The right component content management system for your technical documentation 

A content management system is often worthwhile if content is reused multiple times, many products, variants or languages have to be managed, or changes need to be applied in multiple places. The decisive factor is not just the size of the team. A small team can also benefit greatly if the docum­ent­ation is complex and updated regularly.

The costs depend on the number of users, range of functions, the licensing model and the way it is being operated. For three users, small systems with cloud hosting are often up to around 1,250 euros per month. For a one-off system purchase, small solutions start at roughly between 10,000 and 20,000 euros. In addition, depending on the project, there are costs for selection, setup, migration, interfaces and training. We explain detailed reference values on the page about consulting and system selection.

A CCMS manages content in a modular and centralised way. This makes it possible to reuse approved information, control variants more precisely and generate different output formats from a shared data basis. However, the advantages only arise if the information structure and editorial processes fit the system.

Typical connections exist to product data, translation management, terminology, media management, service applic­at­ions and content delivery portals. Tools for risk assessments can also provide relevant information. Which interfaces make sense depends on the required data flows and the existing IT landscape.

This cannot be determined solely by a fixed number of documents or users. Economic benefits mainly arise from a reduced need for editing in multiple places, higher reuse, controlled variants and more efficient publication. For a sound assessment, one-off and ongoing costs should be compared with the expected savings and quality improv­em­ents.

The duration depends on the requir­em­ents, the number of stak­eh­olders and the scope of the implem­ent­ation. The concept, system tests, migration, interfaces and training have a cons­id­er­able impact on the schedule. After an initial analysis, a realistic project plan can be drawn up. A complex CCMS is generally not put into productive use within just a few days.

System vendors know their own solutions part­ic­ul­arly well and can explain the functions in detail. kothes, on the other hand, starts with your requir­em­ents and compares suitable systems across vendors. In doing so, we do not only look at software functions, but also at content, editorial processes, usability, interfaces and the subsequent implem­ent­ation.

In addition, we bring experience from practical work in technical editing. We therefore also assess how well a system works in day-to-day editorial practice and which prof­ess­ional foundations are required for successful use. The outcome may also be to further develop an existing system or to improve processes and structures first.