The LavaCon Content Strategy Conference | 27–30 October 2024 | Portland, OR
Marie Etzler

Marie Etzler is a writer and knowledge manager. In addition to being a director of a team of technical writers, she also manages the creation of video tutorials for Magaya Corporation, a logistics software company. Marie has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in English, and is a published writer and award-winning screenwriter.

Case Study: The Unexpected Relationship Between Adopting a CCMS and ContentOps

Before a CCMS

  • Documents saved on a server folder
  • Lone Tech Writer
  • User Manuals in PDF and a homegrown online knowledgebase

Changes Leading to the Need for a CCMS

  • Company acquisitions
  • New products
  • Growth

CCMS and Publishing Tools Researched and Implemented

  • Selection based on company size, tool cost, XML, DITA, translations
  • DitaToo CCMS
  • Zoomin for Salesforce

Speedbumps and Detours on the Road to Success

  • The need for internal company support, budget
  • Define and get commitments from other departments
  • Plan for more time and help than you imagine

Unexpected Benefits

Standardization of processes, which I included in a new ContentOps plan: I wrote out everything that my department does, and I graded the maturity level: Our use of XML and CCMS workflows is the most standardized of all our processes and graded at a level 5.

Takeaways

  • Have internal support for each step
  • Pace yourself

In this session, attendees will learn:

  • Key points to consider when evaluating a CCMS and publishing tools
  • How your ContentOps plan can influence your selection process