Content Management

What is Content Management?

Content Management (CM) is the administration of digital content throughout its lifecycle, from creation to permanent storage or deletion. The content involved may be images, video, audio, and other multimedia files as well as text.
A Content Management System (CMS) is used to manage the content of a Web site or any other kind of information of an enterprise. In order to manage content and publish it in different output formats the separation of content and design is crucial.
Typically, a CMS consists of two elements, the content management application and the content delivery application. The content management application allows the author, who may not know Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), to manage the creation, modification, and removal of content from a Web site without needing the expertise of a Webmaster. The content delivery application uses and compiles that information to update the Web site. The features of a CMS system vary, but most include Web-based publishing, format management, revision control, indexing, search, and retrieval.

Who needs Content Management?

You need a content management system if you:

Use the same content over and over again in one publication (i.e., a warning in an instruction manual may be used 10 times within that manual)
Use the same content in more than one publication or document (i.e., a part number and description in a parts catalog may also be used in the manual)
Publish content to more than one media channel (i.e., the content in a printed instruction manual may also be used in the online information)
Publish content in multiple languages

The types of publications that you maintain with a CMS might be:

Company website, Intranet or Extranet for partners and customers
Product information and presentation in online shops
Technical documentation (parts catalogs, software documentation, user manuals)
Reference materials (encyclopedias, dictionaries, standards guides)
Testing and training materials (e-learning programs, testing booklets)
Marketing and educational materials (packaging, promotional flyers and ads, brochures)

What are the Benefits of Content Management?

A major advantage is that a user of the system must have no or very little knowledge of the technical implementation. An editor can be so completely focused on entering text, images, videos, etc., and leave it to the system that they are published in the form correctly.

Another advantage of a content management system is that your website design is completely stored separately from the editorial content. This means that you can change the design and layout at any time, and your content will have been preserved and are displayed correctly in the new layout.

Even in multi-user operating a CMS is far superior to other solutions. The content management system ensures that only authorized users are allowed to edit certain content.

Finally, the independence from external service providers should be emphasized. You can whenever you want, at any time to modify and publish the content without technical knowledge.

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