Positive Steps Oldham
How PSO efficiently manage a suite of websites with one Content Management System
http://www.positivestepsoldham.org.uk
Introduction
Positive Steps Oldham (PSO) is an independent sector company providing an integrated range of services, including Connexions, Oldham Youth Offending Service and Oldham Drugs and Alcohol Action Team. PSO's mission is to enable young people across Oldham to make a successful transition into adult life and fulfil their potential.
The requirement
Given their integrated approach, PSO required a solution that would enable them to run a suite of interconnected and standalone websites under one Content Management System; and that would give them the flexibility to further enhance and develop their websites in the future.
They also required a system that would be easy to use and would enable non-technical users to edit content on the site.
The solution
Our proposal was based on CommonSpot Content Server, a comprehensive Content Management System well suited to PSO’s requirements. CommonSpot provides a flexible and highly scalable platform that allows us to rapidly develop new sites, or enhance existing ones, according to PSO’s requirements.
Starting off with an intranet and their main website, we have since developed a host of sites for PSO, the latest incarnations being the Oldham DAAT site (www.oldhamdaat.org.uk), and the MetaCards site (www.metacards.co.uk).
CommonSpot provides a fully featured framework for content management and publishing. It makes creating and editing content simple and straightforward, enabling PSO to distribute authoring to many users across their various services.
At the same time, robust approval and workflow procedures allow PSO to effectively and efficiently exercise “quality control” centrally; ensuring that high quality content is maintained throughout the site.
The outcome
CommonSpot’s scalability and ease of use, along with its robust approval and workflow mechanisms, enable PSO to efficiently manage all of their websites with one system, and realise significant bottom line savings on configuration, maintenance, development and overall running costs.
This approach has stood the test of time, further delivering valuable savings in training and implementation times — the most recent website redevelopment was realised within three weeks — while ensuring that the latest web approaches are readily achieved.
“Cyber Media didn’t just offer their standard system to us; they
worked with us to understand our requirements and then to tailor a
solution to our particular needs. They were very professional, flexible
and helpful.
We needed a comprehensive solution that would enable us
to manage several websites easily and efficiently, and we achieved this
with a system that offers distributed authoring rights and provides a
scalable and robust approval and workflow mechanism.”
Paul Wooding
Information Systems Manager
Positive Steps Oldham
