In an excellent critique of many ECM fallacies (check out OpinionWatch, above), Jim Howard makes a strong case for basing web content management projects around departments or even workgroups. There's one problem with this approach, however: it doesn't adequately take into account the needs of content consumers, many of whom want a more wholistic, integrated view of enterprise web content. Your web visitors don't care about departments and workgroups. They just want some information. (One of the more admirable facets of federal U.S. eGovernment efforts -- like those of many other countries as well -- is their "citizen-centric" focus.) To be successful, then, ECM projects should facilitate essential compromises between the simple automation needs of the workgroup and the broader unification efforts of the enterprise on behalf of its constituents...
White House eGov memorandum: President Bush doesn't like content silos