Content management: its process and technologies

Content management is a set of processes which supports the managing, and publishing of information. When accessed via computers, this stored information is referred to as ‘digital content’. Digital content may take the form of different texts such as multimedia files (video or audio), electronic documents, or any other file that follows content lifecycle. Content management is a complex process to manage so much so that large and small commercial software vendors like Microsoft and Interwoven offer content management software to automate essential aspects of content lifecycle.

Content Management Processes

Content Management Processes and technologies used vary by organizational structure and mission. For instance, e-commerce websites, news organizations, marketing companies, etc. all use content management, but in different ways. This leads to different names and difference in terminology and the number of steps in the process. For example, some digital content is created by more than one author. The same content may or may not be edited, and an editorial oversight may be provided, approving the same for publication.

Likewise, publishing may also take various forms – it may be granting digital access rights to a content type or publishing content out to others. An updated version may supersede the same content and thus moved onto archives or removed from use.

This shows that content management is a highly collaborative process which includes the following roles and responsibilities –

·       Creator/Curator – responsible for creating or curating the content

·    Editor – responsible for proofreading and fine-tuning the content message

·    Publisher – responsible for releasing the content in the requested format for use

· Administrator – responsible for managing various access permissions to files and folders

·    Consumer – the reader who consumes the final content after it is shared or published.

An important aspect of content management is its ability to manage different versions of content as the same keeps evolving in various forms across different channels. Editors often need to restore the original or older version of content because of an undesirable series of edits or a process failure.

Another process involved in content management consists of the creation, maintenance as well as application of review standards. Each member of the review team has to follow and clear concise and clear review standards which must be maintained on a regular basis to ensure consistency and quality of the knowledge base.

A content management system incorporates enterprise search as well as retrieval, making repository an inherent part of the process. It takes the following forms:

•    Document management system

•    Workflow for article publication

•    Web content management system

•    Single source content management system

The business process is part of content management lifecycle to emphasize that every document must refer to it for any phase in the content management process. Content management has to meet one or more business goals on a regular basis. Every process in the content management has to be aligned with these goals. So, continuously ask yourself if what you are doing in the content management process or project meets the defined business goal or not.

Advantages of using content management

1. No coding and technical knowledge needed.

Not every person is tech savvy. Updating the content on a website or mobile app requires the knowledge of proper coding. Content management makes this process quite easy. One can add content or media files even with the basic knowledge of using word-processing software.

2. Multiple users can manage content

When making a website, its content is always subject to change. To make the process easy, access can be given to multiple users with the help of content management software.

3. Website maintenance becomes easy

Website maintenance means checking the website, updating its information, and rectifying mistakes if any. While usually, it would require to change the entire coding, with the help of content management software one can do it by merely updating things on the software. The changes immediately reflect on the website.

There are many services in the market that provide different types of content management like for social media content, web content, mobile content, enterprise content etc. Depending on the needs and requirements of the company, it can select the content management service