Core site content management system projects are incredibly common, but they are also often drawn out and painful. They're complicated projects because they often have a large number of stakeholders across different parts of the company. They can be a key part of digital or broader strategies, but also used for the most minor parts of day-to-day business. This mix makes it very difficult to tease out the essential aspects of the site, leading to a series of disappointing upgrades and replacements.
A successful CMS project begins with a good vision for the end result, which is expressed as a good set of requirements. Where most projects fall down is not in gathering enough requirements, but in gathering the right ones - and that's all about finding the real business value.