Focus on SharePoint
This is the second in a series of notes examining SharePoint’s impact on the business environment. For a breakdown of SharePoint versions and functions, refer to the first part of this series, “How Much SharePoint Do You Really Need?” |
SharePoint is a versatile solution that has the potential to improve an organization’s communication and business processes. One of the greatest challenges in planning and implementation is figuring out how the solution fits into the enterprise environment.
Collaboration Leads Function Adoption
Info-Tech asked over 250 IT professionals about their SharePoint implementations to determine how enterprises are currently using the technology in their day-to-day operations.
Figure 1. Adoption of SharePoint Functional Components
Source: Info-Tech Research Group
The most commonly implemented functions are as follows:
- Collaboration. Microsoft is no longer calling SharePoint a portal product – it is now known as a collaboration platform. Survey results reflect this repositioning; collaboration tools (meeting workspaces, social computing, basic project management) are more often implemented than other features. Only 9% of SharePoint users and potential users have no plans to use its collaboration functionality. Based on Info-Tech’s case study interviews, the enterprises that show no particular interest in collaboration typically adopt SharePoint for a very specific purpose, such as document management or Web content management.
- Portal. Despite the recent focus on collaboration, SharePoint is still often used as a portal product. Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) offers a portal-based interface for collaboration and document management, while the server versions provide full portal functionality, including templates, directories, and site personalization. Info-Tech’s case studies reveal that the majority of SharePoint portal implementations are enterprise intranets, replacing homegrown HTML-based portals.
- Content management. Although adoption of this component initially appears to be much lower than that of collaboration and portal functionality, the discrepancy is largely due to the length of the planning process. Content management requires more detailed planning than the other functional areas. According to the SharePoint survey, nearly one third of SharePoint adopters have difficulty with content organization during deployment.
Enterprise search and business forms are not as widely implemented as the above components, but interest is strong. Info-Tech sees these functions gaining prominence in the business environment in the near future, with SharePoint playing a significant role in increasing their popularity.
Recommendations
- Look beyond immediate business needs. While the initial impetus for adopting SharePoint may be one department’s request for a document management system, consider other possible benefits. Project teams could increase efficiency by employing shared workspaces, and service desk staff could use internal wikis to improve knowledge sharing. Each department or business unit will see its own potential applications of SharePoint.
- Balance needs against resource limitations. SharePoint is a platform that will grow and require maintenance. It may be tempting to squeeze every last drop of functionality out of the software, but it may not be practical. When considering non-critical components, prioritize features that can be implemented quickly with minimal customization.
- Allot sufficient time for content planning. According to Info-Tech’s new SharePoint study, enterprises that successfully implemented content management devoted as much time to planning as to deployment. Building a logical content hierarchy from the outset will minimize the maintenance and correction work required later.
Bottom Line
Both new users and SharePoint veterans often wonder if they are using the solution to its full potential. Learn how other enterprises take advantage of SharePoint to determine if your organization is missing out on major benefits.
