A new software category is currently being created for the demand-oriented provision of information to users: the "Content Delivery Platform".
Definition of "Content Delivery Platform" according to Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ziegler from the Institute for Information and Content Management & Applied Science at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences:
Content Delivery Platforms offer the web-based provision of modular or aggregated information for access by different target audiences, using content-related search mechanisms
In simple terms, the Content Delivery Platform is a web service that collects content from different creation systems and makes it available to users. The information is searchable, findable and filterable with the help of metadata, so that it is easy for the user to call up helpful situational information, or the information can even be offered proactively.
kothes is intensively involved in the design, population, and the operation of Content Delivery Platforms and is a pioneer in this field. Last but not least, our smart space is an application-specific example of Content Delivery.
Multi-Channel Information
Content Delivery Platforms are designed to provide information to different target systems. Usually, as a default, the platform offers access via a web interface. In most cases, an App is also provided for the use of mobile documentation.
In addition, a Content Delivery Platform is able to provide information to other systems. For example, it is possible to deliver content to software in the sense of a more modern form of online help. Scenarios in which content is delivered in corporate Apps or other online platforms are also possible.
Single Point of Information
Content Delivery Platforms can accept content from different creation systems and offer it to the user via a uniform front-end. Thus the user receives all information from one source and independent of the system in which it was created. This saves time-consuming searching and a switch of system.
Alternatively, it is also possible to link different display systems so that a user can, for example, jump directly from a maintenance description to the appropriate component in the spare parts catalogue.
Fragmented Information
An essential element of content delivery is the targeted provision of information. The user should therefore receive exactly the information that helps him or her to solve their current problem or task. This means that the information is no longer output in the form of entire documents, but in smaller information units, the so-called Topics. A topic contains exactly the information that a user needs to complete a clearly-defined task or meet a clearly-specified need for knowledge – no more and no less. Metadata is used to classify the topics so that it can be seen "from the outside" what kind of information is contained in the topic.
The topic orientation allows you to offer exactly the information unit that is required for a search. This would not be possible with a document-oriented approach, because the individual information in the document is not tangible for search mechanisms. In contrast to the full-text search that is often used today, which displays all occurrences of a word in the text as hits, the search for topics based on metadata provides only relevant hits.
The fragmented approach allows the user to find the necessary information much faster than with a document-oriented approach.
Fragmentation also provides the ability to proactively display content based on external parameters such as time of day, weather, product condition or location.
Connected Information
The metadata classes can be used to build relationships between the individual topics. Related links are created automatically and the user is provided with additional helpful information. Connectivity with information in other systems is also possible via classification.
Specific information
Content Delivery reduces a large total amount of data through filtering for a specific application purpose. This also reduces the complexity for the user.
If, for example, such filters are linked to the login, different amounts of information can be displayed depending on qualification, hierarchy or position. The Service Technician then receives different information from the Customer Advisor.
Furthermore, filtering (e.g. via a QR code) can reduce the amount of information to a specific customer, a plant part, a specific product or even a component. This saves the user the tedious task of searching for the right document and accelerates the search for relevant content.
Feedback and evaluation
An additional function of Content Delivery is the feedback channel. Thus, important data on topics such as satisfaction, improvement potential and status reports can be collected via direct user feedback.
The statistical evaluation of user behaviour is also a valuable source for deriving improvement potential for the information and the products themselves. The result is a control loop of continuous improvement in which the user is directly involved. This can bring a decisive competitive advantage through targeted further development.