4 ways to improve sp collaboration
TRANSCRIPT
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
4ways to improveS h a r e P o i n tCo l l abora t ion
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
co•lab•o•rate
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
to work, with one another; cooperate
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
Most organizations are looking for ways to
support collaboration because it brings out the
best ideas and improves the way teams work
together. While collaboration sounds great on
paper, it’s difcult to implement: employees
are scattered in different locations, they access
information via traditional and mobile devices,
and they have different comfort levels withusing technology.
There is no shortage of collaboration tools on
the market today, from email to wikis and other
Enterprise 2.0 tools. Business managers are
often tasked with nding the right platforms
to use, but it can be quite a time-consuming
process to decide on the right tool, install the
platform and train end-users. And, even once
the platforms are determined and end-users
are trained, a lot of their time is still taken up
managing documents.
Case and Point:When collaborating, teams need to get access to the same
information, which is often spread in electronic and paper
documents. Dealing with all of these documents is not productive,
and people severely underestimate how much time this takes.
In a recent webcast, we asked our audience how much time
they spend managing documents. Most participants estimated
that 25% of their time was used for handling documents. This is
consistent with industry analyst ndings that 75% of the time isspent working with documents and email is wasted in searching
and ling. AIIM has found that, on average, respondents spend
more than an hour and a half per day processing their emails,
with one in ve spending three or more hours of their day. i
While there is no silver bullet to productive collaboration, this
eBook walks you through how to overcome 4 critical challenges
that are taking more time than you realize. More importantly, it
provides you with some ideas on how to make your teams more
productive – in a way that makes your teams, your management,
and ultimately, you more successful. It provides examples based
on our experiences with our customers who use SharePoint, but
these factors are relevant regardless of your platform.
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
challenge 01: overcoming the challenge of paper documents
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
The rst step in collaboration is getting all of the necessary documents into a central repository. Microsoft SharePoint has
emerged as a cost effective solution for implementing document libraries and enabling collaboration. Most organizationsalready have SharePoint, and spinning up a portal and populating it with documents is a fairly straightforward task for
the average IT department.
Chances are you have a lot of paper documents that need to be converted to a digital format to truly reap the benets
of a central repository. Traditionally, paper documents have been a bottleneck to document management. That’s
because scanning is typically done in a central location where documents have to be shipped before they are scanned.
Centralized scanning offers efciencies gained with scale, but it can also foster inefciency. For example: automobile
nancing applications are created on paper at car dealerships, and need to be shipped to a central site before they can
be scanned and subsequently processed. This slows down the lending process and adds courier costs; not to mention
potential nes should the applications not be processed in a very tight window of time.
To overcome the paper challenge, we recommend distributed capture. This involves scanning documents at their
point of origin and then managing them through the workflow in a digital format. Mulit-Function Devices (MFD’s) can
typically be found in abundance in today’s ofce environment. You should seek out a solution that enables the average
ofce worker to leverage these devices to scan paper documents directly into the repository without adding additional
software, hardware or facilities costs.
In short, take advantage of distributed capture to streamline your business processes, reduce time and costs, and
foster greater collaboration
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
challenge 02: finding the right documents
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
Once all of your documents are in a digital format andin one repository, you may think you are well on your
way to productive collaboration. Not so fast. Next, all
of your users need to nd the information they need.
This may seem like a straightforward task, but it often
takes more time than you think.
There is this belief that simply putting all of this
information into a repository such as SharePoint will
improve collaboration and productivity. However, if
you import your les into SharePoint “as is,” as many
early adopters of SharePoint have done, it’s going to
be very difcult for users to nd the information they
need.
Here’s something you have probably experienced:
You start searching for information, but the right
documents aren’t appearing because there is no rhyme
or reason to how les are named. You’ll see a list of
documents indexed by name, but the le names aren’t
descriptive, so you don’t know what they are.
So, you take to “hunting and pecking,” downloadingand opening documents in the native application to
see if you have unearthed the right le. This method
to search is especially time-consuming if you are
connected remotely, if the document is large or you
need to do this multiple times.
Sure this annoying, but is searching for information
really that much a “productivity killer”? According to
Forrester’s October 2009 Global Enterprise Content
Management Online Survey, improving search was
one of the top three drivers for organizations investing
in ECM.ii
This research is in line with ndings from AIIM in
which reducing time and effort to nd information and
documents is the number two reason respondents said
they would invest in a collaboration tool. In this same
study, 71% agree that it’s easier to locate “knowledge”
on the Web than it is to nd it on internal systems. iii
That’s very telling!
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Other, please specify
eDiscovery
Version Control
Consolidation of Archives
Cost-effective Automation
Improved Search
Compliance
Content Sharing
Figure 2: Content Sharing, Improved Search, and Compliance Lead ECM Investment Drivers.
“What are the most important drivers for your organization’s investment into ECM?Select up to 3 that apply.”
Source: Forrester’s October 2009 Global Enterprise Content Management Online Surveyii
55706: Source: Forrester Research, Inc. Online Survey
Base: 123 ECM decision-makers who expect their organization deployments or
use of ECM to increase over the next 12 months(up to three responses accepted)
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
PREVIEW DOCUMENTS BEFORE DOWNLOADING
One of the easiest ways to shorten the time it takes users to
nd the information they need is to use a tool that enables them
to preview documents. This saves a lot of time because users
can see what the documents are before opening or downloading
them. When looking for a document preview tool, nd a solution
which can be used on any device, without the need to installanything. Also, look for a solution that will enable previewing
large documents quickly.
SEARCH ON DOCUMENT PROPERTIES
While it would be fantastic to require that all users use
common naming conventions, this simply isn’t realistic. However,
in lieu of this, it is helpful to be able to search on document
properties. Document properties provide descriptive details about
the document, such as comments, tags and related dates and
people. Of course, this assumes that all documents have updated
properties, which isn’t always the case. But, if you can edit
document properties on the fly, les can be found more easily the
next time.
Make it easier for your users to nd the information they needThere are some simple ways that you can improve your users’ search experience and make them much more productive
This is a screenshot showing Vizit , a SharePointdocument viewer, previewing a PDF document . Athumbnail is placed next to documents so users can
quickly nd the information they need.
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
TIP:
Images can be made searchablethrough the use of iFilters. Lowcost, third party iFilters canconvert bit maps to text, whichcan then be exposed to searchengines without cosmeticallyaltering the image itself. Thisallows them to be found in asearch even if the document
properties don’t match the searchcriteria
My organization is unlikely to spend anything onthese tools
Fewer cycles on sign-offs
Better Innovation
Support of Green Initiatives
Reduced storage of email attachments
Better relationships with partners and consumers
Fewer mistakes due to wrong versions or incorrecttranscription of changes
Reduced travel costs and time
Faster project delivery
Improved efficiency of documents or proposalcreating process
Reduced time and effort to find information anddocuments
Enhanced teamwork and knowledge sharing
Figure 15: Which three of the following benets would most likely justify a spend on
collaboration tools within your organization? (>10 employees, N=656)
Collaboration and Enterprise 2.0, AIIM 2009iii
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
challenge 03: maintaining document integrity while sharing ideas
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
Another key to successful collaboration is having the
ability for multiple users to review and edit a document.
As just discussed, the rst hurdle users face is nding
the right document to edit. And, once everyone is on
the same page, you need to manage a way to capture
and record everyone’s changes.
There are a lot of ways to share changes. According
to an AIIM survey of 656 members, the three most
common collaboration tools are:
- Emailed suggestions and changes
- Marked up paper copies
- Review and track changes in Wordiii
Each of these methods work, but none is especially
productive:
- Email: it takes lot of time for the reviewer to
describe their changes. For the person managing
the revisions, it is time-consuming to make all of
these changes.
- Marked up copies: While making changes directly
to a hard copy may save the reviewer some
time, it is time-consuming to make and distribute
the copies. Of course, the feedback is often not
immediate, especially if all of the reviewers are not
located together. And, it takes time for the person
managing the revision to incorporate all of the
changes.
- Tracked changes in Word: From a time perspective,
this often is the most efcient, but you still need
a central person to compile all changes into onedocument. And, it can be easy to lose track of the
most current version of the document
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
Regulatory compliance takes many forms, and while document management systems can help, they are not a complete solution.
Ultimately, you need to have the right business practices. One of the easiest ways to maintain regulatory compliance is by keeping
your original documents intact. Instead of having multiple versions of the document, it is best to use a solution that allows users to
annotate the original document. This way, it is easy for multiple users to keep track of recent changes.
Productivity Gain in Action:
It’s easier to manage medical records by supplementing the privacy compliance functions already built into SharePoint. Limitingediting access to sensitive documents enables you to be productive while not running afoul of compliance regulations
Keep original documents in tact
In many elds, such as the medical eld, you can’t change the original documents because you need to stay compliant with regulations
like HIPAA. However, when you have multiple people working on a document, it’s difcult to track comments.
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
challenge 04: finding tools that all end-users can use
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
To accommodate all needs, you need to select tools that act as a natural extension of the browser experience, which means there
is nothing to install on the user’s system. According to Forrester, this is very important: ECM decision makes do not want a solution
with a “heavy IT footprint.” v
You also want to use tools that can be deployed on a server that anyone can access via any browser based on user rights.
By selecting tools that are easily accessed and used, not only will more people be using the tool, but the help desk will also be getting
fewer calls.
Select tools that are easy to use
As a business manager, you are well aware that you need to serve people with varying technical skill levels, which can be a real
challenge. Forrester identies four personas who need to access information:
- Michael, a Mobile Professional, who needs to be connected and productive from anywhere;
- Diane, a Deskbound Contributor, who wants you to keep it simple, but powerful;
- Oliver, an Online Practitioner, who’s typically on his feet but needs access on the go; and
- Andie, an Accidental iWorker, who uses computers only because she has to at work.iv
You can probably relate. It’s not easy to implement tools that cover the requirements for all of these types of users. Your goal is tohave users using the tool instead of wasting time trying to install and gure out how it works.
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
Uses manyapplications
High need formobility
Low need formobility
Uses fewapplications
AndieAccidentaliWorker(35%)
MichaelMobile
Professional(28%)
DianeDeskboundContributor
(24%)
OliverOffline
Enthusiast(13%)
Schadler, T. Harness the Power of Worforce Personas. Retrieved 9 April 2010, from http://blogs.forrester.com/ted_schadler iv
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
Conclusion
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
Productive collaboration doesn’t need to be an oxymoron. Platforms like SharePoint provide a fantastic foundation for collaboration,
and there are add-on tools that you can use to take collaboration to the next level. Vizit helps companies be more productive bymaking it much easier for users to nd, share and process information. This not only makes your job easier, but it satises the
requirements of your key constituents:
- Management: By choosing tools that can be used with your existing platform, you can keep costs low. You also minimize training
and supports costs.
- Users: When you use tools that don’t require new desktop software, your users are more independent. They can also do their jobs
more efciently, making you the hero.
To see these productivity tools in action, please visit www.vizit.com
1. Do I scan paper documents at the beginning or end of
the process?
2. Can my scanned documents be searched?
3. Can users easily preview documents when searching
for information, or do they need to download and openthem?
4. Can users search on document properties and quickly
nd the documents they need?
5. Can users add comments and notes to documents while
they are viewing documents?
6. Do all of my users need the same applications to
view shared documents, or does my viewer solve this
problem?7. To help maintain compliance, can users add annotations
to documents without changing the original?
8. How efcient is remote viewing of large documents?
8 QUESTIONS TO ASK TO MAKE COLLABORATION MORE PRODUCTIVE
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4 ways to improve SharePoint Collaboration
i. AIIM. AIIM Industry Watch: Email Management: The good, the bad and the ugly. 2009. www.aiim.org/research
ii. Forrester, Global Enerprise Content Management Online Survey, October 2009
iii. AIIM. AIIM Industry Watch: Collaboration and Enterprise 2.0. 2009. www.aiim.org/research
iv. Schadler, T. Harness the Power of Worforce Personas. Retrieved 9 April 2010, from http://blogs.forrester.com/ted_schadler
v. Forrester. The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Content Management Suites, Q4 2009. http://www.forrester.com
Sources