What exactly is an agile CMS?

Global research firm Forrester says, "Agile CMS seeks to enable collaborative, iterative approaches to content and experiences that satisfy both sides of the house." We think Brightspot has embodied all these things for over a decade long before the firm coined the term in 2021 as part of its Forrester Wave evaluation of agile CMSs.

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Brightspot recognized in Forrester's Now Tech overview of agile content management systems

By Alistair Wearmouth
April 27, 2022

Forrester, a leading global research and advisory firm, has recognized Brightspot among 31 agile CMSs in its "Now Tech: Agile Content Management Systems, Q2 2022" report.

1 Min Read

Are you familiar with the term "agile CMS"? It's not a new buzzword, but many organizations are still struggling to put it into practice. They're on the lookout for a content management system (CMS) that delivers speed, quality and control all at once.

Forrester, a leading research firm, evaluated the agile CMS market and introduced its new Forrester Wave report in 2021. According to senior analyst Nick Barber, "Agile content management systems have evolved over the past 30 years to deliver modern, digital experiences that are collaborative, iterative, and satisfy both developers and practitioners."

Meanwhile, the push for enterprise agility is accelerating, as businesses recognize it as an essential factor for success. A 2020 McKinsey report found that successful agile transformations can lead to significant improvements in customer satisfaction, employee engagement, operational performance, and financial performance (with improvements ranging from 20% to 30%).

Defining agile CMS

What is agile CMS?

An agile CMS empowers content creators and website developers to bring digital experiences to market rapidly through a combination of publishing, workflow and collaboration tools built on a content-management platform that's designed to be flexible and extensible for fast-changing business needs and priorities.

What are the benefits of using an agile CMS?

An agile CMS provides businesses with greater flexibility, speed and control when it comes to managing and publishing their content. This can lead to faster time-to-market, improved customer experiences and increased operational efficiency.

What things does a CMS need in order to be truly considered an agile CMS?

Forrester says an agile CMS is more than "headless CMS in a new box," and argues an agile CMS needs to do three things:

Have a content hub at its core
Incorporate easy-to-use creation, with collaboration and planning tools that offer intuitive workflows
Offer flexible deployment options

It’s important to take a step back and evaluate whether your platform meets this criteria. If it doesn’t, there are solutions readily available that do.

What makes Brightspot an agile CMS?

Brightspot’s CMS is agile to the core. Let’s talk about what this looks like.

Content hub: Content hubs bring together all existing and new solutions in one place. Technology that supports and operates as a content hub—like Brightspot—considers the business as a whole, not in individual parts. This allows transformation to start with what you already have, rather than requiring completely new systems and processes, which means faster and more agile transformation.
Workflows: In order to operate with flexibility and speed, businesses need control over how they work. Custom workflows mean organizations can streamline how they create, manage, edit and publish content. Brightspot’s Workflow Engine allows teams greater control of when and how work gets done, and takes the burden off ever having to involve your IT teams in establishing, modifying and extending your workflows. It really is a simple as drag-and-draw for workflows that can be as detailed and as specific as you need.
Flexibility and speed: At the most basic level, agility means the ability to move quickly. Brightspot GO—Brightspot’s new offering that packages the power of the Brightspot Business Content Platform into a ready-to-build version—supports organizations in launching their own dynamic digital experiences at astonishing speed.

How does an agile CMS differ from a traditional CMS?

Unlike traditional CMS systems that are built on rigid architectures and workflows, agile CMS solutions are designed to be highly adaptable and customizable. They typically support collaborative and iterative approaches to content creation and delivery, which can help businesses keep up with changing customer needs and market trends.

What features should I look for in an agile CMS?

When evaluating an agile CMS, look for features such as modular content structures, easy integration with third-party tools, real-time editing and publishing, and the ability to create personalized experiences for different user segments.

How can an agile CMS improve my business processes?

An agile CMS can help businesses streamline their content workflows, reduce their reliance on IT teams and respond more quickly to customer needs and feedback. This can lead to faster iteration and optimization of content, improved user engagement and, ultimately, increased revenue and customer loyalty.

Is an agile CMS suitable for businesses of all sizes?

Yes, an agile CMS can be a good fit for businesses of all sizes. While larger enterprises may have more complex content management needs, smaller businesses can benefit from the flexibility and speed that an agile CMS provides. Regardless of size, any business that values agility, efficiency and innovation can benefit from an agile CMS solution.

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Inside Brightspot: Workflows overview

Agile CMS today and into the future

In today's fast-paced world, businesses need to be flexible and quick on their feet. Outdated systems and processes won't cut it anymore, and that's why agile CMS solutions are in high demand. Companies want to stay ahead of the curve, and that means having the ability to do what they want when they want to do it.

But agility and speed shouldn't come at the cost of something else. It's about having the freedom to transform your business on your own terms, with a digital platform that can adapt to your changing needs and priorities.

At Brightspot, we've been delivering agile CMS solutions since day one. We believe in an extensible architecture, integration readiness and a purposeful partnership with each of our customers. Agility is at the heart of everything we do, and we're committed to helping businesses stay ahead of the game.