Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Am I required to use canonical content?
Yes, you are required to publish canonical content on your website.
Has canonical content been globally approved?
Canonical content has been approved for use by Group Legal. However, regulations vary from country to country. It is recommended that your local legal team reviews the content before it is published on your site.
How often is canonical content updated?
Canonical content is updated 2-3 times per year by Group Digital Communications. If there is a change to canonical content, you will be notified to take action to update your corporate website.
Is canonical content available in languages other than English?
No. Canonical content is only available in English. Website business owners are responsible for translating canonical content into their local language as needed.
Can I adapt the IA?
Yes, the IA is a flexible frame which can be further expanded with your content. Please take care to map content that is still valid to the given categories in the IA template.
How can I use the IA for a non-English site?
You will see two columns marked for translated text. This is where you can indicate the translated terms for all pages in the IA, with a maximum of two languages for multi-language sites.
Some required content in the IA is not permitted in my country due to legal or regulatory restrictions. What do I do?
You can request an exception. Please note your specific requirements, and let your Transition Lead know.
What is the maximum number of navigation items I can have in the website’s header.
A maximum of five navigation items are permitted on the top navigation. Four are pre-determined. The fifth is flexible and can be customized to your needs. Please review the Information Architecture Overview Presentation (.pdf) for more specifics.
What is the maximum number of levels in the navigation structure?
A maximum of five navigation levels is permitted. Please review the sitemap templates for more specifics.
How often does the DCB review requests?
The DCB meets monthly to review the following types of requests:
- New corporate website and digital project requests
- Feature requests
- Template change requests
- Exception requests
I am not exactly sure how to categorize my request.
If you are not sure how to categorize your request, you can find definitions of each request type in the DCB Request Template. If you have questions, please contact the Beluga Operations team ([email protected]).
What are the criteria for DCB review?
The DCB reviews all requests against several criteria: alignment with the digital strategy for the corporate web portfolio, complexity, reusability, and effort to develop.
What is the scope of the DCB?
Some digital projects and activities are not subject to review and approval by the Digital Communications Board, but are regulated by internal policies/procedures and/or national laws and regulations that must be consulted and adhered to. This includes:
- Social Media programs, platforms or functionalities
- Branded product websites
- Internal websites that serve the needs of internal stakeholders and are not accessible by external parties (intranet)
- Disease education campaign websites
- Web-based business applications
- Mobile web-based apps
When the DCB approves a request, what happens next?
Once a request is approved, Group Digital Communications will assign the resources to support with the development of the request. As a first step, you will be involved in a more detailed scoping discussion and formulation of requirements.
What recourse do I have if the DCB does not approve my request?
If you disagree with a DCB decision, then please contact Nancy Block, DCB Secretary, who will then escalate the matter to the Communications Leadership Team for final decision.
Where can I see recent DCB decisions?
What training is available in Drupal?
Although Drupal is a user-friendly tool, training is recommended before using Drupal to manage content on Novartis corporate websites. NBS IT has created training materials to help you get the most out of this powerful content management system. Visit the NBS IT Drupal Training site for more information. If you have questions about Drupal or GA, please contact Global Collaboration & Web Training Services.
I am supported by a digital agency for maintaining my corporate website. What are the requirements for agencies?
Agencies assisting with content management for Novartis Corporate websites must be Drupal certified, or able to provide documentation of past Drupal projects. If an agency is selected to assist with a full content migration, then there are additional requirements. Requirements for onboarding and monitoring of agencies are available (.pdf).
I would like to set up a Drupal User Account. How do I do it?
For Novartis employees or contractors with a 5-2-1 userID, follow these steps to request an account. For supporting agencies and third parties, the account setup requires two-factor authentication.
I would like to cancel a Drupal account. How do I do this?
How do I cancel an existing Drupal account? Login to Drupal and navigate to «People» from the top menu. Find the user you wish to remove and select «Cancel Account».
Why was it called Beluga?
The program was named for the Beluga Whale, a highly intelligent and social being that lives in complex societies that migrate in a well-organized and coordinated fashion. This symbolized our efforts to migrate our complex portfolio of websites in an orderly and efficient way.
What does Beluga mean now that the Beluga Program is complete?
Many of the standards and processes that we developed during the Beluga Program have now become our operational ways of working. We refer to these as Beluga standards and processes and these are supported by the Beluga Operations Team.
How can I request a Google Analytics account?
To access the GA interface, you must first register for a Google Analytics account. Do this by registering your @novartis.com email address as a Google account at https://accounts.google.com/Signup. Once this step is complete, apply for Google Analytics access via the NBS IT Web Analytics Service for your specific website/domain. Details are provided in this presentation.
I need help with Google Analytics. What support is available?
The Google Analytics Support Center is a useful resource on all aspects of Google Analytics. If you would like to get some training in GA, please visit the NBS IT Google Analytics Training site or contact Global Collaboration & Web Training Services.
What is included in the GA service?
For an overview of the standards reports contained within the basic Google Analytics configuration, please review this presentation.
I would like to create a custom report. How can I do this?
If you need assistance building custom reports, please contact Global Collaboration & Web Training Services.
Are blueprint sites available in languages other than English?
No. We only support blueprint websites in English.
Can my agency access the blueprint sites?
Yes. Blueprint sites are available to internal Novartis employees as well as third party agencies. Please provide your agency with the blueprint links and login credentials.
What information is legally required on my site?
Because our corporate websites are accessible to the public, we must take special care that our content complies with local and global legal requirements. Several items like the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Cookies policy are required elements of corporate websites. All corporate websites on Drupal have legally-required elements already built in to the footer of the site.
How do I work with this information?
Please review this information with your local legal team to make sure it meets requirements in your country or market. For all legally-required elements, you are responsible for translating the content into your local language, if applicable, and following any required local approval processes.
According to my local legal team, some of this content is not applicable for our audience, or needs to be adapted. What do I do?
Please notify the Beluga Operations team ([email protected]) if you anticipate having to make major changes to legal content or if you need to request an exception.
Will I be notified if canonical pages have changed?
You will be notified in the case of any change to canonical content that requires your action.