Microsoft SharePoint is an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) tool that enables organizations to collaborate efforts and work more efficiently as a cohesive unit, through shared knowledge, documents, workflows, metrics and structure. One of the most commonly noted benefits of implementing SharePoint as an organization’s ECM tool is end-user familiarity. As SharePoint is a Microsoft product, users tend to adapt quickly to the program due to its familiar Windows-based look and functionality.

Organizations considering implementing a content management tool should keep in mind the impact on compliance and governance SharePoint has provided its users. For organizations in highly regulated industries (i.e. life sciences, financial services, government, etc.) compliance, both internal and external, remains a top priority. The four key areas they must consider when adopting a SharePoint environment are: authentication requirements; restricted access to personally identifiable information; permission based, secure login only access to such sensitive intellectual property; and data retention.

Before deploying a SharePoint environment, companies need to create a governance plan to step up an information architecture structure and an enterprise search strategy. This governance plan needs to outline user policies, set guidelines for appropriate applications, and content and standards for review. This plan will enhance the organizations collaboration efforts and maintain consistency, thus obtaining the most out of the intranet. The plan must identify key roles and responsibilities, and set up lines of communication between managers, administrators and standard users; this will identify permission statuses and identify where restrictions need to be set.

Defining the information architecture will help to increase user access to the relevant information. Faster, accurate information retrieval will result in increased productivity and enhanced collaboration capabilities. The framework of the information architecture should be built in advance, starting with basic uniform pages including the home page, the procedure and policy outline page, the search page and a department page. These pages will be the most commonly accessed, landing pages for the system. Creating a site map defining the structure of the site, by department, will help to organize all sub-pages and what intellectual property will be housed in each.

The team developing the governance plan will also need to set taxonomy guidelines, so consistent naming conventions will be used when labeling documents. A pre-determined group should be responsible for controlling the taxonomy so it is maintained and consistent. This will help to standardize the site and allow for more efficient and accurate searches.

Consistency throughout the site is crucial to its effectiveness; this includes the appearance or branding of pages across the site. A consistent look makes users aware that they are in fact on the company intranet, and as the look of higher level pages can be tailored with sub-branding to reaffirm with users working on these pages that they are in a restricted area. SharePoint has a ‘master page’ feature to ensure a consistent look and create a standard page design and layout elements that will be shared by all pages. The layout elements can include navigational controls, company logo, copyright notices, disclaimers, etc; if these elements require updating it can be done via the master page instead of on each individual page.

The governance plan must include an official approval process to ensure compliance. It must also establish user policies that render areas with sensitive intellectual property restricted and require higher levels of security to access these areas. User policies will establish who can access, edit and add to content in restricted, high security areas. This policy must also establish security measures for accessing information remotely. System back-ups and testing are also key elements of the governance plan. Scheduling regular system back-ups and setting schedules for regular content review provides necessary security for the site. Test plans should also include checking all of the systems functionality to ensure all capabilities are running efficiently.

Extensive training needs to be mandatory for all users to ensure all of the aspects of the governance plan are being met. In addition to general policy and procedure training that all users must receive, training will need to be tailored to meet the needs of the different user groups; for example site managers will require a more in depth training detailing policies and set-up procedures, whereas end users will need training geared toward the functionality of the tool and key areas like search capabilities. All users need to be trained to maximize collaborative efforts and learn the key features of the system to help them work smarter and more efficiently. Users will need to be trained in how to connect to the server remotely and access information off-site to maximize productivity. Documenting all training and providing the documentation to all users is essential in managing an ECM tool.

With a well thought out governance plan established, implementing a SharePoint environment is a seamless, effective way to increase productivity and collaborative efforts throughout an organization. If planned effectively, SharePoint can be put into place with minor to no noticeable disruption of the business. As the cost of implementing a SharePoint environment is significantly lower in contrast with its competitors, and the Windows-based application is something users are familiar with and instantly identify and feel comfortable using, this tool is a wise choice when selecting an ECM tool.