Experience Implementing a CMS in Beatrice McAlister Internet Development Team

Transcription

1 Experience Implementing a CMS in 2000 Beatrice McAlister Internet Development Team

2 Where it started Separate websites in place for Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service (AQIS), ABARE, the Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS), and other business areas in the Department. AQIS ABARE BRS Other business areas

3 Why a new system? 1999, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia was formed. New Secretary with new ideas and new departmental structure was put in place. His idea was to bring all areas of the Department under one umbrella to achieve integrated information dissemination. One Departmental Website AQIS ABARE BRS Other business areas

4 THE WEBSITE

5 The website The preparation Websites were maintained in manual content management systems such as Dreamweaver. To be able to merge all websites, a static website was build first to use as content migration base. was launched. Separate internet teams in department were merged to form one centralised Internet Development Team.

6 The website Vision & Reality Vision: To combine all separate websites into one look and feel while leaving space for sub branding on lower levels to retain high profile and identity. Reality: ABARE didn t come on board and keeps maintaining their own independent website until this day Agencies like AQIS and BRS lost their high profile identity and users have trouble identifying these agencies and their content.

7 The website The process Request for tender was sent out. Company which won the tender promised to meet all our needs. It could all be done No benchmarks were available. New terrain for client and contractor. Clients and external developers and manager worked closely together and communicated on a continuing basis.

8 The website Database structure background New website would contain existing content Every page (~ ) had to be applied with structural metadata to retain its location in new system <!--spectra metadata.--> <META NAME="structure" CONTENT="Market Access & Biosecurity,Biosecurity Australia,Biosecurity Development and Evaluation"> <META NAME="relatedto" CONTENT=""> <META NAME="Hot" CATEGORY="."> <META NAME="AP1" BROAD="" NARROW="" RELATED=""> <META NAME="AP2" BROAD="" NARROW="" RELATED=""> <!--end spectra metadata.--> Database structure built on basis of this metadata Concrete structure was the result

9 The problems caused by the database structure being built around the metadata Navigation and content are not separate The website Website structure determines DB structure. Database structure not easily changeable. Each object can only be part of one area of the website

10 The website Vision & Reality Vision: One departmental website for all of the department s business units. CSS styles and templates to ensure consistency in presenting departmental information. Authoring tool to make web authoring easier and faster.

11 The website Vision & Reality Reality: No acceptance from some business units, who would like to go back to their independent website. Business units want more flexibility and adjust layout of website to suit their needs. Business units don t have resources to maintain their content.

12 Q U E S T I O N S

13 The website Finance and Time issues Due to excessive efforts to bring current content across and delays in delivering the hardware, the tendered company dropped some of the initially agreed to deliverable functions. Result: One half of the website is dynamically generated. Other half semi-dynamically generated. Second half not searchable. Search can t index this content. Result: I.e. Publications can t be retrieved in search engine I.e. Publications can t be sub structured: long list of subject headings

14 The website Infrastructure - Problems Setting up a dynamic object oriented site whilst working within the government security framework. The contractor not understanding a government IT infrastructure Clients not having a deep understanding of Dynamic Internet Sites/Content Management Systems

15 The website Infrastructure Outsourcing issues Servers and hardware were ordered in the beginning of the development process with external services provider. Difficulties of an outsourced IT environment and their inability to meet deadlines and access to servers, IT infrastructure, etc by the contractors. Ordered goods weren t delivered on time which ground the project to a halt. Result: Developers could not proceed with implementation, valuable time and money was lost.

16 The website Communications Difficulties arose from communication breakdown between all parties involved i.e. the client, the contractors, ISP and outsource providers. The contractors always promising the client what they wanted. Clients not having a deep understanding of Dynamic Internet Sites/Content Management Systems. Clients were asking for AGLS metadata component, contractors delivered structural metadata solution.

17 THE AUTHORING TOOL

18 Authoring Tool From manual to automated Automated content management system replaced the existing manual content management system. Cold Fusion backend. Distributed authoring was put in place for all areas on the website following the experience of AQIS. Web Output Coordinators for each represented business area to assure quality of content and approval processes where appointed.

19 Authoring Tool The development 2-3 external developers were working on implementing functions and specific requirements Result: Different ways of coding and solutions Different behaviours in authoring tool There was no time for user testing of the authoring tool.

20 Authoring Tool Devolved Authoring Before changeover to new website and systems, authoring to the website was mainly centralised. Automated authoring system was developed to allow devolved authoring. Devolved authoring was already successfully implemented on the old AQIS website.

21 Authoring Tool Devolved Authoring Vision Authors know their work and are best to produce web content for their area. Quality assurance officer in each business unit is supposed to be set in place to assure quality of content coming through from the authors. Technical quality assurance officers in the Internet Development Team check content pages regarding technical issues, i.e. broken links or structure.

22 Authoring Tool Devolved Authoring Reality Problems with user acceptance Currently around 200 authors in the Department Problems with maintaining consistency across website regarding quality of content and presentation of content. High impact on resources to train new authors. Author task not with right person

23 Authoring Tool Devolved Authoring Reality Some employees feel pressured and overwhelmed with extra workload. Result: Lack of currency and quality of content. Some business units don t see Internet presence as an important part of their communications Result: Some parts of the website are high quality some are outdated and stagnant.

24 Authoring Tool? How templates are changed and by whom Members of the Internet Development Team change Templates. Changes are applied in WYSIG and Code mode. Our templates consist of a set of includes and custom tags, which for example control the pop up of the right side images in the right section.

25 Authoring Tool? The authoring process and tools Web based Authoring Tool. Automated web based system to apply for author rights and training with integrated approval process. Training of new author in one-on-one session Ongoing technical support by Internet Development Team members

26 Authoring Tool The authoring process and tools - saves web page - (re edits content) - can add comments - progresses page to QA Initial Edit/Creation of content AUTHOR Quality Check of content Quality Assurance (QA) - Checks quality of content - Can add comments - Can reject - Can pass on to TQA Technical quality check of page Technical Quality Assurance (TQA) - Checks page for technical issues - Can add comments - Can reject - Progresses page to live site

27 Authoring Tool Some Problems in detail Half of the content goes through workflow and approval processes. Half of the content goes live instantly when saving an update. Delete function deletes files from the system without option of retrieval. No objects or components: Every page can only live in one area, to be able to refer to the same content from an other part of the site, and new page with redirect has to be created.

28 Authoring Tool Some Problems in detail It takes at least 9 clicks to progress a new/amended page to the live server, going through all the workflow steps. No bulk progressing option. Changes to structure too complicated: Every single page has to be touched and re saved and progressed. Usability issues due to lack of user testing.

29 Q U E S T I O N S

30 WHERE TO FROM HERE?

31 Where to from here? The gathering for a new version 3 website and authoring tool to be released in 2004 Over the last 2.5 years we have been collecting user feedback from external and internal clients. Due to the system set up, improvements to current system are costly. An internal working group has been formed to gather business group requirements, evidence and ideas.

32 Where to from here? Lessons learnt Be very thorough when choosing CMS and company you re going to work with. Ensure specifications and requirements are clear and both parties maintain high level of ongoing communications and speak the same language (Example: What is metadata?). Keep everything in writing and get agreed functions signed off by external service provider.

33 Where to from here? Lessons learnt Incorporate the hardware service providers early in the process. Time slip with hardware can bring down the whole thing and become expensive. Ongoing user testing throughout the process. Include authors early in the process when developing authoring tool. Have extra money available for unexpected additional functions. Don t create too higher expectations, i.e. regarding release dates. But keep everyone involved informed and up to date on the status at the same time.

34 Where to from here? Lessons learnt Leave room for unexpected problems or longer than expected developing time. Create information inventory first to assist in determining information taxonomy. Don t spend too much money and time on catering for existing content. Concentrate your efforts on functionality of new system. Take the opportunity to spring clean content before moving to a new system.

35 Experience Implementing a CMS in 2000 Beatrice McAlister Internet Development Team Beatrice.McAlister@affa.gov.au