See also SharePoint Thesaurus Web Part

Since 2004, we’ve published 15 articles on SharePoint – 9 of them in 2008 alone. What is it about this popular Microsoft technology that warrants so much coverage in a niche publication like the Montague Institute Review? Since we are not a Microsoft reseller, developer, or consulting firm, we have no reason to "push" the software. We don’t consider SharePoint to be a "best-of-breed" product in search or other information management application. But like other topics we’ve covered over the years – the Internet, knowledge management, taxonomy -- SharePoint has three characteristics that fit our publishing profile. It is:

1. A de facto standard with the potential to realign corporate information functions;
2. A boundary-spanning application that puts a premium on education and cross-functional collaboration;
3. An end user development tool that can increase productivity and promote innovation.

The de facto standard for collaboration
By spring of 2008, Microsoft reported that it had sold more than 100 million SharePoint licenses since launching the product in 2001. At that point, there were 2,250 certified SharePoint integration partners, and the software is used in a diverse range of environments -- from the Eureka, Missouri, fire department to multinational corporations like Monsanto (see "Microsoft SharePoint Sales To Hit $1 Billion in 2008"). Most of our Society members are already involved in a SharePoint implementation or are planning for it.

The speed and breadth of its adoption reminds me of the Internet in the 1990’s – another "de facto standard" that swept the business world in a grassroots, bottom-up fashion. What the Internet did for email and networking, SharePoint is doing for content management, collaboration, and desktop productivity. None of its features are "best in class," but they are good enough and can be easily enhanced by end-user developers and programmers. Built-in compatibility with an organization’s existing computing infrastructure (e.g. email, security, word processing) means faster deployment and lower integration costs.

The implication of a de facto standard is that it spreads in spite of the conventional wisdom. Its rapid, grassroots uptake usually means that something is happening that most people don’t understand. Our role is to ask early on why and what does it mean?

See other Montague Institute Review articles on SharePoint and standards.

Boundary-spanning software
SharePoint is boundary-spanning software that allows users to create documents, manage Web sites, work as a team, manage records retention policies, perform administrative tasks, and find information without having to open another application. SharePoint minimizes the hassles of working with multiple programs, such as incompatible file formats, inadequate import and export, multiple passwords, and incomplete search results. It can remove much of the "friction" involved in using computers at the desktop level and in exchanging information with other organization units.

But there’s a catch. Reaping the benefits of boundary-spanning technology is not easy, especially in large organizations. Not only does it change the way individuals work at the desktop, but it forces managers to re-think how their business processes interface with those in other departments. Which software features should be managed at the enterprise level (e.g. search, taxonomy, security) and who should be responsible for them? Which features should be managed by departments or cross-functional teams? How far do you go in letting individual users customize their own work environment? How do you promote information sharing?

See other Montague Institute Review articles on boundary-spanners.

An end user development tool
For me, the most exciting thing about SharePoint is that it lets users design a complete application from end to end with little or no help from a programmer. What the Internet did for telecommunications and Filemaker did for databases, SharePoint is doing for knowledge work. In a corporate setting, this can mean productivity increases, new business models, and better utilization of over-burdened IT staff. When business conditions make it necessary to relocate offices and reduce full–time staff, it means that the valuable knowledge of ex-employees and freelancers can still be accessed no matter where they live.

End-user development tools like SharePoint can mean lower IT project failure rates and rework costs, less programmer time spent on customization and maintenance, and higher user satisfaction. On the other hand, they can create security lapses, foster content chaos, increase customer support costs, and make it more difficult to upgrade software systems.

As the end-user development trend has gathered steam, we’re learning how to capitalize on the upside and minimize the downside. The secret is a hybrid approach in which responsibilities are divided among:

• Enterprise information management
• Departments or divisions
• Individuals and teams
• External partnerships with other organizations

Because SharePoint is relatively easy and inexpensive to install, organizations (especially those where IT takes the lead in implementation) may be tempted to give short shrift to planning, training, and feedback. This is a mistake. The many questions that need to be considered beforehand are best handled by a cross-functional team that includes technical staff, functional and subject matter specialists, metadata architects, content managers, and researchers. The best person to lead such a group is someone who has:

• A global vision that is fully supported by top management;
• An ability to relate to every person on the implementation team;
• An understanding of how to conduct SharePoint training, feedback, and internal marketing efforts.

Most important, the leadership role needs to be permanent, because SharePoint implementation (like all end-user development) is an ongoing, iterative process.

Inevitably, end-user development changes the relationship between enterprise information specialists (trainers, editors, librarians, taxonomists, search engine administrators, IT analysts etc). They find themselves doing more coordinating, training, strategizing, and marketing than heads-down performing in their specialty. Fortunately, learning to use SharePoint features like search scopes, managed properties, templates, and Best Bets helps end-user developers at the department and division level understand the value of participating in enterprise-wide metadata and content standards. But knowledgeable info pros must be available to demonstrate, guide, and advise when the time is ripe.

See other Montague Institute Review articles on end user development.

Doing what we do best
In short, SharePoint is another opportunity for us to do what we do best:

• Identify and explain emerging concepts and technologies in language that a nontechnical person can understand;
• Alert our members to the opportunities and risks posed by technological change, especially those that affect the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge;
• Help members acquire the knowledge and skills to perform in their new roles.