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Subject:Re: CMS and structured authoring From:David Neeley <dbneeley -at- gmail -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:55:30 +0200
I've done more than a few automation projects over the years--and to
some extent I disagree with Richard.
In cases like this where there is no existing system, with a careful
evaluation so that a good CMS is selected, it may in the end actually be
simpler to create the system within the CMS itself. That avoids various
issues with conversion that can eat up a good deal of time and expense.
By designing the structured work flow within the standard CMS
capabilities without modification, you also avoid the configuration
issues with the CMS itself that can also be quite hairy at times.
It is likely that for a small shop with no existing structured process
in place, this could be a good path to a powerful and flexible system
that would serve quite well.
In selecting the tools, if the first order of business is to select the
authoring tool then if it has no built-in CMS capabilities I would
seriously consider a conversation with its product manager to determine
what the most common CMS products are in use among their customers.
One CMS I would consider is Alfresco: www.alfresco.com.
Alfresco is capable of far more than simple document management--it can
handle the needs of a good-sized enterprise in document management, web
content management, and more. It is available in an open source edition,
or you can buy the commercial product with support if that is a better fit.
David
On 03/01/2011 08:55 AM, techwr-l-request -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com wrote:
From:
Richard Mateosian <xrmxrm -at- gmail -dot- com>
If by CMS you mean a way to keep track of a lot of small content
chunks, the answer is yes.
If you mean an enterprise content management system, the answer is
probably not.
As with any automation project, try to set up a manual system that
works for you, then automate it. ...RM
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