Selecting Enterprise level Web Content Management
The University of Leeds, having selected Jadu Content Management following an extensive formal tendering process, are currently implementing enterprise web content management across the University's faculties. The Jadu CMS system, which has been integrated with the University's LUMINIS student portal system and Google Search Appliance (GSA), will form the basis of all online publishing at the University over the next 10 years.
A key strategic objective for the University of Leeds is to have secured a place among the top 50 universities in the world by 2015. To achieve this, the University has developed a number of initiatives to support the further development of core activities such as research, learning, teaching and knowledge transfer. Supporting each of these core activities are university staff and resource, whose further development is critical to enabling the University's primary objective can be achieved effectively.
The ready availability of key knowledge and information sources is a key contributor to the quality and capability of university management and staff. This was one of the key challenges faced by the University web team as historically web content had tended to reside in 'technical ghettos' under the control of technical experts. As a result, users tended to feel a low level of ownership of web content and consequently were typically not engaged with keeping content current.
The trigger for change came when an existing student portal system experienced technical problems which would have required a rewrite of the system. The University decided to look externally for a content management system (CMS) to support this application. In selecting a solution the University also considered the wider requirement for a CMS across all departments.
"We recognised the fact that the correct CMS would provide the route to widening user engagement" says Matthew Hoskins, Web Content Management Project Officer at the University of Leeds, who managed the CMS selection process.
The key requirements that the University looked for during the CMS selection process were usability, the user response and the total cost of ownership. After an open procurement process involving seven suppliers, the University selected Jadu CMS which scored highly in all three areas based on feedback from account stakeholders, user groups and technical experts.
"For other systems evaluated, the system costs looked very frightening and required large teams to support them. They seemed to provide very dubious value because of the high level of support required. There was also a very strong response from the users; technology was appealing and the workshop demonstration system won hands down" says Matthew Hoskins.
The University has implemented Jadu CMS in two sites so far (Libraries and Information Systems Services) and are commencing implementation of the CMS to support the corporate University site.
Roll-out to other University departments will occur over the next 6-12 months. This process will also involve the migration of existing small subsites into the main university site.
For areas that have a short life span or where there is a lower level of usage that sits outside of normal workflow, the University is using Jadu Galaxies to provide customised content through carefully delivered CMS systems under the Jadu CMS.
This approach will be used in areas such as Public Relations, Enterprise, Knowledge Area and the Press Office and research websites. These distributed website CMS systems are joined together using a single interface called 'Jadu ContentShare', which enables the seamless 'drag and drop' copying and referencing of content across multiple sites and servers.
The Jadu CMS also features a fully integrated search platform called 'Rupa' which uses the Google Search Appliance (GSA) as its engine. This will provide the University with a central search over all online content.
"The new Jadu CMS will provide a level playing field so that departments with low technical skills will have equivalent sites and capabilities to those with high technical skills. The improved systems will also elevate the University's external profile contributing to the overall strategic objective." says Matthew Hoskins.