Decision-making, transparency are critical for CMS rollout success
Digital Strategies Blog | 12 November 2024
When media companies are met with the realisation that their existing content management system (CMS) isn’t cutting it anymore, they have to reassess. As the technology is constantly evolving, finding oneself working with a system that has become outdated is not uncommon. But if news publishers want to remain competitive in this highly dynamic world of digital journalism, their systems must be state-of-the-art and cannot slow them down.
It sounds straight-forward, any news publisher will confirm that it’s not a simple task. Choosing a new CMS is one thing; going live without setbacks is another. Rolling out a new content management system for an entire news media organisation is a massive undertaking and does not come without risk. Media companies are often composed of several separate (yet connected) departments and editorial teams, which can lead to potential for complications.
Moreover, editors may not take to a new CMS quickly enough or the system may not be integrated properly or be rock solid enough to handle the transition. This can lead to the potential paralysation of workflows and content distribution. In short, if the rollout of a new CMS doesn’t go well, the news organisation may find itself at a standstill.
So how can publishers approach this mammoth endeavour strategically in order to best support the transition while mitigating risk?
Based on our own learnings as a CMS provider, as well as learnings communicated by our customers — particularly those shared by Der Standard and Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger during last year’s Spotlight event on rollouts and go-lives — we have compiled and refined key elements for a formula which leads to go-live success.
Clear direction and open communication: the fuel to speed up a rollout
It goes without saying that speed is of the essence. Even if a CMS is intuitive, adaptable, easily integrated, and robust enough to be scaled without incident, and it can be rapidly put in place, mission-critical delays can still occur if pathways are not cleared by the newsroom in the first place.
In order to clear the pathways, clear priorities must be defined across the organisation so everyone knows their role and everyone knows the goal: to fully adopt the incoming system in order to support a digital-first strategy. This clear structure and direction help eliminate confusion moving forward.
However, even if a clear path is defined, if journalists find it hard to adapt or use the new systems, it can create mission-critical delays. This is why strong — even novel — internal lines of communication must be established. This can look like dedicated Slack channels, trainings, town hall discussions, or even designated “influencers” within the company who can field questions and quell uncertainty. Regardless of the approach, a newsroom must find a way to introduce and get familiar with the new CMS, ideally in a way that suits its specific company culture.
Of course, this practice of open communication and discourse must extend to the team responsible for the CMS: developers, customer solutions managers, and customer success consultants. This ensures transparency for better collaboration and greater trust.
Indeed, when initially choosing a CMS, publishers must look to teams with proven success in rolling out their product in projects of varying complexity and extensive experience in working with parallel operations. And, by keeping the lines of communication proactively open throughout the entire rollout process, newsrooms can leverage this know-how for their benefit.
With clear direction and strong communication — both within the organisation and with the system provider itself — the launch phase has a better chance of being kept as short as possible, so editors can go full steam ahead into the new workflows and the newsroom is better equipped to reach their North Star — company-wide CMS adoption.
What about roadblocks?
Fact: In the process of a go-live, some things don’t initially work as planned.
As Daniela Rom, head of online services at Der Standard, said at the aforementioned Spotlight event, perfection doesn’t exist. Expecting perfection in a massive undertaking like a CMS rollout — especially at the start of the process — is unrealistic and will lead to unnecessary frustration. Expectation management, pragmatism, decisiveness, and a healthy dose of optimism are crucial.
First, all decisions must be subordinate to the ultimate goal. Distracting disagreements or panic about something not working perfectly cannot block the forward momentum. In the event of diverging positions within the team, Florian Stambula, deputy head of digital publishing at Der Standard recommended disagreeing and committing, and “don’t build the org chart.”
Keeping up the pace with quick, pragmatic decision-making is key. If this tempo is unsettling for the team, making a transparent decision log to which all project stakeholders can refer creates the possibility to reflect and pivot with clarity, when necessary.
In addition, custom workflows don’t always provide a competitive advantage; that is, getting lost in the details during a rollout may be disadvantageous. Instead, getting the foundation in place is the priority, and this sentiment must be shared by all those involved.
The formula for crossing the finish line
It is clear that, when news publishers are assessing CMS providers, having confidence in the go-live before it even begins is critical. This confidence is drawn from past proven success, which depends on the following components:
- A flexible, robust system that is intuitive and user-friendly to ensure smooth implementation, integration, scaling, and adoption.
- A highly competent CMS provider team that is communicative, collaborative, and solution-oriented throughout the entire process.
- A provider that can leverage the right set of partners when necessary to meet all articulated requirements.
However, once the CMS is chosen and the rollout begins, the newsroom must have a coherent strategy based on clear structure, open communication, pragmatic decision-making, and optimistic (but realistic) expectation management in order to avoid and overcome obstacles along the way so they can reach their goal without significant delay.