Volume 2

Issue 2

June 2005

Editorial An idea is only as good as your ability to make a case for it. Unless you can convince others to adopt it, it remains an idea. To get your idea out of "your head" and implemented in your organization, you have to convince others that it's a good idea, why it's a good idea, what it'll do for them, what it will cost, and more importantly, what they'll get in return. But, moving an idea from your head into others' heads is often the reason why many good ideas never get implemented. You need to be able to make a business case for it, a elusive skill for many of us! However, there is help. In this issue of The Rockley Report we describe how to make a business case for a content management implementation. Rahel Bailie and Nina Junco open the issue with their article on making a business case. They go beyond the dollars and cents, which, while important, need to translated into a story that management can understand.
Feature Article Making the Case for Content Management Knowing intuitively that we can benefit from a content management system is not enough to convince management to open their wallets. Assembling effective metrics is one part of the equation, along with creating a compelling story and garnering executive support. We need to demonstrate the benefits and make a business case that justifies the cost and effort, if not for our management, then for ourselves.  More...
Best Practices Creating a Winning ROI No business case is complete without a section on return on investment. You need to determine how your costs for implementing content management can be offset with savings or increased revenue. And you need to ensure that your ROI is accurate and believable. This article provides guidelines for creating a winning ROI. More... People, Processes, and Change Change Management: Dealing with Emotions Change management helps to ensure the acceptance of any new system, process, or method. In the case of a content management initiative, where content reuse is critical, there are some unique issues that challenge acceptance, especially if more "traditional" authors take pride in ownership and are passionate about the creative process. In other cases, where authors have to deal with excessive content, the initiative may lead to author apathy. This article examines a recurring change management issue that presents itself in many projects that depend on content reuse-dealing with authors who are either passionate or dispassionate about enterprise content. It describes some of the emotions you may discover during a content management implementation and provides strategies for dealing with them. More...	Case Study How Guidant Corporation Gained Support for their Content Management Project Guidant, located in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a world leader in the design and development of cardiovascular medical products. In a highly regulated environment, Guidant provides physicians with leading-edge technologies for improved patient management and clinical outcomes. The Technical Communications group produces product documentation for Guidant products, such as physician's manuals, operator's manuals, and technical manuals. Product documentation must meet stringent regulatory requirements. Because of issues in authoring and reviewing content, Guidant's Technical Communications group identified a need to move to content management. More... Tools and Technology Due Diligence in Selecting Technology for CM "How do I convince my management to spend money on CM tools?" That's a common question that people ask when we're talking about business cases. Part of the answer lies with the process of selecting tools and being able to show "due diligence". More...