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This column marks a major milestone for CLMA - formal introduction of our
own Web site. This development is the culmination of several years of online experience
beginning with the pioneering Electronic BBS and continuing with more recent Board
and Chapter President e-mail trials.
A Web site truly represents a new way of doing business since a great part of what
we do involves exchange of information. This article will describe our Web site (or
Home Page) as it exists today, so you can see how electronic publication will improve
our member services.
With any new system, it is important to have goals in mind before construction
begins. The committee that initiated this activity agreed that the primary goal was
rapid, convenient exchange of information among members. This is distinctly different
than a marketing oriented home page designed to attract new customers (members).
This decision led to a home page with limited graphics to improve response time and
a very simple structure for quick access to the many resources we intend to include.
A second goal was to establish a test site quickly and with limited investment. Good
web sites are difficult to design at the outset since few people comprehend how great
the change in operation might be. Fortunately, since Web sites are collections of
text files, graphics and interface coding, they are relatively easy to change and
evolution is the normal path of development.
While major commercial Web sites cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, the CLMA
site has been established with only staff and member time and no other expenditures
to date.
To limit the number of steps (keystrokes) required to find information, the home
page of the CLMA site consists of a fairly lengthy menu in comparison to other sites.
Instead of a single main menu on the first page, our home page includes both first
and second level menus on the opening screen. This screen includes the following
items:
With this simple layout, you are generally only one or two "clicks"
away from the required information. Selecting an item under "Breaking News"
will bring up the article. Under "Information Please" the first screen
will be the list of articles in Management Briefs, CLMR, etc, from which you can
choose one or more to view, print or download.
"CLMA and You" is an extensive directory of member related services which
are generally self explanatory. The Chapter and Regional News entry is unique in
that it gives not only dates of local meetings and chapter contact information, but
also provides links to chapters as they develop their own home pages.
If you've every wondered who to call for specific information at the Executive Office,
the list of contacts indicates phone and e-mail address as well as job title and
summary of responsibilities.
As the CLMA committee structure changes, it can be difficult to keep up. Now you
can access the most current descriptions of the committees as well as names, addresses
and pictures of Board members.
"Forms" are a primary communication tool in CLMA. Completing a simple Expense
Report or Breakout Session proposal can be a nuisance if you don't have a current
form. Look through your files and find an out-of-date copy. Call CLMA and they will
FAX one which involves at least two people and two long distance phone calls. That's
all changing.
The Expense form and instructions are now on the Internet and other forms will follow
soon. Any changes in these forms can be posted in minutes so the copy you download
is always current. No more copies at CLMA or in the files of 9,000 members and no
more phone calls.
Even more exciting is the prospect of on-line meeting registration. It's already
been done for the May SE CLMA meeting in Asheville NC organized by Charles Berry.
If all goes well, that capability should be available for the 1997 National Meeting.
Member surveys can be informative but are often difficult or expensive to conduct.
An on-line survey form as shown under "Breaking News" can change all that.
Survey responses can be loaded directly into a spreadsheet so results can be determined
and posted electronically in a matter of days.
One important service of any home page is to provide links to outside resources.
The CLMA page provides such links under "Sites to See". Medical Centers
and government agencies such as CDC, WHO and NIH have extensive Web sites. CLMA no
longer needs to copy and redistribute information published by these organizations.
A simple link connects the user directly to the information on the provider's Web
site.
This "Hypertext Linking" is what makes the Internet both fascinating and
addicting. A link to a single site might result in a list of dozens or hundreds of
other sites. Each of those might contain many more links and on and on and on. It
is easy to see why this system is called the "Web".
The best way to learn about the CLMA Web site is to explore it in person. If you
have a commercial service such as America Online, Prodigy or Compuserve, use their
Internet/Web connection. Direct access through an Internet Service Provider is generally
superior and lower cost if you use the Internet frequently.
In any case the current address is http://www.primenet.com/~gbraley/clma
The site will move to a new location in the near future - probably http://www.clma.org
If you have any questions contact Tonia DiGiacomo at the Executive Office or the
author.
Because this project is a "work in progress" and the current Web site
represents only a small step toward what we believe will be the communication technology
of the future, it is important that you let us know what you think. Of course we
enjoy compliments but we also need your suggestions for improvements and we ask for
your patience as we deal with the inevitable construction headaches of our small
part of the information super highway.