Without the right implementation plan and skill set, an organization can rarely maximize the value of its investment in new content management technology. More importantly, the content management system (CMS) will not have the transformative impact that executives, managers and workers expect to realize. Companies can easily spend upwards of $1 million to buy and implement a new CMS. They are making a commitment to live with the new solution for five to seven years, based on the industry average life of a CMS, With this much at risk, it’s imperative for companies to be sure they are making good choices and are leveraging the experiences of those who went before them.

This report is a companion to Digital Clarity Group’s Insight Paper entitled Five Crucial Lessons Learned in Content Management System Selections. It draws on the same research but analyzes the inputs through a different lens, looking at implementation challenges and pitfalls. Connie Moore presents seven lessons learned by implementation teams who have been there, done that. In one case study, she describes a CMS implementation that had been left for dead. Armed with knowledge about the past failure, and with a new team and approach, the CMS is delivering great value today.