Content management
Once a page has been created, it is saved into a central repository in the CMS. This stores all the content of the site, along with the other supporting details.

This central repository allows a range of useful features to be provided by the CMS:

•Keeping track of all the versions of a page, and who changed what and when.
•Ensuring that each user can only change the section of the site they are responsible for.
•Integration with existing information sources and IT systems.

Most importantly, the CMS provides a range of workflow capabilities. These are best explained by giving an example:

When the page is created by an author, it is automatically sent to their manager for approval, and then to the central web team for their editorial review. It is finally sent to the legal team for their sign-off, before being automatically published to the site.

At each step, the CMS manages the status of the page, notifying the people involved, and escalating jobs where required.

In this way, the workflow capabilities allow more authors to be involved in the management of the site, while maintaining strict control over the quality, accuracy and consistency of the information.

Once the final content is in the repository, it can then be published out to either the website or intranet.

Content management systems boast powerful publishing engines which allow the appearance and page layout of the site to be applied automatically during publishing. It may also allow the same content to be published to multiple sites if initially set up as a multi-layer system.

Of course, every site looks different, so the CMS lets the graphic designers and web developers specify the appearance that is applied by the system.

These publishing capabilities ensure that the pages are consistent across the entire site, and enable a very high standard of appearance.

This also allows the authors to concentrate on writing the content, by leaving the look of the site entirely to the CMS.