A Common Sense Advisory Report on CMS reiterates the need for technology to match global aspirations.
Only one in ten U.S. companies ships products overseas. The current administration is hoping to change that by doubling exports over the next five years—to create two million jobs for Americans.
Trying to capture market share around the world is not a quick decision.. International customers may be global in the eyes of the company, but they are local in their own minds. They expect to be able to buy products in their own languages. They expect products to conform to their region’s regulations. And they expect to use their currency to make purchases. These localization issues will be addressed in McElroy’s upcoming Global Business Webinar, 17 February at 1:00 PM Eastern.
Localization is an important part of the equation, but it is also essential for companies to evaluate their content management systems when going global. A content management system should handle ALL company content, including multilingual websites, marketing materials, and customer service tools. Too many times, content management systems only cover documentation and content in the source language, and then the company loses control of its overall content worldwide.
Multinational companies understand the need for sophisticated global content management systems. In its most recent report, Common Sense Advisory interviews multinational companies to evaluate their global content management system needs and outline the functions that matter most in managing multilingual websites and documents. The report then ranks 16 global content management systems based on which best implements the critical features required by companies.
“As organizations increasingly address international markets and domestic multicultural audiences, content goes through a translation process before being shared with the information consumer,” advises the report’s lead analyst, Ben Sargent. "Any organization that operates internationally sooner or later finds itself dealing with multiple languages. Even companies, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations that believe their audience today is monolingual should select software in anticipation of future multilingual needs.”
The report states that organizations seeking to manage information in multiple languages should expect a system to store, process, and display multi-byte and bidirectional text.
In the report, Sargent writes, “Some technology vendors provide APIs that require custom development to access, while others provide out-of-the-box connectors with a wizard-based configuration screen for easy deployment. Others spiff up their APIs using pre-built connectors from TMS vendors and third-party software vendors like Clay Tablet Technologies, or from specialized systems integrators that focus on multilingual implementations.”
To truly serve international clients well, we recommend a full evaluation of your content management system. The Common Sense Advisory report is a good place to start.