CMS Selection Checklist

✓ What Why
Phase 1: Collect Requirements and Filter

Define your content strategy [1] The role of content in your organization (and how it it fits into your
business strategy) is the foundation for your requirements. Requirements
that do not have a solid footing are more likely to be fleeting or unstable.

Document non-functional requirements Non-functional requirements, like technology stack and integration points,
and constraints tend to be the most powerful filters [2] for getting to a short list of platforms.

Define content types [3] Your content model defines how content is stored in the system and has
profound implications on how content is managed and reused. The CMS
must support a content model that is optimal for your content.

Develop usage scenarios [4] Usage scenarios document functional requirements within the context of
how people need to work. They also serve as a script for platform
demonstrations.

Filter to a short list Evaluating CMSs is time intensive. Trying to achieve a sufficient depth of
understanding of more than three platforms can derail a project. Get to a
short list of products as efficiently as you can using powerful filters.

Phase 2: Evaluate and Select

Write RFP [5] Your need to concisely communicate your context, requirements, and
selection process to your short-listed suppliers. A well written RFP can
do that.

Prepare suppliers [6] To accurately represent their capability and suitability, the short listed
suppliers need to fully understand your requirements, organizational style,
and evaluation process. This preparation activity also exposes their
consultative skills.

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✓ What Why
Prepare selection team Your selection team needs to know their roles, understand what they are
looking for, and be able to listen critically.

Conduct demonstrations A good product demonstrations (based on your scenarios) shows how the
product would support your processes. Demonstrations also expose you
to the supplier so that you can assess organizational compatibility.

Contact references [7] Speaking to references can be the best way to learn how the product
performs in organizations like yours. Make sure you are talking to the right
people!

Address doubts [8] Your evaluation process should identify potential concerns that could
undermine the success of the platform. You need to verify, mitigate, and
measure these doubts.

Negotiate a partnership [9] A true partnership with your supplier will benefit both parties. Win-lose
partnerships are not sustainable.

Phase 3: Phase and Plan Implementation

Build an experienced implementation team Stack your team with as much experience as you can find. These are
flexible technologies. There are many solutions to any problem. Many of
those solutions create more problems.

Refine your release road map The first release of the solution should be as small as possible and
leverage native strengths of the platform. Quick turn-around time will buy
organizational trust and preserve resources for future releases, which will
achieve excellence.

Execute release 1 The first release milestone will give greater visibility to next few releases of
the roadmap.

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Notes and Further Reading

1. First Principles of Content Strategy: http://www.contenthere.net/2011/02/first-principles-of-content-strategy.html

2. Leading Requirements http://www.contenthere.net/2008/11/leading-requirements.html

3. Pages and Objects: http://www.contenthere.net/2009/06/pages-and-objects.html

4. Selecting a CMS with Narratives: http://www.contenthere.net/2005/01/selecting-a-cms-with-narratives.html

5. The RFP is Dead! Long Live the RFP! http://www.contenthere.net/2008/02/the-rfp-is-dead-long-live-the-rfp.html

6. How to make the most out of a vendor demo: http://www.contenthere.net/2007/09/how-to-make-the-most-out-of-a-vendor-

demo.html

7. Reference Checks: http://www.contenthere.net/2010/10/reference-checks.html

8. Selecting a CMS with Doubt: http://www.contenthere.net/2009/03/doubt.html

9. CMS Pricing: http://www.contenthere.net/2010/10/cms-pricing.html

Other articles on selecting a CMS can be found here: http://www.contenthere.net/category/selection

Contact Information
This checklist was developed by Content Here, Inc. For more information, contact via email at info@contenthere.net or by
phone: 857-488-4386

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