In one of my previous posts, I talked about the first steps that one should take when looking to implement a content management system. Stephanie left a comment that got me thinking: what do you do when you already have a content management system that’s been implemented and you have to go back and enhance that existing system?

First off, I’d like to say that it’s easy to start playing the blame game when things don’t go as well as one had hoped. This is even easier when you weren’t the one who put the offending system in place — “if only they had done things such and such a way”…

This type of thinking does little to address current problems, and can actually run the risk of alienating you from those who put the system in place and have valuable knowledge about how it works. You’re going to need their help, so don’t get off on the wrong foot by trying to blame them for the current state of the system.

The other side of that coin is the fact that they almost certainly didn’t want to put a system in place that doesn’t work. Think back to any project you’ve worked on that didn’t turn out well — you can surely think of a whole host of external factors that contributed to a lack of project success.

The key to turning a system that doesn’t work into one that does work is figuring out where the real problems are. While technology may seem to be an overwhelming problem for people trying to use a system, the real problem might actually be a lack of processes.

While technology is often a symptom of a failed system, it’s very rarely the root cause. Figure out the processes and mindset that is currently in place, and you’ll go a long way to laying the groundwork for implementing improved technology.

Once you’ve figured out where the problems are, develop a strategy to move from the current state (where you don’t want to be) to the desired state (where you do want to be). The point is to have a plan of attack to move in a positive direction.

And that’s really the toughest part — getting the momentum going. Once you’ve got agreement and movement in the right direction, things get much easier. It’s getting the behemoth moving in the first place that’s the toughest challenge.