Getting SharePoint right: Thinking about the ‘big picture’

Many SharePoint implementations are unsuccessful. They do not deliver sufficient business benefit, they are more expensive to build than planned, they are too cumbersome to manage, and are difficult to use by the stakeholders they are seeking to help. This paper outlines the steps required to implement SharePoint correctly. This includes how to think about the ‘big picture’ or context in which the SharePoint system will reside. The big picture can be described by understanding what has to happen before, during and after the SharePoint implementation. The paper describes how the SharePoint implementation needs to be considered with respect to the organisation’s overall information management regime, which includes ways of working, governance, culture, existing tools and technologies, and any relevant information, technology or business strategies. The paper describes how to ensure the SharePoint implementation is a success, by making sure certain key activities are undertaken. These are the creation of an information inventory, an information strategy, a SharePoint strategy, an information architecture, a governance strategy, and a migration strategy. The paper summarises what these activities consist of, and so helps the reader implement a successful SharePoint system.