CCM Takes Center Stage: Report Evaluates Component Content Management Systems and XML Editors

Component Content Management (CCM) technology allows enterprises to manage text content as componentized chunks of information rather than whole documents or web pages. It has become increasingly important to modern enterprises, especially given the rapid emergence of the DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) standard. However, CCM technology remains largely the domain of a wide collection of smaller software vendors targeting narrower use cases, according to research from CMS Watch, a vendor-independent analyst firm that evaluates content technologies.

These findings come from the XML and Component Content Management Report 2008, a groundbreaking evaluation of fourteen major CCM suppliers and five prominent XML Editor tools, based on extensive technology research and customer interviews. The 365-page report also documents industry best practices and common pitfalls to avoid when selecting and implementing a CCM system. Developed by CMS Watch and The Rockley Group, this report provides business critical background on the tools needed to effectively and efficiently deliver the right information to the right people at the right time in the right language and format.

In this exclusive interview with The Content Wrangler, we talk with Ann Rockley, co-author of the XML and Component Content Management Report 2008.

TCW: Hello, Ann. Thanks for taking time out of your extremely hectic schedule. Let’s dive right into today’s topic. Tell us about your new research report.

AR: The XML and Component Content Management Report 2008 report reviews both XML editors and CCM systems. We’ve reviewed 20 different products. In addition, it includes detailed information on what CCM systems are, why you need to use them, and how they fit in the context of all the other types of content management systems and sample scenarios where CCM systems are used.

TCW: Why did you write the report and whom do you see as the primary audience?

AR: There are a lot of content management systems out there and reports have been written about web content management, enterprise content management, etc., but nothing about the types of systems we and others use to manage structured content, XML-based content, and reusable content components. Forrester published a report on ECM which sparked a long discussion on the CM Pros listserv about why Forrester didn’t cover these types of content management systems. And so, the idea for the report was born. CMS Watch produces a number of well-respected reports on Web Content Management, Enterprise Content Management, Portals and more. We discussed the need for a report specifically focused on component content management and decided that it would be a good addition to the CMS Watch portfolio of reports.

The Technical Communication industry is one of the primary audiences for the XML & Component Content Management Report as technical communicators have been using these types of systems for more than a decade to create, manage and deliver software and hardware documentation. Others target audiences include content professionals who serve pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, publishing and media companies, government agencies, and other types of enterprises. CCM systems are most often deployed to solve content challenges in customer support and call centers, in e-learning and training departments, knowledge management, multi-channel marketing, HR content management, content globalization, and integrated enterprise information.

TCW: How do you describe Component Content Management? What is it?

AR: Component Content Management is the practice of creating and managing content as building blocks or components of content rather than documents or pages. These components can be assembled and published to the appropriate output (e.g., web, print, mobile). Each component has its own lifecycle (owner, version, approval, use) and can be tracked individually or as a part of an assembly.

TCW: Okay, now that we know what it is, how does it differ from Document or Content Management?

AR: Web Content Management systems tend to manage HTML pages, which correspond to the published web pages. Traditional Content Management systems have typically managed content as files (documents). In other words, most content management systems manage documents or pages not chunks (components) of information. I was recently asked by someone if a vendor says they support XML does that mean it supports components. The answer is usually no. Some of the differentiating factors for CCM include:

Manages components not documents
Tracks components with independent versioning and workflow
Ability to identify where content has been reused
Support for component, filtered, and variable reuse
Ability to create multiple “assemblies” of content from components in the repository

TCW: What types of industries would benefit most from Component Content Management approach and why?

AR: CCM has been implemented in many industries, including software, hardware, aviation, and pharmaceutical and medical devices. However, it would be misleading to suggest that CCM fits specific industries. It is more accurate to suggest that it supports different types of content or different approaches to creating content. For example, CCM as an approach has also been applied to multi-channel marketing information (web, print, mobile, broadcast) and also general business documents.

TCW: So, most folks don’t yet believe this type of technology really works. That’s understandable since hardly any companies stand up and say, “Hey, we’re doing it!” So, who is doing it and why?

AR: I think I would argue with the term “most folks”, but I would agree that many companies who are having a hard time just trying to get a handle on managing their documents, let alone trying to conceive of managing components, are highly skeptical. And we would agree that CCM is not for everyone, nor for every type of information. So, where do we see this technology being used? Three of the industries just mentioned have been using these types of systems for more than a decade: technical documentation (hardware and software), aerospace, and training and development. Pharmaceutical companies started using these systems about five or six years ago with the advent of XML standards for labeling materials. Medical device manufacturers have been using it for about the same period of time, though they have no ...

Filed under: Content Management : Component Content Management : Technical Writing : Authoring Tools : XML