ifm – Selecting a content delivery portal with parson
ifm electronic gmbh aims to provide its customers with technical information in a more precise and convenient manner. parson analyzed the requirements and usage scenarios for a content delivery portal (CDP) that would centrally bundle and intelligently link technical documentation, knowledge bases, and other content.
This project lays the groundwork for a company-wide content delivery strategy and the future content delivery portal.
Initial situation and challenge
ifm already provides its customers with a wide variety of information, including descriptions of products and solutions, technical documentation, training materials, and catalog data, all of which are available on the website.
The well-developed webshop offers numerous features, including:
Search and filter facets
Integrated product data
Favorites function
Comparison function (including dimensional drawings)
Sharing function
Currently, the documentation is not fully integrated and provided via PDF links. This leads to media discontinuities and increased effort for users.
Technical documentation content is created and published in a topic-oriented manner using the SCHEMA ST4 CCMS.
Goal: Consolidate all information in a content delivery portal
To make it easier for users to find the information they need and improve the user experience, ifm is planning to introduce a content delivery portal (CDP). The CDP will consolidate technical documentation, knowledge bases, and related topics in one place and provide them in a context-specific manner.
Approach and solution: Requirements analysis, RfI, and CDP selection
We supported ifm throughout the entire evaluation process for selecting the appropriate content delivery portal – from requirements analysis to decision preparation. The parson team worked as follows:
- Conduct interviews with stakeholders from various business areas to gather information about different user groups and their needs
- Analyze functional and non-functional requirements together with ifm
- Develop a shared understanding of metadata, terminology, editorial guidelines, and information management
- Hold a workshop on metadata management: Where is metadata used in the organization? How can it be standardized and linked company-wide?
- Create user stories describing CDP requirements and jointly prioritized them
- Research a longlist of potential system vendors
- Prepare documents for an RfI (Request for Information), which ifm sent to selected vendors
- Assist with vendor demo sessions
- Evaluate the responses and demos, reducing the longlist to a shortlist
In the end, ifm was able to make an informed decision regarding the future CDP based on the criteria and analyses developed.
Results and outlook: Content delivery strategy and further automation
The project provided the foundation for a holistic content delivery strategy at ifm. The company now has a clear set of requirements and a better understanding of the importance of consistent metadata and integrated information processes. This lays the groundwork for implementing the content delivery portal and future automation steps.
Working with parson helped us refine our requirements for a content delivery portal and develop a shared internal understanding of information management and metadata.
Learn more about our services for setting up a content-delivery portal
About ifm electronic gmbh
ifm electronic gmbh is a leading provider of automation technologies.
The company develops and manufactures an exceptionally broad product portfolio, ranging from position, process, and motion control sensors to products for industrial imaging, identification systems, and communication solutions, all the way to systems for mobile machines.
With innovative Industry 4.0 solutions and corresponding software and cloud products, ifm makes existing business processes digitally usable and offers new, holistic control options for sustainable efficiency and cost optimization.