Modernise your CMS: Start with the bottleneck

A product page needs updating. Information sits in a spreadsheet, the image in another system and approval in an email thread. The website also lacks the right component. A small change becomes a coordination task across teams.

This hypothetical example shows why a CMS decision should begin with the actual workflow. A new system may help; first, understand what is holding the work back.

Make the bottleneck visible through one task

Choose a specific process, such as publishing product information. Follow it from the initial request to a useful page. Who provides the knowledge? Who reviews it? Where is information copied, and what is the next person waiting for?

Separate working time from waiting time. A new frontend will do little for a missing technical approval. If every content change needs development, a better content model or suitable components may help. Repeated asset searches point to ownership and storage.

The result is a reasoned first task. It may also involve better UX: the page must work for both editors and visitors.

Retain, extend or renew

Headless is an architectural choice, not a quality guarantee. Separating content management from presentation can support reuse, but preview, editorial usability and operations still need to work. Additional frontends or micro-frontends need a concrete organisational and technical purpose.

Bring AI into the workflow

A first pilot might prepare an audience-specific draft from approved product information. This needs a reliable source, a defined content type and clear limits on the agent’s actions.

Review remains part of the process. Missing details must not be replaced by plausible inventions. Sources and changes need to remain traceable. Economics depend on the total effort, including setup, corrections and approval.

Payload CMS is our strategic focus for suitable agentic workflows. Our dedicated Drupal team develops websites and platforms, including dozens for PepsiCo. We also work with Magnolia, TYPO3, WordPress and Sitefinity. The right choice follows your installation and task.

Turn the review into a practical improvement

A first review can cover one CMS, one customer journey and one editorial workflow. It should produce prioritised actions, effort ranges and a reasoned recommendation.

Agree acceptance criteria before building the pilot: can editors complete the task, is the information accurate, does the user journey work and are failures detected? Then assess value and further effort together.

We take responsibility for concept and quality. UX, content and development turn a technical possibility into a usable workflow.

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