedback report. |
Trained staff Feedback report |
|
Develop pilot user documentation. |
Define user documentation requirements and deliverables. Create information product models for each deliverable. Develop preliminary user documentation based on the models. |
User documentation deliverables report User documentation information product models First draft user documentation |
|
Monitor pilot. |
Conduct pilot kickoff meeting. Monitor pilot. Summarize pilot. Create pilot summary report. |
Pilot kickoff meeting Pilot summary report |
|
Revise specification. |
Update models. Update process maps and descriptions. Update workflow diagrams. Communicate changes to stakeholders. |
Updated specifications (models, maps, descriptions, workflow diagrams) Informed stakeholders |
|
Implement changes. |
Update work processes. Update system work flows, templates, interface, system configuration. Communicate changes to stakeholders. |
Updated system, processes and workflows Informed stakeholders |
Proper planning and training are essential to the successful implementation of your unified content strategy. Table A.7 describes the various stages of implementation, as applicable to any project.
Table A.7. Implementation
|
Stages: What’s involved |
Tasks: What to do |
Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
|
Develop rollout plan. |
Identify all users involved. Identify hardware and software requirements. Identify training needs. Develop rollout schedule. Create rollout plan. |
Rollout plan |
|
Develop final training plan and materials. |
Perform task analysis. Identify roles to be trained. Identify learning styles. Identify learning objectives. Determine delivery mechanism. Write training plan. Write training materials. |
Training Plan Training materials |
|
Conduct training. |
Train staff. Collect feedback. Create feedback report. |
Training staff Feedback report |
|
Develop technical support plan. |
Identify required technical resources. Identify tools resource. Identify process resources. Write technical support plan. |
Technical support plan |
|
Finalize user documentation. |
Review user documentation and edit. Finalize user documentation |
Final user documentation |
|
Roll out solution. |
The rolled-out system |
After your strategy has been successfully implemented, you need to ensure that it continues to run smoothly, and that you keep up to date on the latest technological advances. It is also important to analyze your recently completed unified content project to determine how you can leverage the experience for future projects. Table A.8 describes the stages of post-implementation.
Table A.8. Post-implementation
|
Stages: What’s involved |
Tasks: What to do |
Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
|
Develop migration/upgrade plan. |
Determine migration/upgrade criteria. Contact vendors about upcoming product release functionality and schedule. Develop migration/upgrade plan. |
Migration/upgrade plan |
|
Conduct post-project audit. |
Identify review topics. Suggested topics include:
Conduct post-project audit meeting. Create post-project audit report. |
Post-project audit meeting Post-project audit report |