Create polished, personalized technical content with the power of IXIA CCMS.
What is a CCMS?
Understanding Component Content Management Systems (CCMS)
What is a CCMS?
A Component Content Management System (CCMS) is an advanced type of Content Management System (CMS) designed to manage content at a granular level. Unlike traditional content management systems that manage documents as whole entities, a CCMS treats each piece of content as a reusable component. This approach allows for more efficient content creation, management, and distribution across various platforms and channels.
Think of it this way: Creating Word documents is easy. You can have as much content in the document as you wish, from a few pages to hundreds of pages. In each of those documents, you might find yourself repeating certain pieces of information—contact details, product specifications, or legal disclaimers. Over time, managing these documents becomes cumbersome, especially when updates are needed. If a product detail changes, you'd have to open each document containing that detail and update it manually. This process is time-consuming, error-prone, and frankly, a bit of a nightmare for anyone responsible for maintaining the accuracy and consistency of this content across numerous documents.
Enter the Component Content Management System (CCMS). A CCMS changes the game by breaking down content into its smallest parts—components. Instead of handling entire documents as single, unbreakable entities, a CCMS allows you to manage individual pieces of content, such as paragraphs, sentences, or even words. These components are stored in a central repository and can be reused across multiple documents. When a detail changes, you update it once in the CCMS, and the change automatically propagates to every instance where that component is used. This not only ensures consistency and accuracy but also significantly reduces the time and effort required to maintain content.
Why Would You Need a CCMS?
Organizations that produce large volumes of content, especially technical documentation, instructional materials, or multi-channel marketing content, can benefit from a CCMS. By enabling content reuse, ensuring consistency across documents, and facilitating easier updates, a CCMS can save time, reduce costs, and improve content quality.
Advantages of Using a CCMS
- Efficiency and Reusability: Content components can be reused in multiple documents, reducing the need for duplication of effort.
- Consistency and Quality: Ensures that updates are made simultaneously across all documents, maintaining consistency and accuracy.
- Scalability: Easily manages large volumes of content, making it simpler to scale content production as your organization grows.
- Multi-channel Publishing: Supports publishing across various platforms and formats from a single source of truth.
What is MadCap IXIA CCMS?
MadCap IXIA CCMS, is a state-of-the-art Component Content Management System tailored for managing, organizing, and optimizing technical documentation and content workflows. Leveraging the power of DITA XML and topic-based authoring, MadCap IXIA CCMS offers unparalleled efficiency, scalability, and precision in content management.
Which industries currently use MadCap IXIA CCMS?
MadCap IXIA CCMS can be applied to a variety of industries but is especially useful to organizations reusing large amounts of content, publishing through a variety of mediums, and publishing in multiple languages.
Industry leading organizations from around the world rely on the IXIA CCMS to produce their technical documentation. These include:
- Software & IT: DocuSign, Hyland, Ericsson, SAP, ADP,
- Semiconductors: Analog Devices, AMD, ARM, Infineon, KLA, Xilinx
- Medical devices: Abbott, Agfa, Elekta, Roche, Varian
- Manufacturing: Boeing, Komatsu, Metso, Paccar, Wartsila
Signs a CCMS is Right for Your Organization
- High Volume of Content: Your organization produces and manages a large volume of content that is often updated.
- Need for Multi-channel Publishing: You need to publish content across multiple platforms and formats.
- Content Reuse: There is a significant overlap in the content produced, requiring efficient reuse mechanisms.
- Collaborative Content Creation: Your content creation process involves multiple stakeholders and requires streamlined collaboration.
By integrating a CCMS like MadCap IXIA CCMS into your content strategy, you can significantly enhance your content management processes, ensuring that your organization's content is always accurate, consistent, and engaging.
How do I choose between an LCMS and a CCMS?
|
Use Case |
Best Choice |
Explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
Corporate Training & Development |
MadCap Xyleme LCMS |
For organizations looking to develop, manage, and deploy corporate training and eLearning courses, MadCap Xyleme is the ideal choice. It specializes in creating engaging learning experiences, with robust capabilities for personalizing content and assessing the effectiveness of training programs. You can choose to use DITA XML Learning and training specialization, and in that case opt for IXIA CCMS. This would be ideal if your technical writers are also the ones creating your L&D content for example. |
|
Technical Documentation for Products |
MadCap IXIA CCMS |
When the primary goal is to manage and publish detailed technical documentation, such as product manuals, help guides, or knowledge bases, MadCap IXIA CCMS stands out. Its strength lies in handling structured content and ensuring consistency and accuracy across various documentation outputs. |
|
Multi-channel Publishing |
Both |
For scenarios requiring the distribution of content across multiple platforms and formats (e.g., PDF, web, mobile), MadCap IXIA CCMS and Xyleme are matched in their superior capabilities. Its component-based approach ensures that content is easily repurposed and consistent, regardless of the channel. |
|
Onboarding New Employees |
Both |
Both systems can be effectively used for onboarding new employees. MadCap Xyleme can deliver personalized learning paths and training materials, while MadCap IXIA CCMS can provide essential company policies and procedures. Together, they offer a comprehensive onboarding experience. |
|
Compliance Training |
MadCap Xyleme LCMS |
Organizations needing to deploy compliance training benefit from MadCap Xyleme’s ability to create engaging, interactive learning modules that can be updated easily to reflect the latest regulations and policies. |
|
Knowledge Management |
Both |
For comprehensive knowledge management strategies, employing both systems can be advantageous. MadCap IXIA CCMS can organize and store technical knowledge, while MadCap Xyleme can transform some of this content into educational modules for internal training. |
|
Customer Support Content |
MadCap IXIA CCMS |
When creating content aimed at supporting customers, such as FAQs, troubleshooting guides, or product setup instructions, MadCap IXIA CCMS offers the detailed control and organization needed to manage extensive knowledge bases efficiently. |
|
Sales Training and Product Knowledge |
Both |
To equip sales teams with the latest product knowledge and sales techniques, a combination of both systems ensures that all bases are covered. MadCap Xyleme delivers engaging training content, while MadCap IXIA CCMS ensures sales teams have access to up-to-date product documentation and specs. |
|
Policy and Procedure Documentation |
MadCap IXIA CCMS |
For documenting company policies and procedures, MadCap IXIA CCMS’s structured content management approach ensures that documents are easy to update, maintain, and distribute, keeping everyone aligned and informed. |
|
Learning Content Localization |
MadCap Xyleme LCMS |
If the goal is to localize learning content for different regions or languages, MadCap Xyleme’s capabilities make it easier to adapt educational materials, ensuring they are culturally relevant and engaging for a global workforce. |
Resources and further reading
https://xyleme.com/what-is-a-ccms/
https://www.madcapsoftware.com/products/ixia-ccms/faqs/#content
https://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/dita-ccms-adoption-integration/
https://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/building-business-case-dita/
https://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/nine-useful-dita-content/
https://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/how-do-you-define-a-ccms/
https://www.madcapsoftware.com/blog/types-of-content-management-systems/
