In the CMS World, Technology Powers Business Processes

Asking whether business process or technology comes first is like asking "What comes first: the chicken or the egg?" Some spend a lot of time trying to solve all of the business process decisions before choosing a technology. Others spend their time purchasing technology solutions and then hoping to shoehorn their business processes into it. The reality is that it's often a hybrid of both. Companies need to get just enough process done that they can choose a relatively right-sized, decently appropriate technology solution. Then, they implement the technology solution and, as needed, migrate outlying processes to the work flows present in the solution.

Content Management Systems (CMS) are a good example of this. It's a good idea to have a solid foundation in content management philosophies. Who owns the data? Who controls the data? How often is the data updated? How does data get approved for publication, deletion, or storage? Content is king, nowadays, and companies need to understand and pro-actively administer their content. Companies that have an online presence are especially sensitive to this.

But as time passes, content builds, and the backlog can get larger and larger. After taking an initial pass at those key questions, it's time to just jump in and find the right CMS. A good CMS will effectively manage data (including its quality and integrity), encourage user collaboration, and enforce policies by establishing an agreed-upon work flow. The work flow will not be a perfect match to existing business processes, but from there, a strong change management program will help users automate and integrate.

Figuring out what that perfect mix is can be difficult, but it's worth it. The right mix will speed up companies' returns on investment by allowing them to realize value to the entire program as soon as possible. Just as with any project, it will help to have knowledgeable internal users, empowered stakeholders, and a supportive executive sponsor and, when necessary, to call in the right subject matter experts as advisors. In our content-heavy world, having a CMS is essential, and it's best to do it sooner rather than later.