five critical success factors for getting more from sharepoint search

Copyright © 2014 Earley & Associates, Inc. All Rights Reservedwww.earley.com | 781-444-0287

Getting more from SharePoint Search

Five Critical Success Factors

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2Copyright © 2014 Earley & Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | www.earley.com | 781-444-0287

1. Develop an “Intentional Architecture”

2. Align SharePoint functionality with the needs of the business

3. Correctly leverage taxonomy to drive IA

4. Understand maturity: develop appropriate interventions

5. Fully leverage search mechanisms to improve findability

Five Critical Issues for Deriving Value from SharePoint



• SharePoint 2013 is an evolution in technical capability that can change how organizations collaborate, leverage knowledge and make decisions

• The challenge is that most enterprises don’t know how to take advantage of its capabilities

• This is due to: Inattention to core information architecture (accidental or haphazard, fragmented

metadata and architecture)

“Lift and Load” migration with overdependence on tools

Lack of sufficient resources devoted to content processes

Ineffective governance without buy-in from the business

Out of the box search implementation without tuning to enterprise terminology

• This deck is meant to assist business and technical stakeholder to understand the key issues around SharePoint business value and help create a common understanding of critical issues.

Overview



1. Develop an Intentional Information Architecture



• Getting value from SharePoint requires development of organizing principles based on user tasks and scenarios

• Many SharePoint deployments are haphazard without a focus on specific tasks and user requirements or the user requirements are not at a sufficient level of detail to drive meaningful functionality – the organization ends up with an accidental architecture

• Consider building a new house: one does not start digging holes and pouring a foundation without a plan. SharePoint is the virtual house for the enterprise knowledge and information and requires intentional design

• The challenge for many organizations is not being clear about the value of embarking on enterprise information architecture projects

• The next two slides are used to explain information architecture to business stakeholders

• The important point to make is that making things simple to the user can mean complexity behind the scenes

Being “Intentional” about Information Architecture



• A combination of approaches for understanding user and business needs and developing capabilities to meet those needs using information

• Includes taxonomy, metadata, content models, search integration, the user experience, wireframes, workflow processes and supporting processes.

• Just as an architect designs the physical world, the information architect designs the virtual world.

• As in the physical world, multiple perspectives are required.

What is Information Architecture?



• The structure and framework for our content-knowledge environment

• Approaches for understanding user and business needs, anddeveloping capabilities to meet those needs using information

• Designing user experience by associating structured and unstructured data with the user’s intent

• About what’s not obvious. What is not obvious is the complexity behind the scenes that makes things appear simple to users.

Information architecture is…



2. Align SharePoint Functionality with the Need of the Business



• IA projects need to be put into the context of the larger goals of the enterprise

• Executive leadership is concerned with getting the greatest return for an investment of resources

• Your IA project competes with dozens or hundreds of projects that require not only funding but also the attention of executives and business stakeholders

• A business case needs to show where the project will impact business operations and provide new or improved capabilities as well as align with strategic priorities

• Unless value and alignment can be articulated, sufficient resources will not be allocated

Value and Linkage to Organizational Strategy



Enterprise Strategy

Business Unit Objectives

Increase customer satisfactionIncrease customer satisfaction

Improve retentionImprove retention Increase wallet shareIncrease wallet share

Business Processes

Customer SupportCustomer Support Web Channel SalesWeb Channel Sales

Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management

Call Center Knowledge

base

Call Center Knowledge

baseE Commerce

System

E CommerceSystem

Processes enable objectives

L I N K

A G

E

Customer Acquisition Customer Acquisition

Grow top line revenueGrow top line revenue

Content supports processes

Objectives align with strategy

Content Sources

Working here (tools,

technology, IA, taxonomy, search,

etc)

Measuring here (micro level -

effects)

Measuring here (macro level -

outcomes)

Aligning enterprise strategy with enterprise content

CEO: “Show me how will this project increase our revenue.”



Value and Linkage

• The prior slide starts at the bottom. Consider the purpose of your content: who does it support and what process does it enable? This requires engagement with business stakeholders and an understanding of high value content.

• When high value content is identified and aligned with business processes, those processes need to be prioritized according to the initiatives that are most important to the organization.

• In these case of these business unit objectives, it is important to understand how progress is being measured and how the SharePoint application will impact those metrics.

• Business unit objectives are typically derived by business leadership from the organizational strategy so no work (by the SharePoint Architect) needs to be done there. But whenever communicating about the program, it is important to identify the linkage and talk about how the project aligns with the processes and imperatives that support that strategy



3. Correctly Leverage Taxonomy to Drive IA



Taxonomy and IA

• There is a great deal of confusion around the role of taxonomy. Taxonomy drives all aspects of SharePoint organizing principles. Taxonomy can drive navigation but is not necessarily the same as navigation.

• The process of defining taxonomy begins with concepts and those concepts are then translated into multiple design elements.

• Taxonomy can drive development of content types (the content model), metadata schemas (columns) and the values that are used to tag content.

• Taxonomy can also power many aspects of search – from facet development to query rules and transformations, entity extraction, query guidance and result blocks.

• When considering taxonomy programs, consideration must be given to the broader enterprise information ecosystem. Many SharePoint projects are at the department level however they can be the integration point for many non SharePoint information sources.



Taxonomy starts as a collection of terms…

…that becomes translated into design elements through a structured process



4. Understand Maturity: Develop Appropriate Interventions



• The following slide illustrates that improving findability of content requires attention to many areas. It is not a function of getting a better search engine or simply developing an IA

• Depending where your enterprise is on the learning/maturity curve, different interventions may be required

• If there is no governance in place, then developing an enterprise taxonomy will require installation of roles, responsibilities and procedures.

• User proficiency, tagging discipline, workflow processes, and search integration will require consideration in order to have the greatest impact on content findability.

• The level of enterprise maturity will drive appropriate remediation programs.

Maturity



1-Unpredictable 2-Aware 3-Competent 4-Synchronized 5-Choreographed

Metadata Processes

Chaotic tagging practices with no taxonomy

Custom metadata, use of lists

Enterprise taxonomy replicated in site columns and managed metadata

Document sets, term store and attributes used

effectively to group, aggregate, sort and filter

assets

Contextualized/ personalized metadata with auto-population of

values and quality audits

IA / User Experience

Haphazard creation sites with inconsistent content

models and poor site experience

More consistent stable departmental sites with little cross site structure

Site collection consistency, reference metadata with content

relevant to specific groups and audiences

Cross collection consistency, enforced metadata standards

context dependent user experience

Integration of structured and unstructured

information from multiple systems dynamically presented to support

user tasks

Search Integration

Random document generator

Some tuning of search with content tagging

Scope-able search with consistent but

uncontrolled tagging

Faceted search with taxonomy-governed

tagging

Search-based application with associative

relationships (related search), tuned

algorithms, facets, and metrics driven use cases

User Proficiency & Content Practices

Poor or minimal usage, lack of awareness of capabilities or content

practices

Early adopters and power users using out-of-box features, little control of

content

Departmental collaboration with basic

content control

Cross-team project-oriented collaboration

with information lifecycle management

Automated workflows and reporting for compliance with

enterprise content standards

GovernanceInformation sprawl, lack of vision, no intentional

decision making

Awareness of challenges, activity is monitored but

not constrained

Assigned responsibilities, oversight and

communications infrastructure in place

Intentional decision making, resource allocation, change controls in effect

Agenda-driven business leadership

and stakeholder engagement to effect continuous process

improvement

Maturity Model | Findability (Search, IA & Content Choreography)



• The point of understanding maturity is to do what is appropriate given the stage of organizational development and specific gaps

• Conduct a maturity assessment and benchmark against your competitors or your industry.

• Use that assessment in your discussions with executives when looking for program funding.

Understanding Maturity



5. Fully Leverage Search Mechanisms to Improve Findability



Consider Search as an Application

• Search needs to be designed to meet the specific needs of users

• Out of the box search rarely performs satisfactorily

• Search in SharePoint 2013 has a number of mechanisms that can be leveraged to significantly improve information access.

• Search is an experience – it is more than a white box

• SharePoint 2013 has a number of mechanisms that can be tuned to bring content to users in very precise ways

• These mechanisms build on information architecture and content enrichment with metadata.



How Earley & Associates Can Help

Earley & Associates can assist you in these and other areas to help you make SharePoint a success: helping executives see the value of SharePoint, making the business case, developing core architecture, building and applying enterprise taxonomies, designing governance programs, performing maturity assessments and designing and developing search programs and strategies.

Feel free to contact me personally if you would like to discuss your challenges and how we can help.

Seth Earley, CEO

Earley & Associates

[email protected]

781-820-8080


mailto:[email protected]


• Co-author of Practical Knowledge Management from IBM Press

• Editor of IEEE Information Professional Magazine

• 20 years experience building content and knowledge management systems, 25+ years experience in technology

• Former Co-Chair, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,

Science and Technology Council Metadata Project Committee

• Founder of the Boston Knowledge Management Forum

• Former adjunct professor at Northeastern University

• Guest speaker for US Strategic Command briefing on knowledge networks

• Currently working with enterprises to develop knowledge and digital asset management systems, taxonomy and metadata governance strategies

• AIIM Master Trainer – Information Organization and Access

• Course Developer and Master Instructor for SharePoint IA and Search Courses

• Founder of Taxonomy Community of Practice – host monthly conference calls of case studies on taxonomy derivation and application. http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/TaxoCoP

Seth Earley, Founder and CEO, Earley & Associates



E&A Company OverviewWorld-Class Experience Serving Market Leaders



What we do – Since 1994, E&A has helped organizations realize the business value of their online content, digital assets and information. We make information more findable, usable, and valuable through our approach to Information Architecture (IA) and Taxonomy. We’ve built market-leading solutions in –

Our team – Top-notch information architects, UX designers, project managers, library scientists, process improvement consultants, solution architects, content specialists, business analysts, developers and QA

Earley & Associates | Company Overview

Knowledge Management with Enterprise Search & Findability Dynamic Content & Digital Asset Strategies with Content Choreography Product Information Architecture with Multi-Channel Product Agility



Earley & Associates | Industries & Clients

Pharma, Life Sciences & Healthcare Financial Services & Insurance



Earley & Associates | Industries & Clients

RetailManufacturing



Earley & Associates | Capabilities

Collaboration& Portals

Digital AssetManagement

WorkflowManagement

ProductInformation

Management

RightsManagement

ContentManagement

KnowledgeManagement

Search Based Applications

InformationArchitecture& Taxonomy

CreatingDigital

Experiencethrough

Usability-DrivenDesign

Program Management

Business Analysis / User Research

Technology Selection

POC Development

Socialization & Training

Governance

Strategy

Success Metrics



What We Do | Focus on Value

Enhance user experience, increasing

revenue across channels

Increase working value of

information assets through

reuse

Ensure value results from

investments in content

management and search platforms

Improve operational

productivity and quality



• E&A offers a single point of delivery from strategy and design through day-to-day operations – we’ll be there where you need us most

• We’ve designed and deployed taxonomies and IA programs for many of the world’s best-known enterprises

• You’ll get world-class IA and taxonomy leadership that drives results Design approaches based on business-focused use cases, with an

iterative testing approach to ensure alignment with your customers Real-world best practices for Product Information Architecture, integrated

master and display taxonomies, product content quality and workflow – we leverage successes in similar engagements with top companies

Our consultants have the business experience (on average 10+years) to mitigate risk, and find pragmatic solutions to technical constraints

• And E&A is committed to building a lasting relationship

Big Firm Expertise | Small Firm Attention



Copyri4ht © 2014 Earley & Associates, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

EARLEY & ASSOCIATES

Founded - 1994 Headquarters - Boston, MA

We help market-leading brands & organizations up their game – maximizing the strategic impact & contribution of people & information assets

Seth EarleyCEOPhone: 781-4820-8080Email: [email protected]

www.earley.com


mailto:[email protected]
