Three gears

Much of the work we do with association, book and magazine publishers involves structuring workflows to best meet current and emerging (cross-platform) expectations.

I define workflow as the intersection of process (how things get done), technology (not just systems, but any tools used to create, manage and disseminate content) and organization (structure; the roles people play and the tools they use).

In revising content workflows, it is seldom the case that a publisher can change things in one area (install a new CMS, for example) and not affect the other two components. Sometimes the impact is small; other times it takes a big change in an organization or process to take full advantage of a new tool.

Conceptually, I think of it as a set of three gears. The relative size of each of the gears varies somewhat, but there is an interdependence that (if not addressed) hamstrings a change or an implementation.

Tomorrow, I’ll share some of the questions I ask publishers in helping them understand both where they are and where they need to be.

About Brian O'Leary

Founder and principal of Magellan Media Consulting, Brian O’Leary helps enterprises with media and publishing components capitalize on the power of content. A veteran of more than 30 years in the publishing industry and a prolific content producer himself, Brian leverages the breadth and depth of his experience to deliver innovative content solutions.

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