Content Panda for SharePoint...In this eBook, we’ll give you the benefit of other companies’ hindsight – why SharePoint has failed and what you can do to make sure you don’t

0|P a g e PandaworksInc.dbaContentPanda™–Copyright2016

www.contentpanda.com

ContentPandaforSharePoint

EBOOK–THE4STEPSYOUNEEDTOIMPLEMENTCHANGEMANAGEMENTWITHSHAREPOINT



IntroductionIt’sadifficultbusinessenvironmenttoday–companieseverywherearereinventingthemselvesinordertobecomemorenimbletotherapidchangesdigitizingoursociety.Weliveinanapp-drivenworld,wherepeopleexpectconsumingservicesandbuyingproductstobeonetaporswipeaway.

Consumersexpectanewrelationshipwithbusinesses,whichmeansthatbusinessesneedanewwaytowork–oneenablingthemtoaccessinformationquickly,collaboraterapidly,anddosoonanydeviceatanytime.

Legacyfilesharesandenterprisecontentmanagementplatformswon’tcutit,whichiswhymanycompaniesareturningtoMicrosoftOffice365andMicrosoftSharePointtoimprovethespeedandqualitywithwhichtheywork.Nearly60percentofcompaniessurveyedbytheAssociationforImageandInformationManagement(AIIM)statedtheywouldincorporateMicrosoft’scloudsolutionsinthenearfuture.FormanythatarestillonSharePoint2010,movingtoeitherSharePoint2013orSharePoint2016willrequireamassivechange.

However,SharePointisn’ttheFieldofDreams–ifyoudeployit,youremployeeswon’tautomaticallyflocktothesoftware.SharePointmaymeetyourtechnicalrequirements,butonlywhenusersadoptandembraceitwillyourdeploymenttrulybedeemedasuccess.Whenyoudon’timplementachangemanagementplantohelpyourknowledgeworkersadoptnewtechnology,productivityplummets,focusonyourcustomerswane,employeemoralerapidlydeclines,andmoremoneyisspentonhelpdesksupport.Here’sacautionarytale…

Sixyearsago,afederalcivilianagencyheadquarteredinWashington,DC,decidedtomigrateallofitsfilesfromitsexistingEMCDocumentumplatformtoMicrosoftSharePoint–sixmonthsbeforethelicensewassettoexpire.

Duetotheextremelyshorttimeline,theagencyworkedwithitsITcontractoranddepartmentmanagerstosetupaSharePointsitethatlookedasclosetoitsexistingDocumentumsolutionaspossible.Theywouldtrainemployeesaftercompletingthemigration,sotheyfigurediftheSharePointsitelookedlikeDocumentumtheiremployeeswouldn’tbecompletelylost.

OnahotsummerweekendattheendofJuly,theagencyturnedoffDocumentumandcutovertoitsnewSharePointinstance.Therewasnoturningback.

ThefollowingMondaymorning,chaosreignedthroughouttheagency.NooneknewhowtouseSharePoint.Employeescouldn’tfindtheirimportantfiles.Manysworeupanddowntheydidn’tevenknowSharePointwasbeinginstalled,eventhoughasingleemailhadbeensenttoeveryone45daysaheadofthemigration.

Twoweekslater,thesituationdeterioratedevenfurther.Workattheagencygrindedtoahalt.Only10percentofemployeescoulddoatleastpartoftheirjobsagain.



Afterthefirstmonth,desperateemployeesweredownloadingthefilestheyneededtodotheirjobstotheirdesktopsandkeepingthemthere–defeatingthepurposeofinstallingSharePointinthefirstplace.

Sixmonthslater,theagencywasstillonlyhalfasproductiveasitwaspriortotheSharePointmigration.Headsrolled.TheITcontractorwasremoved.Severalagencymanagerswerereleased.Manysenioremployees–withtheiryearsofproprietaryknowledge–lefttheagency.

Withnewemployees,wouldtheSharePointimplementationgetbetter?Today–sixyearslater–SharePointonlyusedbylessthan15percentoftheagency.

InthiseBook,we’llgiveyouthebenefitofothercompanies’hindsight–whySharePointhasfailedandwhatyoucandotomakesureyoudon’tbecomeanotherstatistic.Then,we’llexplainthefourstepsyoumusttaketoimplementachangemanagementprogramthatwilleducate,excite,andinspireyouruserstotransformthewaytheyworksoyourorganizationcancontinuetocompleteandexcelinthishypercompetitivebusinesslandscape.

ContentsIntroduction...................................................................................................................................1

AboutContentPanda.....................................................................................................................3

WhydoSharePointimplementationsfail?.....................................................................................4

Planning&Sponsorship...........................................................................................................................4DriveAwareness.......................................................................................................................................7InstillLearning..........................................................................................................................................9ReadinessandAdoption.........................................................................................................................12

ContentPanda:YourChangeManagementLifeline....................................................................15

ContentPandaforSharePoint................................................................................................................15AContentPandaChangeManagementSuccessStory...........................................................................16CustomerSuccessatContentPanda......................................................................................................17

NextSteps....................................................................................................................................18



AboutContentPanda

Establishedin2011,ContentPandaisheadquarteredandmaintainsitsprincipaloperationalcenterintheSanFranciscoBayArea,withofficesinMaui,HI,Seattle,WAandVancouver,BC,Canada.Weserveourcustomersworldwidewithourdirectaccountsupportandthroughstrategicallianceswithconsultants,systemsintegratorsandresellerpartners.OursoftwareismadeintheUSA.

• ContentPandaisamanagedMicrosoftPartner.• ContentPandaispartoftheMicrosoftOffice365TechnologyAdvancePreviewreceivingearly

updatesandworkingdirectlywiththeMicrosoftOffice365andSharePointproductteams.• ContentPanda’sin-contextandon-demandhelpandtrainingsolutionisUSPatentPending.



WhydoSharePointimplementationsfail?MicrosoftSharePointhasundergoneatransformationinthelastseveralyears,fromaglorifiedfileshareintoadigitalworkspaceanduniversalinterfacesupportingdocumentco-authoringandinformationsharingaswellasintegratingwithvirtuallyallenterpriseinformationsources.

Thetechnologyisthere,butinmanycases,theadoptionisnot.AccordingtoAIIM,nearlyhalfofcompaniesreporttheirSharePointimplementationwasunsuccessful.Why?Sixty-sevenpercentsayinadequateusertrainingistoblame,while64percentsaytherehasbeenacompletelackofseniormanagementsupport.Ifyouthinkthissoundslikeaprocessandplanningproblem,itis:58percentofrespondentssaychangemanagementisthemajorissueforuserreluctancetouseSharePoint–moresothanthelackoftechnicalexpertise(51percent).

It’snotsimplyaboutlookingatyouroldcontentplatforms,migratinginformationovertoyournewSharePointplatform,andgivingusersthekeys.Whilethatcanbedifficultenoughinitself,thereisagreatdealofworkthatmusthappenbeforeyoulightupSharePointandannounceitsarrivalinyourcompany.

Inthecomingpages,we’llfocusonthefourstepstoensureyourchangemanagementprojectforMicrosoftSharePointisasuccess:

1. Planningandsponsorship2. Awareness3. Learning4. Readinessandadoption

Planning&Sponsorship“Ifyoufailtoplan,youareplanningtofail.”–BenjaminFranklin

Whilehemayhaveneverevenconceivedwhatacomputercoulddo,heknewifyoudidn’tlaytheproperfoundationbeforemajorchange,itwouldbedifficult–ifnotimpossible–tomakethatchangestick.Theremustberespectedpeopleinpowerwhogivetheirendorsementanddrivethecaseforchangehome.

Withinplanningandsponsorship,therearefourimportantpointsyoumustaddressbeforeyoucaneventhinkaboutlettingyourknowledgeworkersinonyourgrandplan:

1. Engageexecutivesponsors2. Articulatethebusinesscase3. Definebehaviorchanges4. Establishsuccesscriteria

EngageExecutiveSponsorsChangestartsatthetop,andit’snosurprisethatofthecompanieswithfailedSharePointdeployments,lackofseniormanagementsupportwasoneofthetopthreereasonsforitsdemise.



CompaniestakingthetimeandenergytosecureexecutivesponsorswhowillactivelycommunicatethevalueandbenefitofSharePointaremorelikelytobesuccessfulwiththeirrollout.Youneedtofindanexecutivesponsor–preferablysomeonewitheitheraSVPorC-leveltitlenexttotheirname–whocandrive“top-down”messagingandactasanactivecommunicatoronthevalueandbenefitsSharePointofferthroughoutyourimplementation.

Yourexecutivesponsor’sjobinaSharePointrollout–besideshavingtheirnameatthebottomofcommunicationsintroducingthenewplatform–includesthefollowing:

• Encourageusageandemphasizethatit’ssupportedfortheorganization• Articulatevaluepropositionacrosstheexecutiveteam• Serveasarolemodel• Participateinnetworkengagementeventstohelplaunchtheeffort

Asyouthinkaboutwhothisseniorexecutiveshouldbe,wewanttocautionyoutostayawayfromtheChiefInformationOfficerorChiefTechnologyOfficer.Nothingpersonal,butyouwanttodrivehomethepointtoemployeesthatthisisabusinessinitiative,notmerelyatechnicalone.Whenyouputtogetheryourexecutivesponsorshipdreamteam,inaperfectworldyourCEOwillbeonboard,whiletheCIOorCTOactaskeyinfluencerswhocanshowjusthowthenewfeaturesandvaluepropositionsaredemonstratedfirst-hand.

Onceyouhaveyourexecutivesponsorinplace,haveaprojectteamincludingexecutivesanddepartmentleadsacrosstheorganizationsothatthisisatrulyenterprisechangemanagementinitiative.

ArticulatetheBusinessCaseWecan’tstressthisenough:SharePointmustbeseenasabusinesssolution,notjustanewtechnology.SharePointisn’tanewcardaccesskeytoyourofficebuilding–treatitwiththerespectitdeserves.

ThismeansyoumustbeabletoclearlyexplainwhyyouaremovingtoSharePoint.Thisway,youcanframetherestofyourchangemanagementinitiativeswithinthiscontext.Basically,thisstepwillbeyourguidinglightforeveryotherstagethroughoutthiseBook.

You’llwanttostartbydefininggoalsthatwillgiveyouthegreatestreturnonyourinvestment.WhatarethequickwinsyoucanshowtotherestofthebusinessthatwillinspireandexcitethemtouseSharePoint?Onceyou’vedefinedyourgoals,theyarethefoundationforasubsequentawarenesscampaign.

Asyouaremeetingwithyourprojectteam,usethesediscussionquestionsasastartingpointtoshapeyourbusinesscase:

• WhatarethemostimportantreasonsfordeployingSharePoint?• Whichgoals(shootforthreetofive)wouldmakeitevidentthattherolloutissuccessful?• Whatareourexpectedbenefitsandchallenges?Howwillwemeasuresuccess?• WhatarethechallengesweshouldaccountforaswecontinuetoplanourSharePointrollout?



DefineBehavioralChanges

Inordertotrulychangeanything,youhavetochangethewaypeopleact.Inabusinesscontext,ifyouarecompletelyoverhaulingthetechnologyemployeesuseonadailybasistodotheirjobs,youwillhavetospecificallyoutlinetheactionsyouwantthemtostartdoing,stopdoing,andcontinuedoing.Commonfearsourcustomersreporthearingfromtheiremployeesastheyworkonachangemanagementinitiativeinclude:

• Thenewtechnologywillforcethemtochangetheirtried-and-truedailyprocesses.• Lookingstupidtotheirpeersiftheyasktoomanyquestionsorcan’tlearntousethenew

software.• Thelearningcurvewillbesosteepthatitslowsdowntheirperformance.

Thesefearscausealotofstress,whichthenturnsintoconversationsamongstthemselvesthatsapstimeanddrainsbusinessproductivity.That’swhyyoumustbevery,veryspecific:Forexample,let’ssayyouwantemployeestoworktogethermoreopenlyonteamsandprojects.Youwantthemtostartusingsharedworkspacesforprojectfilesandcommunicatinginsharedforumstobuildhistoryandrampupnewmembersquickly.Youwantthemtostopusingemailattachmentstosendfilesanddiscussingprojectsinsmallgroupsandemail.

Callouttheelephantsintheroom–notonlywillemployeesreadthesebehaviorchangesandnodtheirheadinacknowledgement,itwillmeantheyknowyouknowexactlywhatitistheyaredoingandwhyit’snotworking.

Hereareafewquestionsyoucanaskyourprojectteamtocomeupwiththerightbehaviorchangesandsubsequentactions:

• WhatareourgoalsforSharePoint?• Whatbehaviorswillemployeesneedtoadopttosupportthosegoals?• Whatwillemployeesneedtostartandstopdoingtoexudethosebehaviors?

It’svitalyoudeterminethekeybehaviorsbecauseitwillhelpyoufocusyoursubsequentawarenessandtrainingmaterialsontheactualtasksyouneedyouruserstolearnonSharePoint.

EstablishSuccessCriteria

Whenyoudevelopthesegoalsandobjectives,it’simportanttohaveaformalsetofsuccesscriteriatomeasuretheimpactofyourdeployment.Determinewhatshouldbemeasured,andhowyou’llcollectthisquantitative(numbers-driven)andqualitative(anecdotal)information.

Protip:Choosecriteriathatwillperkupseniormanagement’sears,andkeepthelistbetweenfiveand10.Morethanthat,andeyesstarttoglazeover.Youcanmeasurevirtuallyanything,butitshowstruethoughtandplanningifyoucandecidewhichmetricsmatterandwhichonesdon’t.

Whileyoursuccesscriteriawilldependonyourspecificbusinessneeds,thereareseveralyoushouldincludesuchasusersatisfaction,employeeengagement,andadoptionvelocity.

UsetheSMARTgoalmnemonictoguideyou:



• Specific:clearandunambiguous• Measurable:concrete• Attainable:realistic• Relevant:matterstostakeholders• Timely:groundedtospecifictargetdates

BymeasuringchangesthatoccurasaresultofrollingoutSharePoint,youwillhaveawaytoquicklytrackwhat’sworking,what’snot,andwhatyouneedtofix.Youcan’tmanagewhatyoudon’tmeasure.

DriveAwareness“Youcanhavebrilliantideas,butifyoucan'tgetthemacrossthenyourideaswon'tgetyouanywhere.”–LeeIacocca

TheformerCEOofChryslerwasontosomething.Agoodawarenesscampaigninforms,engages,andinspiresyouruserstobethechangeyouwishtoimplementinyourcompany.

Don’tmistakeawarenessforsimplycreating“buzz”,though.Flashmobswon’tdrivesustainedbehaviorchanges.YouneedtocreateanawarenessplanclearlyallowingemployeestoseethevalueofSharePointandhowthey’llbenefitbyusingit.

Awarenessmusthappenbefore,during,andevenafteryourSharePointrollout–soyourcommunicationstrategyhastobeproactiveandaccountforthisreality.It’simportantyoufindtherightpeople,therightmessages,therightchannels,andtherightcadence.

Inordertostrikethisbalance,acethesefourpoints:

1. Inspirenewbehaviors2. Plancommunicationtactics3. Organizechangemanagementchampions4. Openfeedbackchannels

InspireNewBehaviors

Youalreadyestablishedwhichkeybehaviorsyouwantemployeestoexude–nowisthetimetofocusyourcommunicationsontheessentialscenariosandsubsequenttaskstheywillneedtolearn.Keepittonomorethan20tasks,soyoucandivedeepinsteadofcreatinganenvironmentwhereemployeesareholdersofmanyandmastersofnone.

Studiesfinditcantakeatleast21days–threeweeks–forsomeonetotrulybreakoradoptanewhabit.Ifyouhaveemployeesusedtoworkingaparticularwayforyears,youcan’texpecttoonlysendoneemailandconductathree-hourtraining.Developyourinitialplan,andthenthinkabouthowyoucanrevisityourcommunicationsthroughoutaprolongedperiodoftime–say,oneyear–andkeepinteresthigh.

Herearesomeleadingquestionstohelpyouframeyourthoughts:

• Whatdowewantuserstodo?



• Howdowewantuserstobeinspired?• Whataresomesuccessstoriesandscenarioswecancommunicatesothatouremployeescan

relate?• How,when,andtowhomdowecommunicateeachmessage?

PlanCommunicationTactics

Youcan’tjustsendoneemailannouncingSharePointandexpectthatitwillpromotelastingchange.

Youcan’tjustsendoneemailannouncingSharePointandexpectthatitwillpromotelastingchange.

Seewhatwedidthere?

Youneedtocreateasetofcommunicationtacticsreinforcingyourkeymessagesoveraperiodoftime–andindifferentchannels–thatwillinspire,inform,andmotivateyourtargetaudiencestouseSharePoint.

HerearethreethingstothinkaboutasyouplanoutcommunicationtacticspromotingyourmessageofSharePoint:

1. Identifyyourtargetaudience(s):Executives,departments,individualcontributors,partners…thelistcangoondependingonthescopeofyourlaunch.

2. Thinkaboutthedifferentwaysyoucancommunicatetoyourtargetaudiences:Useinternalemailnewsletters,flyers,videos,townhalls,lunch-and-learns,booklets,postersandmore.Makesurethereisahealthymixofin-personandvirtualcommunications.

3. Thinkaboutthecadence:Howoftenwillyoubecommunicatingtoyourtargetaudiences?Dependingonthecultureofyourcompany,thiscanvarywidely.Westronglyadviseyoutogolightonemail,though.Themoreyoubombardpeoplewiththesamemessageinthesamemedium,theeasieritisforthemtoignoreyou.

OrganizeChampions

Executivesponsorshipisimportantforhelpingdriveimportanceandthecaseforchangethroughoutyourorganizationina“top-down”manner.YoumusthavethisotherwiseSharePointwillfail,plainandsimple.Wealreadywitnessedthisthroughthe64percentofAIIMsurveyrespondentsstatinglackofseniormanagementsupportwasthekeyreasonforfailure.

However,aswe’veexplainedhowyoushoulddiversifyyourcommunicationstrategy–youalsoneedtodiversifywhoyouhaveinspiringemployeestoadapttochange.ThismeansrecruitingSharePointchampions,employeeswhoprovideinformaltrainingandsupporttoothersinyourcompany,tocreatealearningcommunity.You’veheardof“earlyadopters”whoalwayshavethelatestiPhone–butSharePointchampionshelppenetratethe“neveradopters”whoabsolutelyrefusetoeveruseanewthing,asevidencedbytheirflipphonewithnoconnectiontotheInternet.

ThebeautyofhavingSharePointchampionsistheycansupportemployeesonapeer-to-peerlevel.It’smucheasiertoinstantmessageKyleinaccountingtohelpyousetupateamsitethanitwouldbetoworkthroughyourCEOKathy’sassistant.



TheseSharePointchampionsshouldexpecttospendafewhourseachmonthperformingthisveryimportantservice.Makesureyoucreateafoundationforthemtomaximizethisprecioustimeawayfromtheirdailyjobfunctions:

• Createadistributionlisttogivechampionsawaytoshareinformationandprovidefeedbacktotheprojectteam

• Setupablogorwikiforchampionstomonitorandupdate• Empowerchampionstocreateandsharetrainingrecordingsaswellasleadingface-to-face

sessionswithgroupsofemployees• EnablechampionstoincentivizegoodSharePointbehaviorexhibitedbyemployeeswithgift

cards,T-shirts,orotherexclusiveitems

OpenFeedbackChannels

ThroughoutyourSharePointimplementation,offeremployeesaforumtoaskquestionsandgivefeedback.Thisistheonlywaytolearnwhatworks,whatisfailing,andhowyoucanspecificallyfine-tuneyourimplementationtomaximizesuccess.

Speedisoftheessence–considercreatingafeedbackandtriageteamtoaddressemployeeinquiriesquickly.Youdon’twantemployeestolosesteambecauseittakesthreedaystoansweraquestionabouthowtouploadadocumenttoOneDrive.

Themoreinquiriesyouhavecomein,theeasieritwillbeforyoutogroupcommononestogetherandprovideaFrequentlyAskedQuestionlisttohighlighttosaveemployeesthetimeofhavingtorequesthelp.PosttheFAQonyourinternalsite,andassignafeedbackteamtoupdateitregularly.

Therearealsoavailablesoftwaresolutionsthatcandeliverhelpin-context,rightatthemomentoftruthwhenemployeesaretryingtoperformanactioninSharePoint,thatcanhelpgivethemtheanswerstheyneedimmediatelysotheycancontinuedoingtheirjobsusingthisnewwaytowork.

Themethodsmaydiffer,butit’simportantyousetupanenvironmenttotakequestionsandfeedbackthatisproactive,nimble,andeasilyadaptable.

InstillLearning“Anorganization’sabilitytolearn,andthentranslatethatlearningintoactionrapidly,istheultimatecompetitiveadvantage.”—JackWelch,formerGeneralElectricCEO

EmployeeshaveheardaboutSharePointthankstoyourexecutivesponsors,andthey’veseentheplatforminactionthankstoyourchampions.Now,it’stimetobuildontheexcitementandanticipationbyofferingamultitudeoftrainingoptionsenablingemployeestobeproductiveusingSharePointrightaway.

Remembermostworkershatechangeofanysort.There’satremendouslevelofstressandfearinvolvedwithanytypeofchangeintheworkplace,muchlessanentirelynewtechnologyplatform.Trainingisoneofthemostimportantarrowsinyourchangemanagementquivertomitigateemployees’fearandstress.



Createaholistictrainingplanaccommodatingthedifferentlearningstyles,geographicchallenges,resourceconstraints,androll-outstrategyyouhave.TakeintoaccountwhatfunctionsinSharePointyou’reimplementing,theimportanttasksyouwantemployeestolearn,behaviorsyouwantthemtopractice,andalsohowmuchmoneyyouhavetodoallofthis.

Therearefourstepstocraftaholistictrainingplan:

1. Knowyouraudience2. Sketchoutatrainingschedule3. Delivertraining4. Openfeedbackchannels

KnowYourAudience

Thisseemsobvious,butconsideringtrainingisthetopreasonwhySharePointimplementationsfail,let’sstartwiththebasicwho,what,where,when,how,andwhyoftraining:

• Who:Whichgroups,teams,anddepartmentsareyoutrainingforSharePoint?Focusyourtrainingonthepeoplewhowillactuallyusethisplatformdayinanddayout.

• What:Determineyouremployees’roles,tasks,andpermissionslevels.Forexample,youdon’twanttoteachanaccountanttheinsandoutsofActiveDirectoryconfigurations.

• Where:Thebeautyofdigitizationiswecanworkanywhere,anytime,onanydevice.Makesureyouknowwhichuserswillbeontablets,mobiledevices,andintheofficeusingaworkstation–andtailoryourtrainingaccordingly.TheSharePointexperienceisdifferentforalloftheseformfactors.

• When:Willusersperformtasksindifferenttimezones–forexample,aprojectteamhasresourcesinNewYorkworkingondocumentsthatcolleaguesinChinawillaccess12hourslater?Doestrainingneedtobecompletedbyaparticulardate–eitherforprojectsoruserroles?

• How:WillSharePointbeintegratedintoeveryone’sday-to-dayjobactivities?WillorganizationalpoliciesbeaffectedbySharePoint’sentranceintoyourcompany(e.g.sharingdocuments,storingfiles,collaboratingwithexternalpartners)?

• Why:Youmustexplainwhychangeishappening,whytheyneedtocare,whytheyneedtochange,andhowtheywillbenefit.Thisisarguablymoreimportantthanthe“how-to”informationforperformingtasks.

CreateaTrainingSchedule

Everycompanyisdifferent,butthereareconsistentguidingprinciplesforcreatingatrainingschedule.Accountforthetimenecessarytocreatemultiplephasesanditwilltakeseveralmonthstoimplement.Expecttogothroughthefollowingtrainingphases:planning,pilot,awareness,training,follow-upandsupport.WewillgiveyougeneraltimelinesfromourexperiencehelpingcompaniesimplementSharePoint,buttheyarenotsetinstone.

PlanningYouwilllikelyneedtogiveyourselvestwoorthreemonthstoplanpriortolaunch.Hereisyourfive-pointblueprintforcreatingasuccessfultrainingplan:



1. Leadwithbenefits:ExplainwhattheirworkwilllooklikeinthisnewworldofSharePoint,andtheefficienciesandbenefitstheycanexpectincomparisontotheiroldwayofworking.

2. Userealworkscenarios:Usetasksorbusinessprocessesfamiliartoyouraudienceasawaytodrawthemintothefeature-specificinformation.

3. Includeyourgovernancemodel:Itseemsboringandlegalistic,butit’simportanttointegrateinformationabouttherules,processesandbestpracticesyourorganizationputintoplacearoundtheSharePointdeploymentsoproperboundariesareset.

4. Createalearningcenter:Useaninternalteamsite(onSharePoint!)tostoretrainingresourcessuchasGettingStartedguidesandTips&Tricksvideos.

5. Mobilizechampions:Calluponyournetworkofchampionstoprovidecoachingandassistanceacrosstheirteams.

PilotBudgetforatleastsixweekspriortolaunchtodevelopand/orcuratematerials,includinginstructorguides.Thisisaprimeopportunitytotesttheeffectivenessofyourtrainingandhelpmaterials.

YourguineapigsforthistrainingphaseshouldincludeITprofessionals,thesupportteam(includinghelpdeskandSharePointchampions),andearlyadopters.Youcanusetheirfeedbackduringthisphasetoidentifyanygapsintrainingsowhenyoubeginyourlarger-scalerolloutofSharePointyouhavealreadytakenthetimetoassuagetheseissues.

Thisisalsothetimetoreviewandapprovelearningcenterdesignsandhelpcontent,reviewingitforaccuracyandrelevancetoyouraudienceandtraininggoals.

AwarenessGiveyourselfacoupleofweeksforthisphase.Thisiswhenyoustarttrainingthewidersupportteamandexecutives.It’simportanttheyunderstandSharePoint,theissuesusersmayexperience,andtherequisiteresolutions.

RememberthatFAQpageweaskedyoutocreateforSharePointchampions?Nowisthetimetocompilemoreofthecommonquestionsyouhearduringthisearlytrainingtooutlinecommonissuesthesupportteamwilllikelyneedtoaddress.

Itgoeswithoutsayingthat,justasyoudidduringthepilot,youincorporateanylearningsfromthisphaseintoyourtrainingmaterialsandlearningcenterbeforelaunch.

TrainingLaunchdayisfinallyhere!We’llgetintothewaysyoucantraininjustacoupleofminutes,butthisiswhenyoubeginyourphasedrolloutoftrainingtoendusersbasedontheadoptionandtrainingplanyou’veputinplace.

Follow-upandSupportThiswillhappenforatleastthefirstcoupleofmonthsafteryoulaunch.Learningislifelong,eventhoughyouneedyouremployeestostartusingSharePointassoonaspossible.Thisiswhenyoustartcollectingmetricsonusage,adoption,andsatisfaction.Thiswillhelpyouunderstandthehealthandeffectivenessofyourtraining–andsubsequentlyyourrolloutandadoptionprogram.

DeliverTraining



Trainingcomesinallshapesandsizes.We’llgointosomeofthemostcommonlyusedtrainingmethodsbelow,butrememberyouwillneedtostriketherightbalancebetweenshowingthe“howto”andthensupportingthetraininglongafterit’scompleted.

Dependingontheamountoftime,facilities,equipment,geography,andmoneyyouhave,youcouldconsiderusingsomeofthefollowingmethods:

• Classroom-style:Thisrequiresaninstructorguide,studentguide,presentation,resourceguidewithhelpfullinkstofurtherinformation,andcontactinformationforSharePointchampions.

• Smallgroupdemonstrations:Makesureyouhaveapresentationforthegroupthat’scustomizedtoaddressactualscenariosandtasksthatareapplicabletoyouraudience.

• Onlinetraining:Includevideos,articles,FAQs,checklists,andcontactinformationforSharePointchampions.

• On-the-jobtraining:You’llneedtask-specificjobaids,checklists,andcontactinformationforSharePointchampions.

We’vefoundthemostsuccessfultrainingincorporatesallofthesedifferentmethods,withaclearmethodforemployeestorequesthelporfurtherinformationafterthetrainingiscompleted.

OpenFeedbackChannels

JustasyoudidwhenyoustartedcommunicatingawarenessaroundyourSharePointimplementation,makesureyoukeepthelinesofcommunicationopenafteryou’vecompletedyourtrainingsouserscontinuetofeelsupported.

Considerhavinganinternalonlinegroup–youcanuseYammer,Office365groups,orintegrateSharePointcommunityfeatures–thatgivesyouanoutlettosharebestpractices,establishtopicsofinterest,participateindiscussions,andbuildcommunityamongusers.

ReadinessandAdoption“Igetbywithalittlehelpfrommyfriends.”–JohnLennon

ThroughoutyourSharePointdeployment,you’vebeencollectingfeedback,keepingacloseeyeonusageandacceptance,anditeratingyourplanasnecessary.

Now,youneedtodothreethings:

1. Provideongoingsupport2. Assessusersatisfaction3. Measureusageandadoption

Thisisan“allplay”–yourentireprojectteamshouldbeworkingtirelesslytoensureeverydepartmentisreadytosupportnewusers.Helpandsupportteamsshouldbereadyandabletotroubleshootproblemsthatusersencounter.Youshouldalsodocumentyourkeylearnings,areasforimprovement,andbringthisalltogethertoiterateyourrolloutsoitgoesevensmootherforthenextwaveofadopters.

ProvideOngoingSupport



YoursupportandhelpdeskisthefirstlineofdefenseagainstusersencounteringSharePointproblems.It’svitaltoempowerandinspiretheseteamstodotheirbestwork,asthelevelofsupportanewuserreceivescandirectlyimpactjusthowsatisfiedtheyarewithSharePoint–andhowdeeplytheyadopttheplatform.

Nomatterhowgoodyourtrainingis,youcanexpecttoreceivealotofquestionsasusersstarttoreallydigintoSharePoint.Weunderstandthatforyoursupportandhelpteam,thismaybeonlypartoftheirjob.Establishanautomatedsystemsoyoucanreducethetotalnumberofinquiriessupportteamsreceive.Forexample,ifyouhaveaveryclearFAQoronlinetrainingportalusersmustgotofirstbeforesubmittinganinquiry,itmayrelieveasignificantportionofquestionssothehelpdeskisonlyfocusedontroubleshootingdeeperissues.

Herearesomeothertipstoensureyoursupportandhelpdeskteamsarereadytosuccessfullysupportnewuserinquiries:

• EnsureallhelpdeskagentsareproperlytrainedtosupportSharePointinquiriescallspriortoyourcompany-widedeployment.

• Setupautomatedpromptsonyourphoneoronlinesupportsystem,togetuserstothemostappropriatesupportteamquickly.

• Establishanalertsystemtonotifyyourhelpdeskwhenissuesariseorforplanneddowntime,sothattheycaneffectivelyassistusers.

• DetailyourServiceLevelAgreementplantoholdsupportrepresentativesaccountableforfollowingupwithend-usersandsettingtherightexpectations.

• Provideyoursupportandhelpdeskagentswiththemostup-to-datetroubleshootinginformation,includingacustomizedFAQ.

AssessUserSatisfaction

It’sworthrepeating:Youcan’tmanagewhatyoudon’tmeasure.ConsideritarequirementtoregularlyassessjusthowsatisfiednewSharePointusersare,assatisfactionhasadirectcorrelationtoadoptionandusage.

Throughoutyourpilotandliverollout,distributeusersatisfactionsurveystogatherdataaboutyourusers’knowledgeandexperiencewithSharePoint.Thisway,youcanquicklyunderstandwhereyouaresucceedingandfailing,andevenbetter,iteraterapidlysoyoucanimprovetheexperienceforthenextwavesofusersyouonboardtoSharePoint.

Herearesomehelpfultipsforwhenandhowtosurveyendusers:

• Sendabaselinesurveyassessingusers’knowledgeofSharePointshortlybeforetheendofyourpilot.

• Releaseasurveyhalf-waythroughyourpilotandyourrolloutperiodstogatherdataaboutusers’knowledgeandexperienceofSharePoint.Usetheresultsfromthissurveytoadjustandtestyourprocessespriortoageneralrollout.



• Useafinalsurveyimmediatelyafterthepilotperiodhascompletedtoinformago/nogodecisionanddeterminewhetheryouneedtomakeadjustmentstoyourgeneraltrainingandawarenessmaterials.

• Afterrollout,useafinalsurveytoassessusersatisfactionwiththerolloutprocess.Youcanreleasethissurvey90daysafterlaunch,andtheninquarterlyincrementstohelpmeasureuseradoptionfromasatisfactionandproductivitystandpoint.

MeasureUsageandAdoption

Satisfactionisimportant,butattheendofthedaythesuccessorfailureofyourSharePointdeploymentwillhingeontwofactors:howoftenareemployeesusingtheplatformandhowmanyofthemhaveactuallyadoptedit.

YoushouldstartcollectingthisinformationbeforeyouevenrolloutSharePoint–thisway,youcanestablishbaselinemetricsforwhichyoucanbenchmarkagainstatpre-determinedintervalsafteryoubegintherollout.

Usageandadoptionmetricstaketimetobecometrulydigestible–itwilltakesixmonthsorlonger,sinceuseradoptionwillnothappenovernight.It’sbesttomatchyourreportingtimelineswithhowyoureportothermajorimpactstoyourbusiness,whichcouldbeeithermonthlyorquarterly.

Thereareseveralwaysyoucanmeasurethesuccessofeachphaseofyourrollout,andyoushouldincorporateallofthemsoyougetarobustsetofquantitativeandqualitativedata.Youcanusefeedbackandsurveyforms,product-relatedgames,andrecommendedusagereports.SharePointandOffice365administratorscanalsoaccessinformationabouttheservicesused,suchasmailboxusage,audio/videoconversations,programsharing,remoteassistance,andamountofinformationstoredonOneDrives.



ContentPanda:YourChangeManagementLifelineContentPandaforSharePointContentPandaistechnologythatdeliversasuperiorSharePointuserexperience.Asuperioruserexperiencestartswithgreatcontent,in-context.Accelerateuseradoption;simplifytrainingandsupport;andpromotegovernanceinsideSharePoint.

AccelerateUserAdoption

ContentPandaforSharePointprovidesusersguidanceintheirday-to-daytasksbyofferingavarietyofin-contexttrainingmaterialstomatchtheirlearningpreference.

Whetherthey’resubmittingaleaverequestorcreatinganewteamsite,userscanjustclickthepandatoaccessavarietyoftoolstohelpthemconsumeinformationeitherviavideo,step-by-stepguidesorcomputerbasedtesting.

ContentPandaforSharePointcreatesconfidentusersbygivingthemin-depth,flexiblehelpandtraining—wheneverandwherevertheyneedit.

Fosterconfident,self-empowereduserswho:

• Consumeyourcorporateinformationinsteadofsearching• Collaboratemore• LeveragemoreSharePointfeatures

SimplifyTraining&Support

ContentPandaforSharePointbringsthebestcontentintofocus.

Usersjustclickthepandawherevertheyneedhelp,togetaccessto:

• In-depthtrainingcontent,videosandbestpractices

• Microsoft-approvedhelpcontent• Curatedsupportarticles

Employeescanlearnasmuchastheywant,whenevertheyneedto—withoutaskingsomeoneforhelp.

Context-sensitive,self-servicesupportforendusersmeans:

• Fewerhelp-desktickets• Betterknowledgeretention



• Noworkdayinterruptionsforclassroomtraining

PromoteGovernance&BusinessPractices

Supportyourbusinessprocessesbysharingrelevantinformationattheexactmomenttheyneedit.

Deliveryourcompany’sowncontenttousersinthesamecontext-sensitiveformat:

• Best-practicepolicies• Documentrequirements• Embeddedhelponforms

Reinforcegovernanceandsteerbestpracticesbymakinginformationavailablewhereitactuallyapplies:intheforms,librariesandsiteswheretheworkisdone.

Embedusefulinformationincomplexforms,withinprojectsites,HRportalsandanywhereelseyouwanttoinfluenceuserbehavior.

CentrallyManagetheUserExperience

LeverageContentPanda’sone-stop-shopmanagementconsoletocustomizeyourSharePointtrainingandadoptionexperience.

WiththeContentPandamanagementconsole,administratorscan:

• Supervisecontentcreation,modificationandusage• Quicklymanagepermissionsandbranding• Createcontentpacksforaudiencetargeting• ReceiveandapplyContentPandaproductupdatesautomatically• Accessuseranalyticsreports

Makeplatform-widechangesquicklyforyourentireSharePointenvironment,includingsupportforhybridscenarioswhereon-premisesandonlineSharePointisdeployed.

AContentPandaChangeManagementSuccessStoryJustaswebeganthiseBooklookingataSharePointchangemanagementgonewrong,here’sanexampleofhowyougetaSharePointdeploymentrightwithContentPanda:

Aglobalscienceandengineeringfirm–alreadyheavyusersofSharePoint2010forcontentmanagementandcollaboration–decidedtoupgradetoSharePoint2013.Withonly2.5full-timeemployeesdedicatedtotheSharePointupgrade,itwasdifficultfortheITteamtofocusonhigher-valueactivities.HelpmanualsandvideosforthemostbasicSharePointquestionsareverytimeconsumingtoproduce.



AfterdeployingthefirstwaveofusersonSharePoint2013,theITteamreceived364supporttickets–mostofwhichweresimilarbasicquestionsabouttheplatform’snewuserinterfaceandfeatures.

Thefirmsoughtthird-partytrainingalternativesforitsoverburdenedITteam,includingAdobeRobohelpandWalkMe.RobohelponlyenabledtheITteamtoupdatetraditionalsupportmanualsveryfewendusersreadbecausetheydidnotprovidein-contexthelpwhenandwhereusersneededitastheynavigatedSharePoint.Additionally,WalkMe’srequirementtoimplementbrowseradd-onsandplug-insforanyonecreatinghelptutorialsaddedevenmorecomplexitytheITteamcouldnothandleamidstthemassiveSharePointupgrade.

ThefirmthenimplementedContentPandaforSharePoint,whichenabledthefirm’sITteamcentrallymanagedtheentireSharePointtrainingandadoptionexperienceforendusers–includingcontentcreation,permissions,branding,andaudiencetargeting.ContentPandahelpedthefirmdeliverin-depthtrainingbyonlineSharePointeducationleaderCombinedKnowledge,Microsoft-approvedhelpcontent,andothersupportarticlesinmultiplemediaformatssuchastraditionalarticles,screenshots,andvideos.AllusersneededtodowasclickonthePandawhennavigatingSharePoint,whichdeliveredin-contexthelprightwhentheyneededit.

WithContentPanda,ITsupportticketsdroppedby77percentto85–realizinga5xreturnonitsinvestmentinjustonemonth.ContentPandaisnowinstrumentaltonewusersadoptingSharePoint,basedonthecompany’srecentagreementtoacquireanotherlargemultinationalcompany.

CustomerSuccessatContentPandaWeunderstandtherearebusinesschallengesyouneedtoconquerandmetricsyouneedtoattain,whichiswhywecreatedourCustomerSuccessProgram.

Wedistillbestpracticestodeliveractionableadviceandsupporttohelpyouachievequickandsustainableresults.

DedicatedcoachingAsaContentPandaclient,yourdedicatedCustomerSuccessManagerbecomesanextensionofyourcompany'steambylearningaboutyourSharePointbusinessgoals,initiativesandupcomingplanstohelpyoucreateaprogrammaticstrategyforleveragingcontent.

Yourfirst90dayswithContentPandaToensureourcustomersareproperlyon-boardedandsetupforsuccessfromtheget-go,wehavedevelopedanintensiveprogramforyourfirst90dayswithContentPanda.Ourtraininghasaheavyfocusongettingyoucreatingandsurfacinggreatcontentquickly,whileleavingyouwithascalablemodelforeasyfuturepublishing.

Makecontentpublishingprogrammatic



Themostimportantpartofanytypeofinitiativeisconsistentimplementationforasteadystreamofresults.YourCustomerSuccessManagerwillhelpyoucreateaprogramintegratingContentPandaacrossyourSharePointeffortstocreateanengaginguserexperience,driveconsistentresultsandincreaseadoption.

MeasuringmetricsforsuccessOurteamtakestimetolearnaboutyourgoalsandmetricsforsuccess,ensuringyoureffortisdeliveringoutstandingROI.YourCustomerSuccessManagerwillholdregularanalyticsreviewmeetingswithyoutodeterminewhatisworkingaswellassharerecommendationsandbestpracticesdrawnfromourgrowingnetworkofcustomers.

NextStepsNowthatyouhavelearnedaboutallthefeaturesandbenefitsofadoptingContentPandaintoyourOffice365andSharePointenvironment,connectwithus.OurContentPandateamisreadyandwaitingtosayhello.Bookademoandreceiveatriallicensetoday,[email protected].

ThankyouforyourinterestinContentPandaforSharePoint.

https://www.contentpanda.com/try-panda-for-free/

mailto:[email protected]

Content Panda for SharePoint...In this eBook, we’ll give you the benefit of other companies’ hindsight – why SharePoint has failed and what you can do to make sure you don’t

Documents