CMS Selection.

Choose a system that grows with your organisation

Selecting a CMS may look like a technical choice, but in reality it's a strategic one. It defines your agility, the productivity of your content teams, and the effectiveness of your developers.

Breakfast helps you with independent CMS selection that leads to a decision which works not just today, but also five years from now.

Why most CMS projects fail

  • Preparation: unclear goals and a lack of understanding of the CMS 'ecosystem' lead to poor outcomes.
  • Implementation: clumsy set-ups or excessive customisation make any CMS heavy and slow.
  • Content governance: messy content models frustrate editors and harm SEO.
  • Adoption & training: without skills, workflows and the right permissions, no CMS will succeed.
CMS Selection process illustration

Who benefits from CMS selection?

  • ● Organisations replatforming (e.g. moving from Sitecore/Adobe to composable SaaS).
  • ● Businesses where content is key to the service, spanning multiple countries, brands and/or channels.
  • ● eCommerce brands looking to add more content and experience.
  • ● Large content teams wanting to work efficiently and consistently.
  • ● Teams that want speed without sacrificing governance and quality.

Our approach to CMS selection: independent and proven

Our approach is always tailored to your needs. Sometimes a 3-4 week pressure-cooker is the right fit, sometimes a 6-10 week programme with an optional sandbox where your own developers can test the CMS.

01

Needs & requirements

We run workshops with business, IT and content teams to uncover true needs and where business value lies. Together we prioritise functional, non-functional and technical requirements, plus processes, governance and skills.

Benefit: prevents 'feature shopping' and creates a solid foundation for objective evaluation.

02

Use cases & shortlist

We define 4-6 representative use cases that cover your most important needs. These allow us to test how different CMSs fit your organisation. We then scan the market and propose 2-4 realistic options.

Benefit: you see immediately whether a CMS works in practice, not just on paper.

03

RFP, demos and sandbox

We create an RFP or briefing with background, objectives, roadmap and prioritised requirements. Vendors respond in writing and demonstrate the most important use cases. Optionally, we set up a sandbox or Proof of Concept (PoC) where content managers and developers can try the software in a live setting.

Benefit: you experience how the systems actually perform for your organisation, with guidance from a team with deep CMS selection expertise.

04

Validation & decision

We assess vendors using a scoring model covering both hard and soft factors: fit with use cases, cultural alignment, local presence, training and support, partner ecosystem and SLAs. We also validate references and calculate Total Cost of Ownership.

Benefit: you don't just select the best software, but also the right partner.

Frequently asked questions

Which CMS is the best?
There is no perfect CMS. Each system has its own 'sweet spot'. The key is to choose what works now and in five years' time.
We already work with an agency. Can't they help us?

Often they can. But agencies typically specialise in just a handful of CMSs, the ones their developers are trained to implement. That makes it tempting to recommend the platforms they can build themselves.

Breakfast takes a different view: we don't have an implementation team, so we have no vested interest in one platform. Our advice is fully independent, based on broad and deep CMS experience. That means you get a choice that truly fits your organisation.

Is a headless CMS always better?
Not always. Headless works well for multichannel strategies and fast time-to-market, but it can add unnecessary complexity for smaller teams.
Will a new CMS automatically solve my UX and content challenges?
A new CMS brings modern technology and features, putting you back on par with today's standards. But great content and consistent UX don't happen by software alone. Success depends on how you use the CMS, how your content processes and governance are set up, and how well it integrates with your existing systems. The CMS provides the foundation, but the organisation makes the difference.
Do I need a sandbox or PoC?
If you have complex integrations, your own development team, or high editorial demands: yes. A sandbox makes usability, developer onboarding, extensibility and risks visible before you commit.
How long does a CMS selection process take?
A CMS selection process takes between 4 and 10 weeks, depending on scope, stakeholders, and whether a sandbox is needed.

Headless, composable or traditional?

Headless, API-first, composable (MACH), a monolithic DXP, or a hybrid model: each has its sweet spot. We'll show you the pros and cons for your specific context: team size, integrations and time-to-market. There is no perfect CMS, the key is choosing one that works now and five years down the line.

Get started!

Unsure whether headless, composable or a DXP is right for you? Book a sparring session. In just 60 minutes we'll uncover whether your challenge lies in the software, or in implementation, governance or adoption, and what you can change tomorrow.

Schedule a call
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