rfp to launch
TRANSCRIPT
HighEdWeb Michigan
A New Content Management System: From RFP to Launch in 12 Months
Your Speakers
Holly LaRose-Roenicke, Assistant Director
Web Communications
Aaron Maturen, Programmer
Web Technologies (ITS)
Jason Swackhamer, Director
Web Communications
About SVSU
• Enrollment: 10,500+– UG: 8,700+– Grad: 1,200+
• 77% full-time students• 70% under 25• 70% of incoming freshman
live on campus• Alumni: 38,000+• Regional institution with
some out state and international students
• Founded in 1963 (50th Anniversary)
Our Organization
President
Academic AffairsAdministration & Business Affairs
ITS
Web Programming
Training Team
Enrollment Management
Web Communications
Student Affairs Public Affairs
First . . . A little history
• Began decentralized Web management in 1994
• Typo 3 was second CMS system since 1994– Complicated to manage– Lack of consistency and
accountability– Dependence on IT for
providing functionality
• CMS compromised Superbowl Sunday, 2011
Pre-RFP Situation Analysis
• Programming staff— number and % of time
• Budget— open source isn’t free— making the case for $$
• Users — who will be using daily
• Workflow— levels of users, approvers
Key Factors in Needs Assessment
Web Maintenance
Web Communications
Manages oversight of website as a whole; sets website standards;
Advises departments on social media strategy;
Implements and trains editors on content management system.
IT
Web Programming supports University departments through customized-programming requests;
Networking supports the infrastructure to support the network and servers
Content Editors
Reviews content with owners annually, acts as department gatekeeper;
Ensures pages meet the University’s standards in terms of design and best practice;
Attends Terminal Four training.
University Communications
Sets graphic standards and message themes for University.Provides images in centralized repository
Needs Assessment
aka, What Does the CMS Need To Do?
Enterprise System— higher ed customers
Decoupled publishing— so we won’t loose live content again!
Easy to Use— Almost as easy as MS Word
Easy to Create Templates— flexible, easy for developers
The RFP
• A COMPLEX MONSTER
— 162 attributes questionnaire, 19 pgs!
• Targeted Vendors
— enterprise, higher ed
• Purchasing Led
— managed communication
• Time
— gave a month for response due to complexity
Selection Process
RFP Sent to 15 Vendors
RFP Responses Due 30 days later
5 Responded
RFPs Scored and Ranked based on 119 criteria, price
Cross-Campus Committee:
Demos from 3, selects Terminal
Four
Cross Campus Committee: low, mid and high level web editors, web programming, web communications, training
Project Planning
Decisions, Decisions
• Design (templates, CSS)
• Sitemap
• Migration Planning–All at once or phased?
–Who does it?
• Launch (how, timing)
Evaluate Current Website
Planning for Migration (Typo3 to T4)
6,102 Pages
Find patterns for categorizing content
Create rules for finding content to import into templates
Never logged in to Typo3 back end
Set up new Environment
Terminal Four (T4)
Create new templates for migrating content into
Port over CSS and page styles
Transform Hierarchy
Build New Site Structure
Used excel to define the new structure for the hierarchy
Used python to create the pages in new CMS and keep a reference of where they were in old CMS
Tip: Use this as opportunity to fix site structure (nested sites)
Content Migration
Import Content Army of minions Created an application
based on the new hierarchy to assign pages with links to old page and new page
Web crawler using python and a hierarchy Automatically imported
about 3,100 pages…
Media Asset Migration
Media had to initially be imported by a minion into T4
All of the links to images, PDFs, and files had to be relinked manually
Tip: All media will need to be imported and linked.
Quality Control
Minions were responsible for checking their assigned pages
Web Communications also spot checked pages
Tip: Have content owners check their content and website before launch
Training for Admins
“Train the Trainer”
• Training from vendor
• Training done on “training accounts”, not live sites
• Began converting our own websites
Content Editor Training
Required for Login• Login access given at end of training
- no exceptions
• Conducted using “training accounts”, not live sites
• Conducted (25) 90-minute trainings in 6 months, training 145 people
• Any changes made to live sites between conversion and training were done by minions, but from training to launch were their responsibility to update
Tips To Training Success
• Holding back login access
• Encourage users from same department to go together
• Improved documentation –ask vendors to see if they have documentation to build from
• Empower users with choices and tools to improve websites
• Continuous help “T4 Tuesdays”
Redefining Roles
Web Communications (Content)• Meet with every department annually
– Review content for accuracy
– Set goals/ priorities
– Review analytics
– Provide “report card”
• Assist Content Editors
• Provide training
• Administer access rights
Redefining Roles
Web Technologies (Programming)• Administer template improvements and technical
aspects of CMS support
• New process for project requests– New content templates
– Forms
– Special programming
• Clearinghouse for all online forms
• Cross training within department
Lessons Learned
Have a Communications Plan
• Set expectations
• Squelch the rumors
• Communicate process, timing
• Consider a content freeze
Lesson Learned
Conduct a Crisis Plan
• Brainstorm worst-case scenarios and solutions
Search broken
Links to all media files broken
Server space maxing out
Lessons Learned
Know URL StructureTip: Try not to change it!• Legacy Links are
persistent— Scheduled Emails— Google— Bookmarks
• At minimum, have a great 404 page
Lessons Learned
Anticipate What’ll Break (Forms)
• Some forms were processed by old CMS These broke
• Some were “included” with php on page These broke
• Some were external linksWorked!
Tip: Include forms in migration schedule
Lessons Learned
Triple-Check Server Setup
If you don’t want a phone call at 4 a.m., make sure that there is enough space on your server for the website.
Lessons Learned
In Summary: 3 Key Takeaways
Even though we moved fast, there were times that could have moved even faster because in the end, we needed three more months
Search engines take time to crawl
Each site should have been reviewed and signed off for accuracy by editors during the training process
12 Months- RFP to Launch
- Selection
- Editor Training
RFP Responses Due!
Vendor Notified
-Project Planning, Install, -Development
- Content Migration
- Quality Review
OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG
- Selection
- Editor Training
RFP Responses Due!
Vendor Notified
-Project Planning, Install, -Development
- Content Migration
- Quality Review
SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG
Selection
Editor Training
RFP Responses Due!
Vendor Notified
Project Planning, Install, Development
Content Migration
- Quality Review
Launch!
Lessons Learned
In Summary: 3 Key Takeaways
Even though we moved fast, there were times that could have moved even faster because in the end, we needed three more months
Search engines take time to crawl
Each site should have been reviewed and signed off for accuracy by editors during the training process
Questions, Comments, Discussion
Holly LaRose-Roenicke, Assistant Director
Web Communications
Aaron Maturen, Programmer
Web Technologies (ITS)
Jason Swackhamer, Director
Web Communications
[email protected]@jswacky
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