carvingCode: carving unique nooks in the web™

I’m involved in an interesting situation at my new job.  Hired as a Web Administrator for multiple tasks—transitioning the organization’s current website to a new CMS, building a web-based Intranet, and managing a series of informational/public interest websites—I find myself in a precarious position.

It seems that a decision was made a couple years ago to go with a CMS that is proving to be extremely expensive.  This decision was made out of IT/IS, and looks to have been made with little to no research.  Unfortunately, it looks like the purchase was made based solely on what the company salesman said it would do.

This CMS sat idle for 2 years prior to me being hired.  (Are you sensing why I said it was a “precarious position”?)  The organization does have a website up and running in another CMS (ExpressionEngine).  Although it wasn’t really set up correctly and the design is outdated, it is satisfying basic needs.

What I have discovered in the few short weeks I’ve been on the job is that the new CMS is a money pit.  They have spent $10K on a one-domain license.  They need at least one additional license for the Intranet and perhaps another for a secondary website.  There is an annual maintenance fee of 20%.  In the near future, the organization could be spending $5K per year in maintenance fees.

The confusing part of this is that there is no good reason for them being in this position.  This organization has no requirements that only this CMS will deliver over, say, ExpressionEngine, Joomla, Drupal, or any number of free and low cost alternatives.

The other confusing part is that no one knew how expensive this CMS was going to be.

My task, lately, has been finding and documenting the costs, not only in cash, but development-related.  This other CMS, ektron’s CMS400.NET, is a convoluted conglomeration of bells and whistles that this organization ultimately will not use.

An upcoming meeting will determine the future of this project.  Hopefully, I’ll still have a job.

Listened to Bob Edwards’ show on XM Radio this morning.  He interviewed Howard Gardner and discussed aspects of education reform.  Gardner was discussing his theory of “multiple intelligences”, which I’ve heard/read about some time ago, probably in graduate school.  One thing he said that struck me was his reference to teachers needing to “conduct the orchestra” when teaching. 

I’ve been thinking and designing my lessons like this for some time and now have a phrase I can use to describe what I do.

A classroom full of students is very similar to an orchestra.  Many different instruments which require different types of instructions in order for them to reach their ultimate potential in the particular piece of music.  How wonderful is that!

I’m mailing off a formal proposal to a client today.  I spent a lot of time on this, as I wanted to get it right.  Determining fees is a tough one for me, as I want to give value, but can’t give my time away.

Looking over articles and websites of other web designers, I know what the typical fees are for services.  Clients can have different views about the merit of specific fees.  Some understand; some don’t.  Clients won’t question a $75 an hour fee paid to their mechanic, but can question this same fee when paid to their website developer. I don’t blame the client, especially if they have had a bad experience with another web design firm; an all too often told story.

The fee I charge for a project is worth every penny.  The client gets more than they ask for, a true value in today’s business environment.