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Working as a consultant in that loosely defined field referred to as Information Technology, I have had to come in and fix more messes than you could imagine. Or at least try to fix them; some companies manage to screw things up so badly that the only sane solution is literally to throw everything out and start all over again. One of the sneaky things about “IT” is that it’s actually a series of different skill sets and technologies and it has evolved in leaps and bounds. Many companies start small and grow faster than their systems can keep up with (or their IT staff), resulting in networks and mission critical computer systems that are essentially hobbled together, seriously underperforming and taxing the ability of staff to keep them running. That’s why spending a little money upfront to have an experienced consultant help to plan your network and steer its growth often pays off handsomely in the end. Here’s one example. I was called to help with a music review company. They’d started out small -a few guys with a blog- and grown over the years into an established web site that churned out CD reviews, concert reviews, industry news, artist interviews and even expanded into a weekly print version. They now had at least a dozen staff, including the original IT guy, reporters, photographers and PR people. When I walked into their office, it was obvious that they were in chaos and nearing the point of collapse. Two of their reporters were typing reports into Word, then passing the document off to the IT guy to re-key, since they couldn’t figure out how to code the HTML the ancient entry system was using. Because of this delay, their “scoops” were often old news by the time they were posted. The web site was inconsistent, with variations in formatting depending on who had posted material and what system they had used. Three people were desperately searching hard drives, one file at a time, looking for a sequence of digital photos taken at a Metallica concert the night before. They posted the review without photos until someone thought to check the reviewer’s MacBook. It took me a few weeks, but by the end of the project, we had designed a modern system that managed their digital assets so material could be easily and quickly accessed for web or print. It was cataloged, searchable, secure and backed up. Content posted was consistent and anyone could do it because of simplified entry templates. The IT guy was freed up to manage systems and the company was back to scooping its competition. About The Author: Michael Jenson is a consultant and speaker specializing in the challenges of digital asset management. He has worked with a wide range of media companies, helping them to upgrade their systems for enhanced productivity and security. To contact Michael for advice about the benefits of a content management system, please use the following information: info@databasepublish.com Address: 1560 Broadway, Suite 810 New York, NY 10036-1518 Phone #: (800) 818-2905
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