Guest Author: Shaun Morgan

Sharepoint 2010 is due to be released soon and promises a more intuitive interface, improved integration with Microsoft Office and a whole host of improved features, so it’s a good time for organisations to consider taking the plunge.

But its adoption is not a minor undertaking for most organisations. A clear strategy, commitment from senior management and staff members and access to expert advice, will all lead to a transformation in business processes and improved outcomes.

But does SharePoint offer real value?  If it’s used intensively and appropriately – as an integral part of systems and processes – the investment will be justified in terms of ‘soft’ measures at least.  However, it absolutely won’t return any value unless someone takes the initiative and explores its strategic relevance within the context of day-to-day business activity.

What is meant by value?

Any new IT system’s raison d’être is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation.  And, given the avalanche of business information that can overwhelm an organisation, the adoption of an effective content management system, like Sharepoint, will quickly bring significant value.

Indeed, an accountant would describe these benefits as ’soft’.  Ease of access to information and improved internal communication and collaboration, although not recognised on a balance sheet, do have considerable valuable in their own right because they indirectly impact upon profitability, operations and productivity. 

The value of SharePoint to an organisation is therefore realised when business information (documents, video clips, images, etc.) and collaboration is managed through the platform, as knowledge that had previously been fragmented can now  can be captured and made both coherent and visible across the whole enterprise.

However, the organisations that are most likely to extract maximum value from their SharePoint investment are those which think in terms of business ’systems’ and that empower employee innovation.  The successful adoption of SharePoint is therefore as much about effective leadership as it is concerned with managing infrastructure.

The discipline of ’systems thinking’

Frequently there is no concerted effort to migrate business processes to the SharePoint platform – it’s as though installation alone should trigger the transformation. However, often SharePoint is not well understood and useful features lie undiscovered and dormant as a result.

A proactive migration of systems and processes is necessary to take full advantage of SharePoint’s capabilities, and now is the time to take a step back and look afresh at key business processes.  It’s an opportunity to tackle longstanding cultural issues that might be impeding growth or effectiveness.  It pays to analyse interlocking business processes to discover how these combine to hinder or promote organisational outcomes as part of the SharePoint adoption strategy.  

Leadership and empowerment

Of course, such an undertaking rests heavily on the leadership skills of senior staff and, consequently,  dampens the appetite to grapple with these important issues issues.  Often it requires the help and expertise of external business analysts and technology providers.

So here is a parallel, organic, strategy to help gain maximum value from the investment.  SharePoint is a platform to facilitate innovation – at least for those who enjoy solving problems.  Start by empowering  individuals within the organisation who might become the platform’s early adopters.  Encourage these staff members to customise the platform to meet their own immediate operational needs. 

True, this approach will raise new challenges given the sheer diversity of approach likely to arise across teams.  But people will, if encouraged, surprise and delight you.  Systemic problems will often be resolved without external intervention.  New organisational capabilities will emerge as individuals take ownership of their new ways of interacting.  Such is the power and potential of SharePoint.

From intangible to concrete

It’s been said ‘the most powerful learning comes from direct experience’.  And so it is with Microsoft SharePoint 2010; to truly appreciate its power and versatility, there’s no substitute for getting your hands dirty.

You see, SharePoint is a strange and paradoxical beast.  It’s extremely easy to use, yet intricate and complex.  It can be all things to all people and also highly customised.

With SharePoint, operational knowledge (which is ‘mine’) is transformed to become information (which is ‘ours’) through tools such as wikis, mini-sites, discussion forums, lists, document libraries and workflows.  These structures aim to bring transparency and order to chaotic file servers, paper-based systems and informal processes.

Top tips to get started:

• Set a strategic vision for the use of SharePoint in your organisation.
• Fully cost the implementation – from hardware requirements and licensing models to external advice and support.
• Ensure your technical team can install and configure SharePoint to work efficiently on your network.
• Map  out your business processes (start small and work up) and begin to migrate them to SharePoint.
• Encourage your innovators to explore and find the hidden gems.
• Cascade your internal SharePoint expertise – a quick and easy way to build momentum for uptake.
• Seek specialist advice – if you really don’t know where to start, ask your Microsoft accredited supplier if you’re eligible for 1, 3, 5, 10 or 15 days free consultancy when purchasing your licences – take note; you probably are!

Guest Author: Shaun Morgan

Shaun Morgan, Bid Manager, PDMS Limited (www.pdms.com) completed a BA degree in Education Studies before achieving an MSc in Education Leadership and Management, both from Manchester Metropolitan University. He also holds a National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) from the National College for School Leadership. He is currently studying for a Doctorate in Education with the University of Derby.

Shaun’s first book “So You Want To Be A School Leader?” was published in 2008, and he is now working on another book promoting social mobility and inclusion.