CMS Introduction with LivingDocs at Handelsblatt Media Group

The successful CMS migration to Livingdocs provides the Handelsblatt with a modern, flexible and efficient platform for digital content creation and management. The close collaboration with the customer and the iterative approach contributed significantly to the project's success and will serve as success factors in the future.

Handelsblatt Media Group was faced with the challenge of replacing an outdated editorial system and switching to a modern, user-friendly CMS. The new system should support a common “digital-first” approach for Handelsblatt and Wirtschaftswoche and make the production of digital content simple and efficient.

The goal was a seamless transition to a modern editorial system that meets the requirements of a dynamic digital editorial environment. Furthermore, the editorial workflow should be facilitated by a clear and intuitive user interface and task automation.

A particular challenge was to develop the frontend independently of CMS and to ensure integration without affecting the running website.

In December 2022, the collaboration between Handelsblatt Media Group and jambit started. The goal of the project was to migrate Handelsblatt's editorial team to the Livingdocs CMS. A solution was developed that ensures the independence of the CMS from the frontend and makes it easy to make adjustments.

Livingdocs was chosen because of its flexibility. It also offers a user-friendly WYSIWYG interface and the option of expanding the system with interfaces.

jambit contributed extensive experience from previous projects with Livingdocs and supported the client's product team with four developers. This joint team, managed and prioritized by the customer's product owners, ensured a smooth integration and further development of the platform.

When introducing the system into the existing system landscape, the team used an iterative approach in which consecutive breakthroughs were made. At the same time, another team developed a new frontend. Both projects were able to operate and go live independently of each other.

The first demo of Livingdocs was presented at the editorial conference in February 2023. Shortly thereafter, the breakthrough in the frontend was achieved. In June 2023, the team planned the introduction of Livingdocs in the editorial office and in August the first training sessions for the editors started. The go-live and the first tests with individual articles from the Handelsblatt took place in November 2023.

Another important step was the integration of further systems and interfaces. The team connected Desknet to Livingdocs to enable a seamless transition from planning to content creation.

A modern tech stack consisting of TypeScript, Node.js, JavaScript, Vue, Zod, Cloudflare, Docker and Grafana was used for implementation. With agile development practices, the team enabled fast and efficient implementation as well as ongoing adjustments.

The collaboration with Handelsblatt was very team-oriented and contributed significantly to the success of the project. The boundaries between colleagues at Handelsblatt and jambit were fluid and the team worked together as a large WE on the challenges

The Livingdocs CMS supports quick adjustments. This leads to improved efficiency in everyday editorial work and promotes the agile further development of the digital products of the Handelsblatt Media Group.

The project brings more flexibility to content creation and management while increasing user-friendliness.

Content is at the heart of the publication. The project offers great added value along the entire process chain. This starts with the simple creation of content and extends to the efficient editing and management of content, right through to its delivery.