Correct branding is a mission critical feature of, arguably, most, if not any successful implementation of SharePoint. In turn, adding an effective brand to SharePoint components — sites, libraries, lists, even newsfeeds — supports and hastens user adoption of the computing platform. So getting a glimpse of the likely future of best of breed branding methods for SharePoint and SharePoint Online, Office 365 makes sense. SharePoint-Videos has published sets of specialized training content on branding for SharePoint 2010 and 2013. These sets have been led by Yaroslav Pentsarskyy, an acknowledged subject matter expert on the topic, published author, SharePoint MVP…
Read more →
If improved collaboration is an objective for SharePoint implementation, consider supporting it with external data
Many organizations implement SharePoint to promote better collaboration between Lines of Business (LoBs). The notion is SharePoint newsfeeds, rating systems, and tags for items/people/events/whatever, will all contribute to better efficiency across an enterprise. Efficiency means not only a lower cost of operation (as the result of substantially less duplication of effort), but higher levels of user adoption of SharePoint. It may make sense for these organizations to develop solutions to expose external data for users to consume within the SharePoint work space. External data often amounts to information compiled by LoBs. This information is produced by LoB specific procedures, almost…
Read more →
It makes sense to keep technical training for SharePoint end users as simple as possible
Because SharePoint end users often are responsible for tasks completely unrelated to SharePoint, but need to successfully process computing tasks within a SharePoint work space, it makes sense to keep the presentation of technical training materials for them as simple, and as direct as possible. Few interactions could be more difficult than the effort a Tier I SharePoint support person might have to make to help a confused end user select the right training content from a page full of training assets. But this unpleasant experience can arise if SharePoint stakeholders inadvertently end up inundating end users with just too…
Read more →
Function trumps form when SharePoint stakeholders consider how best to provision technical training content to end users
Branding should be an important consideration for SharePoint functionality wherever possible. A voluminous quantity of usability research has demonstrated the comparatively greater usefulness of technical features branded to appeal to end users. But for end users in need of technical training content to help them successfully complete work in a SharePoint computing environment, it may make more sense to eschew branding in lieu of greater functionality. Our VisualSP™ help system for SharePoint is a case in point. Out-of-the-box, the in-context access system of our product amounts to the tab it creates in a SharePoint 2010, 2013, or Online ribbon. But…
Read more →
Lots of interest in OneDrive for Business at Office 365 Summit, New York
At the Office 365 Summit in New York City, a lot of the discussion in the Adoption track focused on learning more about OneDrive for Business. Cynthia Wade, the leader of the track spent a lot of time fielding topics on OneDrive for Business. From the level of interest her audience exhibited in the topic, OneDrive for Business likely represents the primary basis for user interaction with Office 365 for most larger organizations in the fall of 2014. The reliability of any estimate of how users are actually consuming Microsoft’s Office cloud, SaaS offer was reinforced by a set of…
Read more →
Social Groups and SharePoint promise big returns, but require a substantial effort
SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint Online, Office 365 have been designed with collaboration as one of the primary out-of-the box feature sets. So organizations can benefit by implementing Yammer groups, but should plan on a lot of effort to ensure success. We’ve recently published several posts to this blog about a new set of video training content exclusively offered on SharePoint-Videos: SP13-317 Making Enterprise Social Real in your Organization with Yammer and SharePoint. Naomi Moneypenny, who leads this curriculum, emphasizes the importance of Yammer groups for the ROI opportunity they represent. In her opinion, a finely tuned Yammer group can perform…
Read more →
It make sense to incorporate risk management policies into SharePoint and/or SharePoint Online workflow architecture
Workflows designed to automate organizational processes should be designed to support approved risk management procedures. The potential for problems to arise from workflows designed without attention to these procedures is too great to proceed otherwise. Properly attending to this requirement means proposing applications of SharePoint’s out-of-the-box approval workflow not only “horizontally”, but also “vertically” within one’s organization. This step will ensure all of the stakeholders have been informed about the proposed automated process before it is actually implemented. SharePoint, and/or SharePoint Online stakeholders can safeguard against the chance of implementation of workflows before this necessary “reality check” against approved risk…
Read more →
How to capitalize on a hybrid sharepoint computing architecture, combining on premises and cloud components
Many organizations are considering how best to support parallel SharePoint computing efforts, both on premises, and SharePoint Online via a cloud SaaS provider. But what if it were possible for these organizations to get the maximum return on this effort by capitalizing on complementary features of both platforms, which can be safely interconnected? On October 9, 2014, SharePoint-Videos will host a class exploring topics on how SharePoint on premises and online can be implemented in a complementary manner. The title of this online course is Implementing SharePoint 2013 Hybrid for Search, Business Connectivity Services, OneDrive for Business and Yammer. This…
Read more →
Ask questions before leaping into an enterprise social effort for the best possible chance of success
Many of the same type of questions most subject matter experts recommend be asked about any plan to implement SharePoint 2013, or SharePoint Online, Office 365, should be included in any plan for an enterprise social effort, at least according to Naomi Moneypenny. Moneypenny presents these questions and her rationale for adding them into any plan to implement an enterprise social feature like a Yammer group, in a video tutorial titled Planning a community and populating Group Tabs. The answers to these questions, Moneypenny contends, will provide any stakeholders in an enterprise social effort with a method of validating the…
Read more →
On the importance of Yammer groups and the need for formal planning to ensure their success
Two videos in a new set of video training content exclusively available to anyone with a subscription to SharePoint-Videos will likely be worth a review for any stakeholder in a plan to implement enterprise social computing via Yammer and SharePoint Online, Office 365. The title of this video tutorial set is SP 13-317 – Making Enterprise Social Real in your Organization with Yammer and SharePoint Video Course. The two videos are units 4 and 5 of the 25 units included in this course. They are respectively titled “Groups and Group Admin Best Practices” and “Planning a Community and populating Group…
Read more →