Choosing an Open Source Content Management System for your Organisation
By Sam PascuaA content management system (CMS) is a generalised term for a computer software system that assists in organising and facilitating the collaborative creation of documents and other content. In other words, it will store, manage and allow multiple lines of access to all of the content you want to include in any particular database. This can be done on any scale, from your personal website to an enterprise-level intranet. These systems have many subcategories focused on providing management services for web content or even media content. However, this article focuses on choosing a CMS for the workflow and organization of digital documents within a business entity.
Dozens of different CMS solutions are available today. Some are developed by leading industry software development companies like Microsoft. Others are not. In fact, there are many great open-source options to consider when looking for a new CMS solution.
One of the greatest benefits of going with an open source system is the ability to fully research the background, development roadmap, problems and benefits of the software. The programming code is open, and so are all of the details of its development. Understanding all the pros and cons of the prospective choices is really important for the decision-maker. Here are some different methods you can use to gain insight into the value of an open source CMS.
Do Your Research
First of all, review the project road maps of the open-source CMS. These road maps should detail the long-term objectives of the software, what key content is be incorporated, and where the current version is in that process. Obviously, you want to make a decision based on how well a given product meets your organisation’s needs. Conducting this research is the first step in doing so.
Some examples of open source CMS roadmaps are;
How well organised is the development team?
It’s great if the roadmap appears to provide timely solutions for your needs, but is there also a strongly defined release process? What about the coding standards? These are all additional strong indicators of the long-term viability of the CMS product and how well future releases will function and adapt to changes in coding, function and customisation. Other key features that need to be assessed include the testing procedures and any patching issues.
It is also a good idea to learn about the management team that is coordinating the project. Is the CMS the brain-child of just one person? If so, interpret this as a warning sign to look elsewhere, since a more diverse guidance team will create a more diverse product, be more collaborative with other developers and provide greater long-term stability for the product. To find this information, review the website and any relevant chat forums.
Another issue to consider is the resolution of any bugs that are found in the software. A long list of bugs that need to be revised is not always a bad thing. In fact, it may be advantageous, because it could indicate a high level of pre-release testing and a strong desire to provide a highly reliable product. But take the time to review the bug list in detail to determine who is responding, how quickly fixes are made, and whether the resulting solutions are adequate.
Test the Software
After reviewing the different features and values of each prospective software option, it is wise to take some additional time to test-drive one or two of your top choices. Most of the open source CMSs are available for download directly from their website, or you can check out www.opensourcecms.com to demo some of the top products, such as Drupal, Joomla and Mambo.
Then ask a few key team members to work through the demo or the downloaded version. They will feel out the products based on their needs and provide you with feedback on the pros and cons of each software package. They may also inform you about specific requirements they have, thus giving you the opportunity to either customise the software’s functionality or eliminate any product that doesn’t have all the necessary features.
Importantly, this exercise of testing the product will encourage buy-in from all the parties involved in the testing. Be sure to properly account for the resources you will need for migrating data, training all users, building interest among all users, and developing any customised properties for the software. With most CMS solutions, full incorporation can take up to one year. Ensure that you have the proper resources for this entire time period.
Seek Technical Support
Consider how you will obtain technical support for your new CMS. You can choose to have in-house support from a qualified programmer, or you can choose to outsource such services. If you need support and don’t have a qualified employee, then you can consider two options. First, the company responsible for the development of this software may offer sufficient support either online or via telephone. You will need to check with the individual product you are specifying. The other option would be to turn to third-party support companies (like Spike Source, for example) to provide the proper level of support you need.
Share Customised Code
You’ll also need to decide whether you want to share any customised code that you have created along the path to full integration. Over the long term, will you benefit from other parties continuing to expand upon this new code and the potential for it to be established into the base code of the software? Or do you hold a strong competitive advantage in your industry by having sole access to this customised solution? There are strong social and business advantages to contributing back to something from which you have taken, so consider the benefits you have gained and try to give back if possible.
By considering all the pieces of advice offered in this article, you’re well on your way to finding the perfect open-source CMS to meet your organisation’s needs.
When it comes down to implementing a new open source CMS the most successful attempts will be the result of strong research and testing prior to making a decision. The right product can provide great advancements in your organisation’s efficiencies and capabilities, provided you choose the product wisely.
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