I've always been a big believer in content management systems. From the early text based systems on the DOS platform to the latest web enabled services, content management systems bring the promised productivity gains of automation to every business.

The online journal Boxes and Arrows recently ran an article looking at how Yahoo successfully deployed Drupal for content management of their User Experience area.

There were three key things they did to ensure success in their content management deployment:

Developed a Workflow - This is the prime step in any content management system development. You have to know what your goals are in terms of moving work among people. The CMS rollouts I have been part of have been hit and miss on this topic. Most clients feel this is something that should be addressed as the system is rolled out; something they develop as the features are rolled out.

You have to have a game plan and a road map for knowing what pieces of the CMS integrate with others and how the information will flow.

Incentivized Contributions - Is that even a word? It's a great idea and one I try to do when we're pushing new systems or new data metaphors to the business segments. On a cerebral level you can appeal to their business results, but most people like to get a chance at something tangible for their personal use.

Created a Review Team -  Congratulations! Most implementation stop the feedback at the proposal stage. Yahoo decided to continue their process of reviewing and implementing feedback as they developed the CMS.

CMS implementation is one of the more resourceful actions you can do for your business. As this case study of Yahoo! shows, proper planning in the key to success.

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