For a leading mobile operator in the African telecommunications sector, BBD assisted in the implementation and roll-out of a content management system (CMS ) across all of the client’s websites. The system ensures compliance with the client’s pre-defined UI / UX standards for consistency across all channels, while enabling non-technical stakeholders to maintain web content thereby reducing the dependency on technical resources.
Objectives
- Implement a CMS that can be rolled out across all websites, based on cloud native architecture that makes use of reusable components and templates
- Introduce modernisation capabilities within the web landscape to retain and grow the client’s customer base and maximise revenue
- Allow non-technical people the capability to maintain web content within the bounds of defined UI / UX standards
- Serve relevant content to customers visiting the websites
- Improve time to market through the reuse of components and templates across the organisation
- Create seamless integration with eCommerce and analytics systems used within the client’s ecosystem
- Consolidation of UI / UX across the organisation
Benefits
- Enhanced cost savings by removing maintenance costs of a bespoke CMS, as well as through the reduced
- need for software engineers to make changes to the site
- Operational efficiency with reduced risk of defect through a strong CI/CD pipeline that enables visibility
- across all project teams and changes being made to the site
- Empowering non-technical staff to maintain web content, therefore freeing up technical resources for redeployment to critical projects
Overview of the solution
Through the deployment of a globally maximising CMS software, BBD has successfully implemented a solution based on the Acquia Cloud architecture that ensures consistency across all of the client’s web touchpoints, while maximising cost savings and operational efficiency. The solution makes use of Acquia Cloud’s managed service which manages hosting, scalability, elasticity and ensures the security of the platform.
Key to this solution was usability for staff with varying degrees of technical skill to reduce dependency on software engineers. The solution empowers non-technical staff with the ability to maintain web content in a low-risk fashion that factors in the client’s compliance requirements. By building prerequisite templates and components within the CMS, content publishers inherently adhere to pre-defined UI / UX standards, while also factoring in other client requirements including analytics, SEO and monitoring while ensuring stability and that the client’s performance KPIs are met.
Approach
Following a successful digital health check where BBD consultants unpacked the current landscape, people, processes and technologies to best provide a sustainable way forward, the team made use of an Agile delivery methodology that enabled a pragmatic approach to planning. This also meant that adjustments could be made as needed to meet the deadline, even in the face of rapid technology uptake. Further collaboration with the CMS software provider ensured best practices were adhered to during implementation. The solution predominantly made use of the following key technologies: Drupal, Acquia Cloud, HTML5, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, SCSS/CSS, Twig templating for PHP and YAML with integration to the eCommerce platform done through GraphQL.
As part of the development project, BBD leveraged our testing expertise to implement automated testing. The team started with scripts, and are now running over 3000 on a single framework. The implementation of unique automation testing monitoring to watch thrird-party processes allows the team to easily assess if anything goes offline further downstream, ensuring quick resolution and minimal customer impact. Reports are generated every 15 minutes and allow for quick deployment decision-making. Stress testing, memory leakage and loading testing were also utilised for best results.
Impact of BBD’s partnership
Following the successful implementation of the CMS, users with varying degrees of technical skill can now update and edit different website channels with no risk of contravening the set UI / UX standards. BBD was able to ensure that our client could fully cater for a proper multi-site setup and CI/CD pipeline that allows for visibility across multiple teams working on the same source base, indicating what changes are happening on the site, therefore further reducing the risk of defects.
Remarking on the project and successful partnership, the client added that “Not only did BBD manage to achieve the scope with efficient costing and timing, but they also assisted with fixing additional defects. Their contribution and recommendations to fix inherent issues in the overall project that would have caused major operational issues in the future, were incredibly valuable”.
