University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia (UWA) had been successfully running the Squiz developed MySource Classic (MySource version 2) for several years, but was now facing new organisational and technical web challenges including content sprawl, inconsistent governance, limited resources (website office staff) Highly devolved IT and a lack of web expertise. A comprehensive CMS review identified that MySource Matrix could offer reduced capital expenditure; improved and enhanced user interface; the ability to perform well for sites of a large size/scale delivering hundreds of thousands of pages and millions of hits per day; and that Suqiz could offer a fully supported solution. Because the majority of the implementation was undertaken by the University they additionally purchased specialist services from Squiz including assistance with the implementation, accredited training courses to bring staff up to speed, plus a Service Level Agreement for ongoing warranty and support.
With a website so large, comprised of hundreds of sub-sites and edited by hundreds of authors, the content management system adopted was integral to an effective solution.
Sarah Delfante – Information Architect, UWA Website Office
MySource Matrix is an easy-to-use system for our web authors with effective, in-built quality assurance controls allowing us to consistently present the UWA visual identity online across thousands of pages.
About The University of Western Australia
UWA is a leading Australian research university and has helped shape the careers of almost 100,000 graduates since it was founded in 1911.
UWA has nine faculties, about 18,000 students and 3000 staff and is a member of the Group of Eight universities.
The main UWA campus, nestled on the banks of the Swan River, is among the most picturesque in the nation with grand sandstone and terracotta buildings sitting among elegant heritage-listed gardens.
Challenges
UWA had been successfully running the Squiz developed MySource Classic (MySource version 2) for several years, but was now facing new organisational and technical web challenges. The key organisational challenges were identified as:
- Content sprawl - approximately 550 websites with total of 150,000 web pages in MySource Classic with inconsistent branding, structure, navigation and content.
- Inconsistent governance - approximately 1,200 MySource user accounts, most of which were site administrators not subject to a workflow approval process.
- Limited resources - the three website office staff (Co-ordinator, Analyst/Programmer, Client Support Officer) simply did not have the capacity to provide the web support required for the number of University web pages and authors.
CMS Review
MySource Matrix offered the following features and benefits to UWA:
- Reduced capital expenditure - MySource Matrix is an Open Source product that also has the option of an application warranty
- Improved and enhanced user interface:
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- The ‘Simple Edit’ interface (otherwise known as “in context” or “front-end editing”) allows general nontechnical CMS users to author and edit content in a simple web page interface
- There is a clear distinction between administrative and editing functions
- Functionality to help quality assurance processes:
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- Controlled approval process with a configurable workflow schema which does not require any
programming knowledge - The ability to define an automatic trigger to set future status dates for review and expir
- Pages without complete metadata will not be allowed to go liv
- Comprehensive versioning and rollback functionality to comply with the State Records Act 200
- Improved granular permissions model which can be controlled at the individual asset level
- Controlled approval process with a configurable workflow schema which does not require any
- Because many MySource Classic functions remained the same in MySource Matrix, there was a reduced requirement for staff training
- Existing MySource Matrix knowledge and experience was already in place at the UWA Library
- Improved options for information integration
- MySource Matrix had a proven track record in the Higher Education and Public Service sectors and:
- the ability to perform well for sites of a large size/scale delivering hundreds of thousands of pages and millions of hits per day
- an extensive list of customer reference sites
- an active MySource Matrix user community
- Squiz offer full support, development, training and Service Level Agreements
Solution – Supported Open Source
Given the considerable features and benefits identified by the CMS Review, MySource Matrix was the logical CMS solution for the University.
In 2007 the preliminary investigative work, installation and configuration of software and hardware was conducted. Because the majority of the implementation was to be undertaken by the University new skills were necessary in the following areas:
- Information architecture
- Content editing
- Web design
- Web development
- Programming
- Training and support
A comprehensive migration process was developed which included business and usage analysis, content audit, information architecture and navigation, content sub-editing, user and usability testing.
The University purchased specialist services from Squiz including services to assist with the implementation, accredited training courses to bring staff up to speed, plus a Service Level Agreement for ongoing warranty and support.
Result – MySource Matrix Delivers
MySource Matrix allowed UWA to efficiently implement its new visual identity and initiate the comprehensive migration process of the initial key websites by January 2008. Over the course of the migration the number of UWA websites will be consolidated from approximately 550 down to 240.
Training workshops were conducted around the University to increase the level of web expertise and a newly developed web manual encouraged the use of consistent style.
The University expects to have migrated 80 websites by the end of 2008 with the remaining 160 sites to be migrated in the 2009 / 2010 timeframe.
