-
Evaluate Need for Custom-Coded
WCM: WCM and the associated technologies have grown
too complex to manage without the support of a commercial vendor or open source
(OS) community.
-
Create a WCM Transition Strategy: Separating
from a custom-coded solution could become an expensive
failure without patience and careful planning.
-
Involve the Right People: Employees responsible for WCM
system and key workflows can identify potential challenges and roadblocks to
success.
-
Ask Stakeholders What They Do, Not
What They Want: Avoid discussing WCM functionality, and instead focus
on how the technology is being used.
-
Identify Current Features That Need
to Be Preserved: Moving to a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution
may involve functionality compromises.
-
Create Use Cases That Reflect Current and Projected Requirements: This ensures that the selected COTS solution can
be implemented and launched without disrupting critical business processes.
-
Don't Sit through Canned Demos: Ask potential vendors how
they can support previously identified use cases.
-
Look for a Great Vendor Relationship: The ideal vendor is the one
that wants to form a long-term partnership, not just close a license deal.
-
When Considering OS, Understand
Your Resources: Ensure that you will receive the support
you need from the vendor or the user community.
-
Keep Customizations to a Minimum: The "we can just build it" attitude in the COTS WCM environment
encourages scope creep and over-customization and, ultimately, increased
support costs.
TIM WALTERS [www.forrester.com] is a senior analyst at Forrester Research where he serves content
and collaboration professionals. He will be speaking at Forrester's Content
and Collaboration Forum 2010, October 7-8 in Washington, DC.
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