Implementing SharePoint — An end-user perspective

1. Implementing SharePoint —An end-user perspective Tom Sheridan IT Director Gas Technology Institute (GTI)

2. GTI Overview • Independent not-for-profit organization serving research, development, and training needs of the natural gas industry and energy markets • Main facility in Chicago • Other sites in Oklahoma and Alabama • 300 users • Mainly engineers and scientists.  Flex-Fuel Test Facility Offices & Labs Energy & Environmental Technology Center Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

3. What We Do (IT Perspective) • Our product is information • Reports, presentations, proposals, software • Need a way of managing all of this information • Cycles of interest in some of our technologies • Older technology could become relevant again • Difficulty in retrieving “old” information • IT Environment • 15 year Lotus Notes environment • 2008: Migrated to SharePoint/Exchange/Office Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

4. What is Microsoft SharePoint ? • Browser-based collaboration and document management platform • Can run Intranet, Extranet and Internet sites  • Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) • Included with Windows Server • Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) • Standard & Enterprise • Additional functionality and features • Additional Cost Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

5. WSS vs. MOSS Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

6. Components of SharePoint (MOSS) • Collaboration • Workspaces, Tasks, Forums, • Surveys, Blogs, and Wikis • Business Intelligence • Web-based dashboards • Portal • Presents information from • diverse sources in a • unified way. • Business Processes & Forms • InfoPath forms for • workflow applications • Search • Enterprise search across • SharePoint and other • organization resource • areas such as file shares • Enterprise Content Management • Includes document management Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

7. Why SharePoint • Problems with Lotus Notes • Standardize on Microsoft technologies • Network, Active Directory, Office, SQL Server • Integrated security • Need an Intranet platform • Document management features • Back-end tool for Office to encourage collaboration Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

8. Importance of SharePoint Training • Training is a critical part of a successful deployment • Both technical & end-user • Training for end-users • Document management & other features need to be explained • Users are familiar with file shares and folders • Not everything goes into SharePoint • The value and use of metadata Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

9. Development of Technical Skills • SharePoint environment is very complex • Integrated with and dependent on • Internet Information Services (IIS) • Microsoft’s’ web server product • SQL Server • All of the SharePoint data is stored in SQL Server • Database administration and performance is critical • Necessary to develop internal expertise to support the extended SharePoint environment Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

10. Other Necessary Skills Needed • Graphic design • How to design consistent sites, develop navigation rules, and understand good user interfaces. • Information Architecture • Develop a corporate taxonomy or hierarchical classification for documents and other objects • Do these skills exist within IT or elsewhere in the organization? • Generally not IT strengths Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

11. Corporate Strategy & Governance • Senior level management sponsorship • SharePoint should be a corporate initiative • Led by key departments with IT support • Information architecture • Does the organization have a strategy ? • Need rulesfor SharePoint sites • Otherwise things will get out of control very quickly • Set up control mechanisms at the beginning • Standard site template with consistent navigation Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

12. Implementing SharePoint • SharePoint computing needs are extensive • Don’t skimp on hardware • Do not use existing SQL Server databases • Dedicated SharePoint database on dedicated server • Site Information Architecture • How to organize “areas” in SharePoint • When to create a new site collection • Hierarchical collection of sites managed together • These are critical design decisions • Could have a big impact on performance and use Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

13. Deploying SharePoint • SharePoint integration with Outlook not great • Cumbersome to move e-mail messages • Doesn’t scale to large number of messages • Deployed a 3rd party add-in product for Outlook • Evaluate the usefulness of the My Site feature • Use built-in features of SharePoint if possible • Question need for customization or add-ons • Not necessary to use every SharePoint feature • Document library check-in/check-out Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

14. Supporting SharePoint • Backup & Restore • May need a 3rd party product • Security • Use Active Directory instead of SharePoint groups • Assign access to groups rather than individuals • Don't “oversell” SharePoint to users • SharePoint is just a platform • Sell features, not the product itself • SharePoint is not the right tool for everything Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

15. Is the Organization Ready ? • If organization is not prepared for collaboration then difficult to adopt any collaborative tool • Easier to deploy in larger organizations • Need for collaboration more easily accepted • Not as obvious in smaller organizations • Institutional intimacy • Users know who to “go to” to find information • Have to sell the long-term value of collaboration • Also many users work in relative isolation in a research organization Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

16. Using SharePoint for External Sites • Need for Extranets • Collaboration projects with other organizations • Using SharePoint as a platform • Leverage knowledge gained building Intranet • Information could be maintained in just one place • Available to both Intranet and Extranet users • Exploring SharePoint for public website • One common technology for all website activities Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective

17. Summary • SharePoint should be a corporate commitment • Need senior management support • Address the support and training needs • Information architecture issues need to be resolved • Combination and integration of all of its features make it a compelling product • SharePoint 2010 released this month • A substantial upgrade • Even more powerful & complex Implementing SharePoint: An End-User Perspective