Hi, we are about to do a full scale CMS wide implementation. This includes site redesign and migrating to a new CMS. My questions is for those who have already been through this, are there any things I should know, things you went through that I should keep an eye on. Also, I am putting together a project plan and I wanted to know if there are specific areas that I need to make sure I address, and if you have a project plan you used for your CMS migration, that would be even better.
Areas of concern are making sure I ask the right questions as it relates to:
--Content (what's involved)
--Infrastructure (what's their role)
--Database considerations?
--Design considerations?
One of my key lessons learned is that it can take more time, budget, and energy to convert old content to the new CMS than the rest of the project put together.
Yes, that includes training, testing, deployment, vendor selection and so on. Converting content can be more than all of that work put together.
Sometimes you can automate content conversion, but often the automation will fail or produce strange results for some articles or pages. You will need to review a lot of the content by hand to make sure it works.
If you have a relatively small, new site that is using a new CMS, then this issue will be small. Older, large, complex sites usually have a huge conversion issue.
Also, make sure to keep both the old and new systems running in parallel for a while. You want the new system running for a while, while you convert and scrub the content. Then, after the cut-over, you want the old system running for a while, just in case you have any problems. Your roll out plan for the new CMS should also include some way to quickly switch back to the old system, just in case the new system fails for some reason.
One nice thing about CMS deployments these days is that there are so many great tools out there. I recommend NOT creating your own, but instead buying someone else's. Database and design issues should be minimal, if the system you buy provides the right features out of the box. Saving Changes...
I think the basic question you should look into is the CMS application that you are going to use. Are you using a proprietary application or open-source application like Alfresco, Liferay, etc.? Are you going to be just an adopter of the technology, meaning, will you tweak the application to suit your specific needs? etc.
If your requirements are just the basic adoption of a CMS, then it would be wise to familiarize yourself with its various features and how you can best leverage the application vis-a-vis your current system. Then proceed from there. I guess Alex's points pretty much cover the general things you will need to consider in adopting CMS.
Saving Changes...
Mark LacatenaPrincipal Consultant| Mark Lacatena ConsultingBoynton Beach, Fl, United States
I can only repeat what Alex said. the migration can be the largest part of your migration. Pay attention to performance when scheduling the migration and allow for system downtime. I once worked on a migration that took almost a year to compete. The sponsor's original estimate was a week or so.
Pay particular attention to how you prove the migration is both complete (all content moved) and accurate (all content and metadata is correct). There are a number of products available. Search the web for "content migration tools" for one that will support you source and target environments.
