Knowledge is power and when it comes to technology, knowledge is vital. All too often, technology users are tempted to tear open the box and dive right in, frequently operating a product they essentially know little about. Even with free technology, training is needed to effectively integrate into the business.
SharePoint was originally designed to put power back in the business users’ hands, but without proper training, that power can be damaging to business adoption. Johnathan Lightfoot, principal SharePoint architect at General Physics Corporation (GP), works with SharePoint users to help them better understand the platform and design solutions unique to each business. He has also co-authored two books on the SharePoint 2010 Platform (Microsoft® SharePoint® 2010 Plain & Simple along with Microsoft® SharePoint® Foundation 2010 Inside Out).
“A lot of organizations aren’t using the SharePoint platform effectively, not through any fault of their own, necessarily. They just don’t know what they’re doing with it,” said Lightfoot. “This platform is very powerful; this platform can do a lot of different things; however, you have to understand what it does, in order to gain effective usage and adoption of it. SharePoint is really easy to work with, and it’s also easy to get yourself in trouble with if you don’t have a plan in place.”
SharePoint Foundation 2010 is a free Web application platform, developed by Microsoft, designed as a centralized repository for multiple Web applications to support various business functions. The capabilities of this platform are vast and can be used, for example, to share files, wikis, blogs, videos or discussion boards. The product has evolved—it can be used externally it can also connect different systems together all on a single platform. While the initial platform (SharePoint 2010 Foundation) is free to consumers, premium editions with additional functionality are available for purchase.
No one business is the same. Different businesses need technologies like SharePoint that can be tailored to their unique requirements. When a learning technology allows the business to come together and share knowledge in one unified place, that’s a win for the business. Whether it’s sharing files, launching videos or collaborating on a project, businesses are innovating solutions to meet challenges specific to their companies. With the proper training, technology can take businesses to the next level.
Before SharePoint, and any learning technology, can be integrated into business, the “why, what, who and how” aspects need to be addressed first:
• What – issue are you trying to solve?
• Who – is going to be using this product?
• Why – do you want to use this product?
• How – are you going to implement it?
Pinpointing why your business wants to use SharePoint is a critical step to gauge whether the product is a good fit for your business needs. Understanding what business problem you’re trying to solve and how you are going to use it is the first step to implementation. Once the mission is apparent, then solutions can be designed to meet those challenges.
After recently attending a SharePoint conference, Lightfoot came to understand that users are still struggling with product adoption, largely because they aren’t trained how to use it. “One of the things that came out at the conference is that no one is doing it quite right just yet. We haven’t seen the vision of SharePoint fully come into fruition,” said Lightfoot.
While SharePoint recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, “pioneering” still is taking place, with many organizations reporting low user adoption. Teaching a workforce to change its work process is no easy task. To help alleviate this problem, start by including the end user in the early stages of planning and design. By understanding the needs of the user, the product can be tailored to the business. The users will also be more inclined to use a product they helped design, allowing user adoption rates to rise.
Despite the issues associated with implementation, there are SharePoint adoption success stories. A large governmental financial regulatory agency had great success integrating SharePoint into its business. They initially used SharePoint as a survey function for learners to select training courses. The survey then morphed into a discussion of why certain classes were necessary. Instead of a traditional two-dimensional survey that would report closed-ended answers, SharePoint allowed the business to see a three-dimensional view of detailed examples and case studies of why people needed specific knowledge. The organization was able to justify a budget to have that training session brought to the organization. After the session, feedback pointed to the need for additional training on specific information. This prompted the organization to expand its use with SharePoint, allowing them to launch on-demand videos and broadcast live sessions for learners to obtain valuable information.
Once SharePoint has found a place in your organization, it is important to make sure the entire business is on the same page. Rules need to be in place for executives, users and IT; this is where governance needs to step in. Technology needs to be properly introduced into the business, not just fly under the radar. If the product isn’t properly introduced as an enterprise platform, then the IT department isn’t aware of the technology, and the platform will not be set up for disaster recovery in case of a system failure, resulting in loss of business-critical information.
“Governance is about setting up structures and making sure we have an area that doesn’t stifle collaboration, but at the same time does protect the information and protects the business users at the end of the day, too,” explained Lightfoot.
“When I think about the possibilities of what SharePoint can be used for, it blows my mind. The sky’s the limit.”
For additional ideas on leveraging SharePoint for your organization, visit GP’s blog where Lightfoot posts regularly. Below is a recent post:
• Become a Meeting Master: Three Ways to Manage Meetings Effectively
