Event Date : 19 Oct 2010
This workshop will equip decision makers with the necessary knowledge to decide on the Content Management System (CMS) that will work for their organisation.
The workshop will discuss the use of Content Management Systems, the choices available to an organisation and the criteria that should be considered when deciding on the CMS within an organisation. This is the first of 2 workshops run in partnership with Fluid Rock.
Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is aimed at both non-technical and technical (with no CMS experience) members of project teams that are responsible for the delivery of websites (Internal & External) within organisations. If you have ever been faced with making the decision about a CMS, and wondered why there were vast differences in what was on offer, this workshop is for you.
Workshop 1 covers the basics of:
- What a Content Management System is
- The process that should be followed to make an informed decision about your CMS investment
- The pros and cons of proprietary software versus Open Source
- The pitfalls that companies fall into when first choosing CMS and
- What to factor in for the long-term support and development of your software investment
Through demonstrations and case studies, attendees will be provided with a view of:
- The typical functionality that should be available in any CMS Package
- What a CMS costs and ongoing costs that need to be factored in
- Technical Platforms and how they need to be factored into the purchase decision
- Internal resources and likely external support required
- Recognising agendas, and how they influence decisions
- Taking other systems into account and leveraging technology investments already made
A number of content management systems and a blogging package will be used to illustrate how the technology is used effectively in organisations.
Case studies will be drawn from a number of sectors to illustrate how CMS has been used to do business more effectively.
Each attendee will work through a process for planning and choosing a Content Management System suitable for their organisations needs.
- Identify the content publishing needs of various units within an organisation
- Identify the members of the project team and key support roles
- Determine technology preferences within your organisation that may need to be factored in
- Identify systems that may need to be linked in
- Map the costs and expected savings
Technical attendees may also be interested in attending Workshop 2, where the technology aspects of the CMS are explored in more detail. This Workshop will be held at a later date.
About the Trainer
This course is run in partnership with Fluid Rock, a leading interactive agency. It will be delivered by Ruth Mac Partlin - see Ruth's profile below.
Venue
The workshop will be held in the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), 57-61 Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
Some car park spaces are available in the IPA car park, but only on a first come, first serve basis. There is on-street metered parking in the vicinity and parking in the nearby D4 (ex Berkeley Court) Hotel. Alternatively, The IPA is adjacent to Lansdowne Road DART station. Exit the station onto Lansdowne Road, turn left and the IPA is 10m further on your left.
Contact us with any queries.
About the Speakers
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Ms Ruth MacPartlin (Managing Director)
Fluid Rock
Ruth founded Fluid Rock with Liam Twomey in 2002. She has held numerous roles with companies such Motorola, Dialog Corporation, Bank of America, University of California and Windmill Lane. With a formal education in marketing management, she has had the opportunity to work in a number of business positions with these companies, gaining insight into the processes and business drivers of such organisations. This varied experience has proved invaluable working in an industry that requires project leaders to quickly grasp the technical and communication challenges of client companies.
Her interest in the Internet was sparked 1997 when she was marketing manager at the Dialog Corporation in California and worked on a project team for the development of a new Intranet product. The Internet also played a key role in the provision of information about the products she was responsible for, and was used as a vehicle for the distribution of software, manuals and information packs. Returning to Ireland from Silicon Valley in 1999 she pursued her interest in the Internet and joined Windmill Lane Interactive in February 2000.
Throughout the dotcom boom, she experienced lengthy implementations of large content management applications in large corporates and government departments in Ireland, supported by very large budgets. After setting up Fluid Rock in 2002, the management team analysed the benefits of continuing to develop a CMS application that had been developed in house. A decision was made to shelve further development and continue to support the installs currently in place, and to conduct a technology search for products that would be suitable for their client base, with the express objective of providing cost effective CMS solutions, that were Enterprise Level applications and could be supported by companies worldwide. This approach to CMS has seen the Fluid Rock team work with many CMS systems over the years, and on a regular basis, they have identified key product choices on behalf of their clients. Ruth has also experienced numerous instances where bad choices of CMS systems have proved disastrous for clients. She hopes this course will equip decision makers and allow them to ask the questions that will effectively inform their choice of CMS.
Ruth served a three year term on the Board of the Digital Hub Development Agency. She also sits on the MA/MSc Digital Media Industry Advisory Board at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art | Design | Technology's (IADT) and regularly speaks at conferences and colleges providing encouragement and insight to those with an interest in the industry.