Hi,

I'd back up what Mike and Andrew say. I'm basically a techie, but all the best projects attack at the problem first, then look at the technology. In other words, be cautious of vendors who tend to talk at you about their amazing technology, but who aren't so good at listening to the information you give them about what you need it to do.

A really good vendor will have someone whose full-time job is to deal with system requirements (and it is a full time job). Very often they'll get called a "Business Analyst" or (these days) a "Product Owner" or something. Quite often this role gets conflated with "Project Manager", too, though like I say, it's a full time job, really, and so is project management, so anyone tasked with both tends to be quite stressed. Anyway - it's the "Business Analyst's" role to shut up and listen to what you and (especially) your creative and content people are trying to achieve, and (eventually - once they've gained a decent understanding) to translate that information into functions for the techies to deliver. They may also come up with suggestions for tackling the problem that you hadn't considered - this is part of their job, and is an indication that they're doing it well because they're really getting to the bottom of the problem your new system is supposed to help solve.

If a vendor leaps straight into the functions of the new system without scoping what's required first, well, that's a classic IT project mistake and the reason why so many of them fail - and by fail, I mean anything from not delivering anything at all, to delivering something that's a pain to use, to delivering something that doesn't do what people need it to do, so they don't use it, and it therefore needs replacing a few years down the line because it wasn't fit for purpose. The risk of all of these outcomes is greatly increased by thinking about the technology first and the problem second.

I'd recommend this book: http://www.volere.co.uk/book/mastering-the-requirements-process-getting-requirements-right - not only because it covers the entire requirements-gathering process in (very readable) detail, but also because it's big and heavy and therefore good for beating IT people like me over the head with when they talk to much and don't listen to you. :)

Also - don't think that "you have to gather all the requirements first" before you can start - if the project's well managed, then you will gradually increase the detail once you're up and running. But as a minimum there ought to be a decent few weeks (four is OK) of scoping the high-level "business case" before any code is written. Be cautious of vendors who don't have that type of up-front analysis of the problem in their plans. Ones that do that, and have a good track record of delivering well-used CMS solutions for others, would be worth considering. 

Good luck,

Dave

David Gerrard
PhD Research Student (and hard-bitten IT professional in a former life)

Centre for Information Management
School of Business and Economics

Loughborough University

________________________________________
From: Museums Computer Group [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Mike Ellis [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 11 March 2014 08:47
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: CMS survey

Spot on from Andrew there.

I’d also add that although IT people are often the ones who shout loudest in these CMS procurement moments, they’re typically interested in whether it runs on Node.js or some kind of awesomely flexible database model, rather than whether people can use it to do what needs doing.

So I’d say: make sure the system is specified and procured with a LOT of input from the people who actually end up using it - typically curators, editors and other content people. Ask them where the pain is right now, whether it’s creating new pages, uploading or managing media, getting templates changed, etc - and then use this as a central part of your specification.

Ultimately if your creative and content people hate it, it won’t get used.

Oh, also: however much you think you need a complicated workflow (and however much CMS vendors try to sell this to you), you almost certainly don’t :-)




_____________________________


Mike Ellis

Thirty8 Digital: a small but perfectly formed digital agency: http://thirty8.co.uk (http://thirty8.co.uk/)

* My book: http://heritageweb.co.uk (http://heritageweb.co.uk/) *


On Tuesday, 11 March 2014 at 08:25, Andrew Lewis wrote:

> Hi Tom,
>
> 2 minute website answers...
>
> A CMS is there to help you do what you need to, so that's where you
> should start when doing a selection. Don't choose something because
> someone else has it. That is only a way to discover possible solutions,.
> not to assess them. Choose a system because it delivers your
> organisational objectives for needing a CMS, so start with a brief of
> some sort. Recommendations from other orgs are OK, as long as you
> believe their objectives matched yours.
> Also, no system does it all :)
>
> so to the questions...
> 1. If you use a CMS for your site, which one do you use and would you
> recommend it to us?
> We use several. Our main site uses Squiz Matrix. It is very powerful on
> a technical level and allows you to build complex sites with rich
> features that allow re-use of assets. It allows a sys admin to do things
> that you would ned a developer to do if building from scratch. The
> software is open source. The costing model is based on paying for Squiz
> time to set things up or train you to do so. The backend is not for
> beginners, but is very powerful. The content editor tools are not as
> advanced as the technical/admin features.
> We also use Drupal a bit (historically more so) and Django (Python) for
> some self-contained features.
>
> 2. When you started using a CMS did you do any development and
> migration work yourselves, or did you use an agency. If the latter,
> which one, and would you recommend them?
> The first time we used a CMS was so long ago, no-one can remember, but
> we have done many migrations. Bulk transfer of content is worth getting
> the supplier to do, unless you have small number of pages. Spend your
> time on deciding what templates work for you and testing migration into
> them
>
>
> 3. Did the CMS work take place as part of a site redesign, or follow a
> site audit?
> Both. We replaced main CMS at our last site redesign.
>
>
> 4. How long did the project take?
> Last site redesign was a beast. 2-3 years, but that was an exceptional
> case with many thousands of pages and a complete rethink how the site
> served users and a change of several systems. It is strongly recommended
> not to take this long. The web change cycle is much faster than this
> (mobile, tablet, etc)
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> two minutes? not quite. More like 20 :)
>
> Andrew Lewis
> Digital Content Delivery Manager
>
> Digital Media department
> Victoria and Albert Museum
> South Kensington
> London SW7 2RL
>
> 020 7942 2373
> [log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])
> Digital Media blog: www.vam.ac.uk/digital (http://www.vam.ac.uk/digital)
> http://linkd.in/andrewlewis
> @rosemarybeetle ( https://twitter.com/rosemarybeetle )
>
>
>
> > > > MCG automatic digest system <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])> 11/03/2014
> 00:14 >>>
> There are 3 messages totaling 309 lines in this issue.
>
> Topics of the day:
>
> 1. UK Press Release - #MuseumWeek
> 2. Courtauld Institute: 2 minute website CMS questions (2)
>
> ****************************************************************
> website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
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> [un]subscribe: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
> ****************************************************************
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:42:33 +0000
> From: Mar Dixon <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])>
> Subject: UK Press Release - #MuseumWeek
>
> If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Stewart
> directly
> (cc'd).
>
> Sorry for cross-posting.
>
> --
>
> Mar Dixon
> Mobile: +44 (0) 7800 539 065
> www.mardixon.com :: @mardixon <http://www.twitter.com/mardixon>
> www.culturethemes.com (http://www.culturethemes.com) ::
> @culturethemes<http://www.twitter.com/culturethemes>
>
> --------------------
>
> *Embargoed until 00.01 Tuesday March 14th 2014 *
>
> *#MuseumWeek *
>
> Hundreds of museums and galleries from across the UK and Europe will
> come
> together on Twitter later this month for the first ever #MuseumWeek, a
> project that will connect people to artwork, culture, history and
> science
> in new and interactive ways.
>
> #MuseumWeek will take place from Monday 24th March to Sunday 30th March
> and
> will give Twitter users direct and unparallelled access to some of
> Europe's
> leading museums and the people behind them in 140-characters bursts.
>
> UK organisations already signed up include the Science Museum
> (@sciencemuseum), the Natural History Museum (@NHM_London), the
> Victoria
> and Albert Museum (@V_and_A), the British Museum (@britishmuseum),
> Eureka!
> The National Children's Museum (@eurekamuseum) and Tate (@Tate).
>
> The project also includes some of the UK's lesser-known, smaller or
> more
> specialist museums, such as the Roald Dahl Museum in Buckinghamshire
> (@RoaldDahlMuseum), Cumbria's Pencil Museum (@PencilMuseum),
> Pembrokeshire's Tenby Museum and Art Gallery (@TenbyMuseum) and the
> Time
> and Tide Museum (@timetidemuseum) in Great Yarmouth.
>
> #MuseumWeek offers a real-time, behind-the-scenes look at
> organisations
> across Europe and the UK.
>
> Participating organisations will include the hashtag #MuseumWeek in
> their
> Tweets for the week, meaning users can follow along on Twitter. In
> addition, every day there will be a different theme including
> #MuseumSelfies, #AskTheCurator and #MuseumMemories.
>
> Some museums and galleries will also run their own projects to
> coincide
> with the week. Historic Royal Palaces (@HRP_Palaces) will be giving
> users a
> unique insight into a day in the life of Henry VIII, and hosting a
> live
> Twitter Q&A with the former monarch between 8 and 9 p.m. on Monday 24
> March.
>
> https://twitter.com/HRP_palaces/status/425995191615377408
>
> The Natural History (@NHM_London) and Victoria & Albert (@V_and_A)
> museums
> will be partnering on a special #MuseumSelfies initiative at their
> 'Friday
> Lates' event on 24 March
>
> A full list of participating UK organisations can be viewed
> here<https://discover.twitter.com/arts/museums>.
> (https://discover.twitter.com/arts/museums)
>
> Mar Dixon (@MarDixon), an expert in social media and museums and host
> of
> the @CultureThemes project, said: "Every day of the year museums and
> cultural institutions across the world are using Twitter in exciting
> and
> interesting ways to tell the stories of their collections to new
> audiences.
>
>
> "#MuseumWeek will shine a light on these activities, giving a
> real-time
> glimpse into the workings of museums across the UK and Europe, 140
> characters at a time."
>
> Jesse Ringham, Digital Communications Manager from Tate, said: "Tate's
> presence on Twitter is crucial to engaging our global audiences in
> on-going
> conversations about art and creativity. @Tate now has 1 million
> followers,
> making the gallery the most followed museum on Twitter in Europe and
> the
> third largest worldwide.
>
> "We're delighted to be joining this international initiative alongside
> large and small museums and galleries from the UK and beyond."
>
>
> ---
>
> *@stewartrussell <https://twitter.com/stewartrussell>*
> Communications | Twitter UK
>
> ****************************************************************
> website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
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> ****************************************************************
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 17:43:51 +0000
> From: "Bilson, Tom" <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])>
> Subject: Courtauld Institute: 2 minute website CMS questions
>
> Dear MCG members
>
> The Courtauld Institute of Art is migrating its website to a new CMS.
>
> I'm hoping for feedback from those of you who, like me, work with
> university as well as gallery or museum websites, but all feedback will
> be welcomed. I'm just trying to gather some general information about
> software vendors, and how you approached the project.
>
> If possible, answers please by end of Wednesday 12 March.
>
>
> 1. If you use a CMS for your site, which one do you use and would you
> recommend it to us?
>
>
> 2. When you started using a CMS did you do any development and
> migration work yourselves, or did you use an agency. If the latter,
> which one, and would you recommend them?
>
>
> 3. Did the CMS work take place as part of a site redesign, or follow a
> site audit?
>
>
> 4. How long did the project take?
>
>
> Is there any other advice you’d like to offer us?
>
>
> Many thanks for your time!
>
> --
>
> Tom Bilson
> Head of Digital Media
> The Courtauld Institute of Art
> Somerset House
> Strand
> London WC2R 0RN
> Email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> www.courtauld.ac.uk<http://www.courtauld.ac.uk>
>
> The Courtauld Institute of Art is a company limited by guarantee
> (registered in England and Wales, number 04464432) and an exempt
> charity. SCT Enterprises Limited is a limited company (registered in
> England and Wales, number 3137515). Their registered offices are at
> Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN. The sale of items related to
> The Courtauld Gallery and its collections is managed by SCT Enterprises
> Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Courtauld Institute of Art.
> This e-mail, including any attachments, is confidential and may be
> legally privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the
> individual(s) to whom it is addressed. Any unauthorised dissemination or
> copying of this e-mail or its attachments and any reliance on or use or
> disclosure of any information contained in them is strictly prohibited
> and may be illegal. If you have received this e-mail in error please
> notify us by return of e-mail [or by telephone +44 (0) 20 7848 1273] and
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>
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>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 13:59:31 -0400
> From: Ashley <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])>
> Subject: Re: Courtauld Institute: 2 minute website CMS questions
>
> Hello Tom,
>
> I worked for a historical society in America that produced exhibitions
> while functioning as a special library. We migrated our data to
> Collective Access and worked with developers to customize the system.
> That being said, the two most underestimated parts of the project were
> time spent refining the data (pre-transfer) and time waiting and/or
> conversing with the data developers in order to produce the CMS we
> wanted. Cost, surprisingly wasn't so bad because we locked in a project
> rate with the developers.
>
> Staff members did the data refinement as well as some volunteers but it
> was such a crucial step in the process that having volunteers help was
> limited. Because of restricted vocabularies and the necessity to check
> original objects from time to time outsourcing this work was not a
> possibility.
>
> The project took a couple years from the point of needing time to write
> grants and collect proper funding to the point of project completion.
>
> I would recommend Collective Access simply because it is flexible
> enough to fit many needs with customization.
>
> I hope this helps.
>
> Best wishes,
> Ashley
>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Mar 10, 2014, at 1:43 PM, "Bilson, Tom" <[log in to unmask] (mailto:[log in to unmask])>
> wrote:
>
> > Dear MCG members
> >
> > The Courtauld Institute of Art is migrating its website to a new
> CMS.
> >
> > I'm hoping for feedback from those of you who, like me, work with
> university as well as gallery or museum websites, but all feedback will
> be welcomed. I'm just trying to gather some general information about
> software vendors, and how you approached the project.
> >
> > If possible, answers please by end of Wednesday 12 March.
> >
> >
> > 1. If you use a CMS for your site, which one do you use and would you
> recommend it to us?
> >
> >
> > 2. When you started using a CMS did you do any development and
> migration work yourselves, or did you use an agency. If the latter,
> which one, and would you recommend them?
> >
> >
> > 3. Did the CMS work take place as part of a site redesign, or follow
> a site audit?
> >
> >
> > 4. How long did the project take?
> >
> >
> > Is there any other advice you’d like to offer us?
> >
> >
> > Many thanks for your time!
> >
> > --
> >
> > Tom Bilson
> > Head of Digital Media
> > The Courtauld Institute of Art
> > Somerset House
> > Strand
> > London WC2R 0RN
> > Email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> > www.courtauld.ac.uk<http://www.courtauld.ac.uk>
> >
> > The Courtauld Institute of Art is a company limited by guarantee
> (registered in England and Wales, number 04464432) and an exempt
> charity. SCT Enterprises Limited is a limited company (registered in
> England and Wales, number 3137515). Their registered offices are at
> Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN. The sale of items related to
> The Courtauld Gallery and its collections is managed by SCT Enterprises
> Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Courtauld Institute of Art.
> > This e-mail, including any attachments, is confidential and may be
>
> legally privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the
> individual(s) to whom it is addressed. Any unauthorised dissemination or
> copying of this e-mail or its attachments and any reliance on or use or
> disclosure of any information contained in them is strictly prohibited
> and may be illegal. If you have received this e-mail in error please
> notify us by return of e-mail [or by telephone +44 (0) 20 7848 1273] and
> then delete it from your system.
> >
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > This email message has been delivered safely and archived online by
>
> Mimecast.
> > For more information please visit http://www.mimecast.com
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > ****************************************************************
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> >
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> End of MCG Digest - 6 Mar 2014 to 10 Mar 2014 (#2014-49)
> ********************************************************
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