What’s the point of a CMS? I’ve really been trying to figure that out, because here is the usual pattern for CMS users:

1. Company X Wants a web site.
2. Company X looks to hire a web developer/designer. In-house people who know the web would be perfect.
3. Said designer is “too expensive”.
4. Company X finds CMS XYZ, which is only a few grand, spent only once to implement.
5. XYZ is purchased, because it allows everyone to share the load, without knowing HTML.
6. XYZ is deployed, and there is much rejoicing.
7. X uses XYZ for a time, but becomes more web savvy.
8. XYZ is found to be missing some nifty features that X wants, and non-HTML knowing staff members step it up.
9. The non-HTML knowing staff gets tired of trying to make updates. By this time, they all know basic HTML.
10. XYZ is labelled internally as inflexible, and the new guy gets assigned to do all of the updates.
11. Back in his lair, the the vendor for XYZ counts his gold pieces.
12. X gets tired of the inflexibility of XYZ. Even though they’ve sunk in some cash for upgrades, they drop XYZ.
13. Said designer is hired, and the corporate site is fresh, nimble, and flexible.

Yeah, so maybe I’m biased, but there really is no reason for a large corporation to have a CMS. Ever. Maybe they have some sort of twisted point existing as training wheels for smaller organizations, but I don’t think I’ve seen many succeed.

When is the last time you heard someone talk highly of the CMS running the company website?