modernizing internal communications with cascade server, wordpress and mailchimp

MODERNIZING INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONSHOW TO CREATE A POWERFUL, LOW-COST C.O.P.E SYSTEM

DAVID SHIPLEY AND TREVOR THOMAS, UNB

DAVID SHIPLEY ENTERPRISE STRATEGY ANALYST

• Joined ITS in 2012, previously was Senior Web Strategist with Communications & Marketing

• Bachelor of Arts in Information and Communications Studies (’05), MBA (’15)

• Responsible for UNB’s web, mobile and security strategies and implementation

• @davidshipley

TREVOR THOMAS DEVELOPER

• Joined ITS in 2010 to help launch second-generation portal

• Played key role in UNB RWD conversion project in 2013

• Abides

THE PROBLEMCREATE A SECURE, SEMI-AUTOMATED INTERNAL NOTICES PLATFORM

…IN A UNIVERSITY

DO YOU READ YOUR UNB E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS

(EDAILY, ENEWS)?

26%

39%

22%

12%

Always Most of Time Some of the Time Never

THE CHALLENGEWE’RE GOING TO NEED A BIGGER (BETTER) BOAT

OLD UNB E-PUBLICATIONS SYSTEM

• DECADE OLD, CUSTOM CODED SYSTEM BUILT BEFORE BLOGS

• TOOK SIX MONTHS AND MORE THAN $25,000 TO DEVELOP

• REQUIRED 1/4 FTE TO APPROVE ARTICLES, MANUALLY SELECT NOTICES PER ISSUE

• E-MAIL COULD TAKE HOURS TO DELIVER TO ALL RECIPIENTS (THEY GOT IT WHETHER THEY WANTED IT OR NOT)

• MASS E-MAIL RESULTED IN GROWING SPAM REPORTS BY STUDENTS USING OUTLOOK, GMAIL, YAHOO!

CHALLENGES• Sudden failure of old system (we warned them)

• Reluctance by Communications and Marketing to lead internal communications

• Change in student preferences regarding email (they didn’t want university spam)

• Required a clean, easy-to-maintain central storage and distribution system

EMBRACING COPE

• New platform designed with create once, publish everywhere model in mind (C.O.P.E)

• A single web form to move info to a single repository for basic workflow then publication to a platform that enables C.O.P.E.

• A shift from in-house custom mass emailing solution to best-of-breed cloud solution.

THE BLUEPRINTS

THE BLUEPRINTSCOMBINING CUSTOM CODE, WITH VENDOR CMS WITH OPEN SOURCE RSS PLATFORM WITH CLOUD MASS E-MAIL

Secure Web Form

1 to 3 Sites, depending on

audience

1 to 3 WordPress

Sites

1 to 3 WordPress

Sites

MailChimp via RSS

Portal via RSS

UNB App Via RSS

Individual RSS

Departmental Sites

Social Cascade + MailChimp

UNB APP

DEMO

THE RESULTS

• Was launched in two weeks

• Cost $2,000

• 91% reduction in developer time and cost

• Students provided with choice on how to stay informed (happy students & Llamas)

QUESTIONS?

- Tim Cook, CEO, Apple Inc.

You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the

problem.