The project management SharePoint

IT Administrators arrive to collect business requirements for new SharePoint project portal

Project portals need to meet user objectives, not Information Technology (IT) administrator needs.  Good, project management SharePoint portals are not designed around SharePoint features and functions, but user experience and context.

Too many times SharePoint architects, designers, or administrator provide features and functions they might use, are familiar with, or tacitly envision other’s need.

Without goal-oriented design, users, many times:

• Reject SharePoint as too cumbersome or not helpful,
• Reject SharePoint as a product,
• Reject collaboration

They should reject the SharePoint designer.

SharePoint has deep out-of-the-box capability, but too many times the project team does not know what is capable of SharePoint.

Knowing what to ask allows better solution sets possible to meet objectives.

Project the SharePoint

Collaboration saves time and time is a resource.  Projects that commit resources to understand what existed and what exists are both efficient and effective.

When we combine and refit ideas we save time.  Treading new ground or stumbling about building something from nothing, like a new stakeholder analysis instead of a revised and revisited stakeholder analysis, adds risk and uncertainty.  An accurate assessment of what went on and is going on presents options.

In a prior post, The Led Zeppelin Page of Project Management, the topic was to invest time to research other projects.  Value to use a shared library for project resource, like Microsoft SharePoint’s, are:

1. Improve return on intellectual investment (ROI²),
2. Increase enterprise assets, and
3. Decrease capital expenditure lifetime costs

These SharePoint 2013-specific self-guided tools should lend ideas on ways to connect your enterprise and socialize the knowledge within your organization, also those who might use Office 365 SharePoint online, cloud features.

Success is measured in adoption and utility, SharePoint improves change management connecting people, process, and technology in many ways.

Reduce adoption heartache and growing pains through these self-paced training programs as a prominent communication strategy.  I put these training links together to meet multiple needs and multiple learning styles.

Note:  these are all free access, Microsoft-hosted programs

Document Library and General Library Overview

1. Introduction to Libraries – video based
2. Introduction to document libraries – video based with Quick Reference Card
3. Adding documents to a library – video based
4. Organize and configure a SharePoint library – video based with Quick Reference Card
5. Renaming, deleting and adding files within a library – video based
6. Upload files to a library – online article
7. Check out, check in, or discard changes to files in a library – online article
8. Document collaboration and co-authoring – online article
9. Organize and configure a SharePoint library – video based
10. Control access to your SharePoint libraries – video based

List Library

1. Introduction to lists – online article
2. Introduction to lists – video based
3. Create and set up a list – video based with Quick Reference Card
4. Create a list – video based
5. Start using a list – video based with Quick Reference Card
6. Edit or delete items in a list – video based
7. Share a list library with your team – video based

Views

1. Create, change, or delete a view of a list or library – online article
2. Viewing and editing files in a library – video based
3. Create a personal view of a list or library – video based
4. Create and edit public views of a list or library – video based
5. Manage lists and libraries with many items – online article
6. Use columns to track, sort, and filter files in a SharePoint library – video based
7. Use columns and folders together to view library items – video based
8. Add a column to a list or library – video based
9. Find information in a list or library with sorting, filtering, and views – video based

General

1. Understanding permissions in SharePoint – video based
2. Update your profile and privacy settings – video based with Quick Reference Card

The best way to approach the SharePoint features is

1. List your project collaboration objectives,
2. Identify the feature that accomplishes, and
3. Design the solution target for what great, project collaboration could be, not what currently is

An organization that does not leverage a project document library wastes resources and deflates capability.

A fully-leveraged library compounds competitive advantage and organization capability.