1. Content bottlenecks with a webmaster, IT department, or some other gatekeeper. Marketing and product managers cannot customize content for customers, partners, and other important visitors. 

Feature:

Gandalf’s content management product, Estrada, was designed with a three-tier architecture (Database Layer, Business Layer, and User Layer).  The objective is to allow non-programmers to update the Web site content independently of the IT department, thereby relieving any bottleneck.                                 

Function:

The User layer is completely browser-based, which requires no additional client software installation on each user’s machine.

The Business Layer includes functionality that controls the “who”, “what,” and “when“ of Web site content lifecycle.  For example Estrada includes workflow, personalization, and version control functionality within the business layer.

The Database layer can run on either Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle, which makes this solution scalable and secure. 

Benefits:

The control of the organization’s message is placed back into the hands of those accountable and responsible for creating fresh content over the Internet and/or Intranet.

Reduced Web site maintenance costs. Technical resources are refocused on new and complex IT initiatives. Updating content can be a misuse of an employee’s deeper technical skills.

By decreasing the time it takes to publish content, the stakeholder (e.g. customer, prospect, shareholder) is introduced to fresh promotional campaigns, company visions, product descriptions etc., thereby improving the user’s experience. 

2.   Site visitors have difficulty locating what they need. 

Features: 

Web site Taxonomy (The related items function)

Separation of Web site content from Web site context

Dynamic Page Assembly

Functions:

 The related items function displays links to related content items on the user side of the page.

Because Estrada completely separates a Web site’s content from context (layout & style) the Web site designer can focus on the page layout, colors, fonts, navigation, and graphical elements while the author can manage the message or content.

Estrada uses the concept of Web site “bricks” to manage the components of Web site e.g. text, image, HTML gateway, media. An Estrada user can reuse, copy & paste, assign user permissions for each Web site “brick.”

 Benefits:

The Web site user can be dynamically presented with additional content based on user’s behavior.

Improved Web site usability. Designers can focus on style & layout, and content authors can simultaneously work on creating/maintaining the Web site content

If it takes less time for the user to find what they need, the probability for closing a sale or transaction increases.

3.  Content contributors have difficulty locating what they need.

      Feature:

Web site Taxonomy (The Category and Tag Bricks)

Database Core

 Image Library

 Function:

The taxonomy feature enables you to classify your content and make connections among related items.

Re-used content can be embedded into other pages and is kept in sync with the original

Depending on the configuration, administrators can create one centralized image library for all authors to share, private image libraries for each author, or both.

 Benefit:

Web site authors and administrators can quickly survey the structure of theirWweb sites by reviewing the categories and tags that are configured through the Taxonomy functionality.

Eliminates need to retype redundant data

The integrated image library helps avoid the chaos of graphical content management by providing a way to associate textual information with relevant multimedia content.

 4. Some content is inaccurate / outdated / redundant / unauthorized.

      Feature:

Active Content Management

 Staging/Review

 Function:

 Estrada supports the innovation of Active Content Management, including the scheduling of bricks so that they stop displaying after a certain date and remind you when content is due for review or expiration.

Estrada administrators can employ staging, which requires all new and changed content within a site to be reviewed before it can be published. Tools are available for authors and administrators to preview changes on the author and user sides as they work on and review the pages.

 Benefit:

Active Content Management ensures the Web site is kept up to date.

Staging ensures that unauthorized content is not published.

5.   The Web site exhibits inconsistent design and navigation schemes.

      Feature:

Template based Web content publishing and presentation

 Function:

Content providers are enabled to create materials in common desktop applications and then copy and paste the material into a design template. Automatically the system will handle posting in accordance with pre-defined site rules.

 Benefits:

Consistency of look and feel

Logical organization of the site’s content

SMIs Content Management Solution includes: 

1. Process Engineering
2. Information Architecture
3. Brand management & Web application development
4. Software Conversion Analysis & Implementation
5. Taxonomy of content objects and properties
6. Third Party software integration
7. Content authoring & editing 

SMI has developed three Web site content management packages to offer the customer multiple options on how to move forward with their content management initiative. The packages take into account an organizations size, Web site complexity, and urgency of need. The packages include:

1. The Proof Of Concept Package
2. The Rapid Deployment Package
3. The Enterprise Architecture Package

For more information about SMI’s Content Management Solution please contact: ea@sysmet.com 

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