Turning a “Wild Wild West” Intranet Into One That Helps Users Find Information Quickly and Easily

Erin Glenn, SharePoint AdministratorGoodwill Industries serving Central Virginia and Hampton Roads

About Me

Agenda

• Pain Points• Current State Analysis• Approach• Timeline• Go-Live• Lessons Learned

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Have You Heard This Before?

• Search• Navigation• Poor Naming Conventions• Stale Content

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I Can’t Find Anything!

Current State Analysis

Getting leadership to understand…• Intranet vs. Team/Collaboration Sites• SharePoint Maturity

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Definitions

For publishing information to all employees

• Policies• Forms• Department Contacts• FAQs• Read-only (except content managers)• Goodwill branded

For collaboration amongst groups

• Intra-Departmental (Ex: IT administrative content-procedures)

• Project Teams (Ex: New Store Opening)

• Working Teams (Ex: Communications Team)

• Custom security for each • Standard SharePoint UI (no branding)

Intranet Team Sites

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“Public Sites” “Private Sites”

SharePoint MaturityCompetencies

Area DescriptionPublication Presentation of content in SharePoint for consumption by a varied audience of

authenticated users. Areas of focus include navigation, presentation of content (static vs. personalized), content organization and storage, customizations to the template, and approvals and workflow.

Collaboration Multiple individuals working jointly within SharePoint. Areas of focus include provisioning & de-provisioning, templates, organization (finding a site), archiving, using SP’s capabilities (i.e. versioning & doc mgmt, task mgmt, calendar mgmt, discussion thread, surveys, workflow).

Business Process Linked business activities with a defined trigger and outcome, standardized by SharePoint and/or custom automated workflow processes. Areas of focus include data (unstructured/structured), workflow, user security / roles, reporting, tracking / auditing.

Search The ability to query indexed content and return results that are ranked in order of relevance to the search query. Areas of focus include scopes, display of results, optimization, integration and connectors, and performance.

Core Competencies

Source: https://www.nothingbutsharepoint.com/sites/eusp/Documents/SharepointMaturityModel2.pdf7

SharePoint MaturityCompetencies

Area DescriptionPeople &

CommunitiesThe human capital of the organization as represented in SharePoint by profiles, MySites, and community spaces (the virtual spaces that support particular areas of interest that may span or fall outside the organizational structure).

Composites & Applications

Custom solutions specific to the needs of the business (traditionally served by paper forms, Excel spreadsheets and/or Access databases) which may be accomplished by multiple technologies working together.

Integration Line of business data and/or content from a separate CMS integrated with the system, allowing users to self-serve in a controlled yet flexible manner. Maturity proceeds through integration with single system, multiple systems, Data Warehouse, and external (partner/supplier or industry) data.

Insight The means of viewing business data in the system. Maturity proceeds through aggregation of views, drill-down and charting, actionability, and analytics and trending.

Advanced Competencies

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SharePoint Maturity Level Definitions

SharePoint Level Description500

OptimizingThe particular area is functioning optimally and continuous improvement occurs based on defined and monitored metrics.

400Predictable

The particular area is centrally supported, standardized, and in use across the entire organization. Governance is defined and followed.

300Defined

The way the particular area is leveraged is defined and/or standardized, but not in use across the entire organization.

200Managed

The particular area is managed by a central group (often IT), but the focus and definition varies by functional area.

100Initial

The starting point of SharePoint use.Mat

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on

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SharePoint Maturity ModelCore Concepts

Level Publication Collaboration Business Process Search

500Optimizing

Content is personalized to the user. Content is shared across multiple functions and systems without duplication. Feedback mechanism on taxonomy is in place. Automated tagging may be present.

Collaboration occurs outside the firewall – i.e. with external contributors. Automated processes exist for de-provisioning and archiving sites.

Power users can edit existing workflows to adapt them to changing business needs. Users have visibility into process efficiency & can provide feedback into process improvements. Workflows incorporate external users.

Users understand relationship of tagging to search results. Automated tagging may be used. High volumes can be handled.

400Predictable

Content is monitored, maintained, some is targeted to specific groups. Usage is analyzed. Digital assets are managed appropriately. If more than one doc mgmt system is present, governance is defined.

Collaboration tools are used across the entire organization. Email is captured & leveraged. Work is promoted from WIP to Final which is leverageable.

The majority of business processes are represented in the system and have audit trails. Mobile functionality is supported. Workflow scope is enterprise-level.

Content types and custom properties are leveraged in Advanced Search. Results customized to specific needs, may be actionable.

300Defined

Site Columns/ Managed Metadata standardize the taxonomy. Page layouts & site templates are customized. Approval process is implemented.

Collaboration efforts extend sporadically to discussion threads, wikis, blogs, and doc libs with versioning. Site templates are developed for specific needs.

Workflows can recognize the user (i.e. knows “my manager”). Content types are leveraged. Workflow scope spans departments or sites.

Search results are analyzed. Best bets and metadata properties are leveraged to aid the search experience.

200Managed

Custom metadata is applied to content. Templates standardized across sites. Lists used rather than static HTML. Multiple document mgmt systems may be present w/out governance around purpose.

Mechanism is in place for new site requests. Collaboration efforts are collected in document libraries (links emailed rather than documents).

Business process is defined; some custom SP Designer workflows (or third-party tool) may be implemented. Workflow scope is at departmental level.

Custom scopes and iFilters employed to aid the search experience.

100Initial

Navigation & taxonomy not formally considered. Little to no checks on content. Folder structure is re-created from shared drives. Content that could be in lists is posted in Content Editor WP. Out of box site templates/layouts are used.

Out of box collaboration sites set up as needed without structure or organization. No formal process exists for requesting a new site.

Business process is loosely defined. Out of box workflows (approval, collect feedback) leveraged sporadically. A doc lib or list provides a central base of operations.

Out of box functionality for query, results, and scopes; some additional content sources may be indexed.

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Maturation

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SharePoint Maturity ModelAdvanced Concepts

Level People and Communities

Composites and Applications

Integration Insight

500Optimizing

Users can edit certain profile data that writes back to AD or HRIS. MySites template is customized. MySites may be allowed for external users.

Forms connect with LOB data. New capabilities & requirements are surfaced & integrated into downstream capabilities.

External data (partner/supplier or industry) is integrated with SP.

Analytics and trending are employed.

400Predictable

Profile fields may integrate with LOB data. MySites are centralized (only one instance). Communities flourish under governance.

InfoPath forms improve the user experience. Mobile functionality is supported.

A data warehouse is integrated with SP.

Items are actionable.

300Defined

Custom profile fields reflect company culture; photos are updated from central source.MySites rolled out to all users, supported, trained. Community spaces allow users to connect.

Most forms are online; some involve automated workflows.

Multiple systems are integrated. Views allow drill-down and charting.

200Managed

MySites rolled out to pilot groups or users. Out-of-box profiles implemented.

Some spreadsheets are converted to SP lists; some paper forms are converted to SP list forms. Applications are opened up to a larger group of users.

A single system is integrated with SP. Views are aggregated through customization.

100Initial

Basic profile data imported from AD or other source. MySites host not created.

Excel spreadsheets, Access databases, paper forms are stored in SharePoint.

Links to enterprise systems posted on SP site. Printed or exported business data is stored in doc libs.

Existing views are used; data is brought together manually.

Mat

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Maturation

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SharePoint MaturityGoodwill Evaluation

Publication Collaboration Business Process SearchPeople and

CommunitiesComposites and

Applications Integration Insight

500Optimizing

400Predictable

300Defined

200Managed

100Initial

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Current State - Content

• Mix of intranet and team site content throughout

• Multiple places for similar content

• Empty and old sites/content

• Usability/Findability Issues– Design for standard

resolution– Use of text vs.

SharePoint list– Search– Navigation– Flash Buttons

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Current State - Configuration

• Databases• Load Balancing• Security• Service Packs• Backups• SQL Maintenance• Memory• Services

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ApproachHigh-Level

• Build out Intranet and Enterprise Search Center• Reorganize and cleanse Team Site content,

including content databases• Implement governance and training plans

Phase 1Separate Intranet & Team Site Content

• Deactivate wiki home pages• Migrate content from documents to pages and

lists

Phase 2Analyze & Rebuild

Team Sites

• Fix existing InfoPath forms (design/UI; promote fields to columns; add/enhance workflows)

• Create new forms and workflowsPhase 3

Forms & Workflows

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ApproachPhase 1: Separate Intranet/Team Site Content

Intranet• Engage focus group

– Global navigation– Global content layout (contacts, FAQs, docs/forms)– Validate existing content– Provide new content

• Engage Marketing & Communications– Home page design– Communications strategy

• Engage site owners– Prioritize sites– Cleanse existing content– Communications strategy to site members/team 16

Estimated Timeline

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Jul2012 Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan

2013 Feb

Ready for more!

Modifications Complete to Existing Forms & Workflows

Begin Meetings & Modifications to Existing Forms &Workflows

Begin Analysis of Existing Forms & Workflows

All Team Sites Been Redesigned

Begin Meetings & Modifications with Site Owners

Begin Analysis of Remaining Team Sites

Reorg of Team Sites-Done

Begin Team Site Reorg

Begin Team Site Meetings

Intranet Complete-Ready for Go Live

Begin Intranet Construction

Intranet Home Page and Layout Decisions

Begin Meetings With Site Owners

Meet with Focus Group

Begin Discussions RE: Communications Plan

Phase 1Separate Intranet & Team Site Content

Phase 2Analyze & Rebuild Team Sites

Phase 3Forms & Workflows

Actual Timeline

Jul2012 Aug Sep Feb Mar

Content Manager Training Sessions Begin2/14/13

Overview Sessions Begin1/29/13

GO LIVE!!!1/28/13

Go Live Weekend1/25/13

Create Training Artifacts1/2/13

All Site Content Due12/31/12

2nd Navigation Card Sort10/23/12

Begin Intranet Content Discussions with Site Owners and Content Managers10/16/12

Navigation Card Sort9/20/12

Begin Intranet Construction8/5/12

Focus Group Kick Off8/2/12

Intranet Home Page and Layout Decisions7/22/12

Begin Discussions RE: Communications Plan7/15/12

Oct Nov Dec Jan 2013

Phase 1Separate Intranet & Team Site Content

Go Live

• Occurred over an entire weekend• Moved Team, Project and Private sites around

to new site collections (used Axceler’s ControlPoint)

• Set GPO and DNS entries• Copied remaining list items• Re-created some workflows• Set new incoming email on specific libraries

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SharePoint MaturityWhere We Are Today

Publication Collaboration Business Process SearchPeople and

CommunitiesComposites and

Applications Integration Insight

500Optimizing

400Predictable

300Defined

200Managed

100Initial

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What Went Well?

• Database Backups• Communications– Quick Reference Guides– “Where It Was/Where It Is” Matrix

• Overview Sessions– General– By Audience (Store Management and Departments)

• Required training for Content Managers• All issues/questions routed via Help Desk

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Lessons Learned

• Outlook list connections break• Content creation took longer than expected

(new content that did not exist)• People don’t know their own content

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The Ugly!

The old GoodPoint

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Home Page

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Home Page – 1024x768

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Company Information

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Department Site

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Stores

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E-Library

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Search Results – From Home

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Search Results – From Department

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Search Results – From Department

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The Useful!

The new GoodPoint!

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Questions?

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Want to know more?

• Need to catch me?– erin.glenn@verizon.net

• Following me on Twitter?– @erinbglenn

• Reading my blog?– www.erinbglenn.com

• Let’s connect…– www.linkedin.com/in/ebglenn