Rethinking SharePoint Web Strategy Summit, April 2009 Toby Spendiff | VP Development nForm User Experience

For the last two years, I’ve been rethinking this:

Into this:

this:

this…

and this:

So what is SharePoint? Most widely deployed collaboration software – 100 million licenses. Basic version is free with Windows Server. Paid version adds (lots) more features.

Most widely deployed collaboration software – 100 million licenses.

Basic version is free with Windows Server.

Paid version adds (lots) more features.

SharePoint is also the IT panacea because it can do everything...

It’s the worlds largest E2.0 Swiss Army Knife

It’s the worlds largest E2.0 Swiss Army Knife Document Management Records Management Compliance Social Networking Excel Services Business Intelligence Business Forms Workflow Custom Lists Tasks Calendars Email Integration My sites Communities Rights Management Business Data Catalogue Reporting Services Project Management User Customization Enterprise Search Knowledge Management Blogs Wikis Discussions Knowledge Networking Web Content Management RSS

The story goes like this… SharePoint is seen as a quick win. Here you go…now you can collaborate! Sites and data grow out of control. Users need training. IT support gets over whelmed. Silos are created everywhere. SharePoint officially becomes an enterprise weed.

SharePoint is seen as a quick win.

Here you go…now you can collaborate!

Sites and data grow out of control.

Users need training.

IT support gets over whelmed.

Silos are created everywhere.

SharePoint officially becomes an enterprise weed.

A North American bank reported more than 5,000 uncontrolled and unaudited instances of SharePoint A major energy company reported finding more than 15,000 previously undetected instances of SharePoint CMS Watch, ECM Suites Report, 2008

Re-think SharePoint

What is SharePoint good at? Lots of great features Powerful set of development tools Easy to deploy Scalable Secure

Lots of great features

Powerful set of development tools

Easy to deploy

Scalable

Secure

What is SharePoint not so good at? Ease of use Silos Control

Ease of use

Silos

Control

We can use SharePoint as a platform Leverage the great features of SharePoint. Develop a solution on-top that meets needs. SharePoint

Leverage the great features of SharePoint.

Develop a solution on-top that meets needs.

We can use SharePoint as a platform Leverage the great features of SharePoint. Develop a solution on-top that meets needs. SharePoint Solution User Needs Business Needs

Leverage the great features of SharePoint.

Develop a solution on-top that meets needs.

What do we get? Enterprise class solution for a fraction of the cost. Full control of the end product. Ease of use, silos and control dealt with. Technology investment fully leveraged. More efficiency all round.

Enterprise class solution for a fraction of the cost.

Full control of the end product.

Ease of use, silos and control dealt with.

Technology investment fully leveraged.

More efficiency all round.

We turn this…

Into this…

Isn’t that expensive? I can just deploy SharePoint for free!

I can just deploy SharePoint for free!

The Cost of Free But, what’s the total cost of “free”? Training Administration Governance Support Finding Information

But, what’s the total cost of “free”?

Training

Administration

Governance

Support

Finding Information

Re-think the process Deploy Support

Re-think the process Deploy Support Solve Deploy

How do you “Solve” for SharePoint? Treat a SharePoint project like any other web project. Do a good job of the up-front work before deployment. Requirements Design Development

Treat a SharePoint project like any other web project.

Do a good job of the up-front work before deployment.

Requirements

Design

Development

Gather Requirements First Understand your user’s needs: Tasks, goals, pain, expectations, abilities. Understand your business needs: Goals, drivers, expectations, pain, capabilities.

Understand your user’s needs:

Tasks, goals, pain, expectations, abilities.

Understand your business needs:

Goals, drivers, expectations, pain, capabilities.

Design the User Interface Create sitemaps, mock-ups and prototypes. Focus on interaction design and user testing.

Create sitemaps, mock-ups and prototypes. Focus on interaction design and user testing.

Apply Visual Design Use a visual designer.

Use a visual designer.

Apply Visual Design Use a visual designer.

Use a visual designer.

Design the SharePoint Structure Put the SharePoint components together.

Put the SharePoint components together.

Plan the Implementation Where will it be deployed? What hardware resources are needed? What availability is needed? Who will own it? How will adoption be achieved? How will success be determined? How can on-going value be provided? What does the roadmap look like?

Where will it be deployed?

What hardware resources are needed?

What availability is needed?

Who will own it?

How will adoption be achieved?

How will success be determined?

How can on-going value be provided?

What does the roadmap look like?

Develop the Solution Use standard Microsoft tools to build the solution for SharePoint.

Use standard Microsoft tools to build the solution for SharePoint.

Deploy Deployment is easy, one command for enterprise roll-out. Deploy

Deployment is easy, one command for enterprise roll-out.

Strategies to deal with… Ease of use Silos Control

Ease of use

Silos

Control

Strategies for Ease of Use #1 Take away the complexity + support browsers.

Take away the complexity + support browsers.

Strategies for Ease of Use #1 Take away the complexity + support browsers.

Take away the complexity + support browsers.

Strategies for Ease of Use #2 Use clear naming and navigation

Use clear naming and navigation

Strategies for Ease of Use #3 Help users sift through information.

Help users sift through information.

Strategies for Ease of Use #4 Test designs with users to eliminate guess work.

Test designs with users to eliminate guess work.

Strategies for Silos #1 Don’t hide sites & don’t make me remember URLs.

Don’t hide sites & don’t make me remember URLs.

Strategies for Silos #2 Use Dashboards to roll-up information.

Use Dashboards to roll-up information.

Strategies for Silos #3 Use activity streams to stay on the pulse.

Use activity streams to stay on the pulse.

Strategies for Silos #4 Use Email to keep everyone in the loop.

Use Email to keep everyone in the loop.

Strategies for Control #1 Keep users out of SharePoint admin!

Keep users out of SharePoint admin!

Strategies for Control #2 - #6 Use business rules not people or admin tools to control site and data creation. Deploy standardized sites that meet needs. Get notified when sites are created. Leverage SharePoint quotas to control space. Leverage SharePoint reports to assess usage.

Use business rules not people or admin tools to control site and data creation.

Deploy standardized sites that meet needs.

Get notified when sites are created.

Leverage SharePoint quotas to control space.

Leverage SharePoint reports to assess usage.

In Summary Rethinking SharePoint is about: Leveraging SharePoint as a powerful platform not just settling for out of the box. Investing in up-front work to reduce total cost of ownership. Managing ease of use, silos, and control with good design. Turning SharePoint into a Samurai Sword!

Rethinking SharePoint is about:

Leveraging SharePoint as a powerful platform not just settling for out of the box.

Investing in up-front work to reduce total cost of ownership.

Managing ease of use, silos, and control with good design.

Turning SharePoint into a Samurai Sword!

Thank You Toby Spendiff VP Development nForm User Experience [email_address] 1.800.670.7025