We Need to Talk
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SharePoint Saturday New Hampshire 2015#SPSNH
en.wikipedia.orgWe Need to Talk: How to Converse with Regular
People About Managing Their Content in SharePointJonathan
Ralton
All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of
their respective owners.
2
Jonathan RaltonBlueMetalWe Need to Talk: How to Converse with
Regular People About Managing Their Content in SharePoint
New Hampshire
3
First Things FirstThe ChallengeContent ManagementThe ProcessLast
But Not LeastQuestions
Agenda
Good Afternoon!Weve got about 60 minutes or so, of course and a
lot to talk about, so Im going to try to keep up the paceWere going
to do some quick getting-to-know each other,then well get into the
nuts and bolts,and finish up hopefully with some extra time for
Q&ASOUND GOOD?And please ask questions as we go if something
isnt clear4
First Things FirstWe Need to Talk
You
Lets find out a little about all yall6
AudienceWhat roles are you in?
What SharePoint phase are you in?What are you hoping to
learn?
Just so I get an idea who Im talking toDo we have
anyDevelopers?Administrators?Business people/end users?Who is
currently using SharePoint in their organization?Who is in the
planning stage?Who wishes they could go back to the planning
stage?What do you wanna know?7
Me
VERY BRIEFLY about me8
PresenterJonathan RaltonSenior Information ArchitectSharePoint
IT Pro since 2005 (WSS/SPS)No coding!Document Management, Content
Management, Knowledge Management
@[email protected]
blog.jonralton.net
Currently Im with a really great company up in Bostonwere one of
your sponsors today; were also in New York and ChicagoWe were
recently acquired by Insight but were still called BlueMetalIm just
about two and a half years into this role; Ive had about six years
of consulting under my belt at this point and previously Ive been
in a corporate role as wellBeen working with SharePoint for coming
up on ten years nowIm not a developer!Major focus is on wrestling
with all the m acronyms DM, ECM, WCM, KMHeres how to ping me; Thats
how youll find the slidesBut enough about me9
The ChallengeWe Need to Talk
blog.allstate.com
Granted this doesnt apply to all of us, but who actually
understands what your mechanic tells you when you go to get your
car fixed?How do you feel when they try and explain what was
wrong?
Cars are complex machines with even more sophisticated systems
these daysyou probably go to that mechanic in the first place
because you couldnt really figure it out yourselfAND you TRUST that
they DO know what theyre doing and therefore you dont really NEED
to know exactly what they did.
11
surgeryequipment.wordpress.com
Whos had surgery?
You probably got an explanation from your doctor before your
procedure (or maybe after as well) explaining to you what was done,
but they probably didnt use a bunch of terms youre not familiar
with or speak to you the same way they were talking to the other
people in green here while it was happening, right?
Now Im not saying its like surgery, but12
we have this thing called SharePoint...13
The Challenge
It can do all of these thingsand more, of course14
The Challenge
We have ALL these things to build with; were going to pick the
right features, set them up a certain way, put em together, and
weve got our solution15
The ChallengeWe have youWe have the users
The problem is:
How do you talk to these people about how to match up what the
do all day and how they do it with this platform they know NOTHING
about?
And you need to do all that without them becoming16
danielllechapman.wordpress.comConfused
17
dailymotion.comScared
18
memesvault.comUpset
Friendly Words
wallpapers.in
Your users are used to words like these.20
Scary Words
thedogtrainingsecret.com
They have not the slightest idea about words like THESE, and
these are the terms youre used to using all the time on your end,
right?21
The Challenge
Then there are these big important ideas you need to think about
when youre planning for content management, regardless of the
platform.22
The ChallengeYouve got
toListenAdviseDeflectElicitInformPrescribePrioritizeModerateall at
the same time.
Talking to your users can be very challenging.
There are many different roles you may have to play23
InterviewerSolicit enough informationElicit more inputPut some
people on the spot to talk about what they do
thornleyfallis.com
You need to solicit enough informationAlong the way you may need
to elicit more inputYou may be putting some people on the spot to
talk about what they do24
InterpreterAssimilate what is laid out for you by your
constituentsContext is probably foreign to you Verify you heard
everything correctlyCommunicate needs accurately to any other
developersumassmed.edu
Youve got to assimilate what is laid out for you by your
constituentsYoull be spoken to in a context that is probably
foreign to you Eventually you need to spit it back out to verify
you heard everything correctlyYou may eventually have to
communicate needs accurately to any other developers25
TherapistLikely not the first time some technical person has
tried to helpBad experiences in the pastLet them articulate their
frustrationsEncouragement to keep the ideas coming
wisegeek.com
This is probably not the first time some technical person has
tried to help themThey probably have had bad experiences in the
pastYou may need to console; hold peoples hands; let them
articulate their frustrationsEncouragement may be required to keep
the ideas coming26
ArchitectMaster artistProblems are in your handsDesigning
something in SharePoint to fit stuff that wasnt designed for
SharePointBuilt to last
careerbear.com
Youre the master artistTheir problems are in your handsYoure
going to have to design something in SharePoint to fit stuff that
wasnt designed for SharePointWhat you build will be with these
people for a while so its gotta last27
GamerMultiple routes to reach the same goalGet everything to fit
into a new site properly, especially during a migration
gamersagainstbigotry.org
There are probably multiple routes to reach the same goal; which
one do you pick?Sometimes its a game of Tetris to get everything to
fit into a new site properly, especially during a migration28
The Challenge
So you all are sitting out there; what are you thinking at this
point?
Anyone identify with one or more of these?
So wait, hes saying Ive gotta play all of these roles just to
get some people set up on SharePoint?29
2005 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Just be cool
You dont have to be John Travolta to get this done.
Lemme give you a little bit of background on content management
so were all on the same page.30
Content ManagementWe Need to Talk
31
Content Management
What is it?Is it useful to me?
Youve got a documentWe want some qualitative data about the
content to differentiate it from the sea of other documents
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Content Management
How did you get to this document in the first place?The
consideration here is actually less about the document itself about
your USERS, and Its about half and half. Some people like to follow
a map and street signs along the way to get to where they want to
go.Others like to search for their destination and expect it to
come up pretty high in the result set.What kind of person are
you?Think about your email. If youre a filer and have tons of
nested folders that you put your emails into, youre probably an
green navigation person.If youve got all your emails in your Inbox
and anytime you want to find something you type in a keyword or you
group and sort by sender, youre probably a purple search person.You
have to consider both approaches when planning for managing your
content in SharePoint.33
CONTENT ARCHITECTUREdefinition [dff nsh'n]
Let me put this term out there, CONTENT ARCHITECTURE. What is
it?34
Content ArchitectureThe specification for a content management
solutionA set of activities and outputs for effective content
management
Cleve Gibbon
Its about Content ManagementHere, were looking at two parts to
the whole1. A specification. Whats that? Its an outcome 2.
Activities and outputs. Were talking about a process35
Content Architecture
Its part of a process which is going to help you achieve your
content strategy and will form the foundation for content
managementBut I want to bring up one of those more complex terms we
saw earlier, and that is36
TAXONOMYdefinition [dff nsh'n]
37
Taxonomya classification into ordered categories
dictionary.com
What is this thing called TAXONOMY?OK so were going to be
categorizing our stuff. Cool.38
TaxonomyA way to group things together
Even more simply39
Content Management
The goals are helping users FIND their stuff and USE it
effectively.40
Content ManagementWhat isContent ArchitectureTaxonomyHow do they
relate?
You cant have a complete content architecture without a
taxonomy41
Content ManagementYour taxonomy is an integral part of your
content architecture plan
Taxonomy is part of the bigger picture; shouldnt be examined in
a vacuum.Other parts of your content architecture will include
policies, workflows, etc.42
Content ManagementYour content architecture is the foundation
for achieving content management
Remember that content architecture is the foundation for content
managementTaxonomy is the map; the plan; the blueprint in
SharePointMy major point here is:You must plan ahead if you want to
get all the way there
43
Pleasantville
1998 New Line Cinema
The goal is to create Pleasantville.44
Wild Wild West 2014 Universal Studios
But youre going to end up in the Wild West if you dont think
carefully about this stuff45
TAGGINGdefinition [dff nsh'n]
46
Taggingthe act of applying metadata to an item
Microsoft
Once we have our taxonomy we need to apply it to our
content.47
Tagging
Why do we bother encouraging our users to tag?48
Content Management
This stuff is not black and white or one-size-fits-all.I cannot
tell you today an exact process to follow that will work for
everyone in every case for all content.And if you approach your
users or whoever youre working with on this stuff with the same
solution every time, youre doing it wrong.
But lets get into some suggestions I have for your
process.49
The ProcessWe Need to Talk
The Process1Think about your audience before you sit down with
them.
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New to Collaboration Tools
Top goals probably should include:Co-authoringWorkflowSending
links instead of attachments
Simultaneous editingAutomating processesStopping everyone from
clogging up Inboxes with attachments52
Migrating from File ShareTop goals probably should
include:VersioningTaggingInformation Management Policies
Taking advantage of version controlOrganizing and tagging the
documentsConsidering records management53
Building an IntranetTop goals probably should include:Leveraging
the publishing modelSeparation of dutiesSelf-service forms
We can talk about all of these goals without even mentioning the
S word.54
The Process2Be clear about how youre going to lead people
through discovery.
55
Timeline
Early AprilMid AprilLate AprilLateApril
Heres an example of setting a groups expectations about how
youll proceed and also importantly when.56
The Process3Dont try to figure it all out in one sitting.
57
20th Century FOX Film Corporation
Iterate.
Give them homework.
Come back at least a second time and review.58
The Process4Steer clear of those scary words.
59
TerminologyNot OKOKSite CollectionsSitesLibrariesBuckets,
ContainersContent TypesDifferent kinds of documentsColumnsFields,
MetadataLookups, Term SetsChoicesDocument
SetsBindersWorkflowsProcessesListsTablesWeb PartsModules
The Process5Examine their content outside the context of the
tool.
You should be able to talk about content with your users
completely outside the context of the platform youre ultimately
going to be using.LATER, youll start to apply the features and
capabilities of SharePoint to what you discovered.
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Discussing NeedsHow do you think about your stuff?How do you
group your stuff together?By who works on it?By what it applies
to?By fiscal quarter?What do you need to know about your stuff?What
works well today?What is broken?What would make your job
easier?
I have a client that was going into meetings with each of their
teams they wanted to set up on their new SharePoint collaboration
environment, and they started off by giving them a tour of the
template they had made up and then asked the team things like:So
what libraries do you need?What web parts do you want on the home
page?
Ask some generic questions.62
Discussing Needs
Assuming that were talking to a particular team about their own
content63
Discussing NeedsTypes of Documents, ContentMetadata
CandidatesResearchReportsCalculation TemplatesIndependent
Laboratory TestingPresentationsProjectsAnalysisInstrument
DocumentsService DocumentsTraining/ReferenceHealth &
NutritionFormsLinksClinical InformationIngredient
DatabasePresentationsRegulatoryReviews & PoliciesIngredient
ReviewsClaim Substantiation DocumentsPresentationsEducational
Information/ResourcesTrainingVendor Name (dozens)Fiscal
YearCalendar YearLaboratory (4)Instrument (dozens)Investigator
(dozens)NameInstitutionLicense Number
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Document Types and Metadata Example
The Process6Draw stuff out, erase, and try again.
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The Process7Recognize trigger words or phrases that may lead you
to architectural decisions.
68
Translating into RequirementsWhat you might hearWe work a lot
with other teams.
What you might think aboutWhich team needs access to what and
when do they need itIs this ongoing or temporaryWhat process are
involved here
Maybe they need a dedicated space for each relationship with
shared calendars and contact listsMaybe they only need to allow
access to particular documents at certain timesGet the users to
walk you through the processes69
Translating into RequirementsWhat you might hearSometimes we
work with people outside the company.
What you might think aboutIn SharePoint Online, the ability to
grant external access is enabled or disabled at the site collection
levelYou may be looking at a separate web application or farm
outside the firewall
Users need to be clear about who might have access to something
once they put it there.
Think about a separate library, site, site collection
Instead of planning to grant permissions to external users to a
particular document, have an appropriately marked designated space,
or provide for the opposite.
You could establish that the entire site is open to the external
group and have a library marked Internal with more limited
permissions, OR you could have the entire site closed to the
external group and have a library marked External with more
expanded permissions.
What are your users going to understand; what is the easiest
most clear approach?70
Translating into RequirementsWhat you might hearWe have a lot of
different groups of people that need access.
What you might think aboutIf theyll be Active Directory Groups
or if theyll need to be SharePoint GroupsSharePoint Groups are
visible to all site administrators within the entire site
collection
Think about the management of those groupsTry to avoid the
co-mingling of many SharePoint Groups71
Translating into RequirementsWhat you might hearWe work on a lot
of projects.
What you might think aboutDo the projects consist of just
documents or are there tasks, calendarsSeparate sites for each
projectDocument sets for each project
Think about the management of those groupsTry to avoid the
co-mingling of many SharePoint Groups72
Project Sets Option
Heres a few slides of how you might illustrate the advantages
and disadvantages of two different architectures73
Project Sets OptionDocuments are grouped together in a binder
for each projectCan be treated as a single packageCan simplify
metadata by inheritingDifferent security can be applied to each
setCannot allow external users accessThe package itself becomes the
record of the projectEasier to roll up/consolidate project
information such asDashboard of statusShow all project plans
Project Sites Option
Sites OptionDocuments live in a separate area altogether for
each projectCan have other project content live alongside such as
task lists, wikis, etc.Different security can be applied to each
siteCan allow external users accessNeed to maintain separate
listing/record of projects and related infoHarder to roll up
information about all projects
SharePoint Building BlocksYour Data & AttributesYour
Containers
Think about the different building blocks you have to work with
IN YOUR OWN HEAD as youre listening77
SharePoint Building BlocksContent TypesUse toMaintain
consistency across libraries and listsIsolate workflow, policies,
and other settingsInformation Management (Records
Management)Etc.Site Columns/List ColumnsUse to Drive viewsExpose
via searchDrive reportsPreserve informationTrigger workflowEtc.
Our content types and our site columns are building blocks that
can be used/instantiated in different places to effect different
results and support our goals of finding content and making it
usable within SharePoint78
SharePoint Building Blocks
SharePoint gives us several layers to work with from the farm
all the way down to individual items.Its important to understand
what can be configured where and the scope of those decisions.Line
of demarcationWho is using or thinking of using SharePoint
Online/Office 365?On-Premise vs. the cloud79
Taxonomy/Context UsesLeverage security (List, Site)Differentiate
list-based workflows (List)Segregate content (List, Site, Site
Collection)Facilitate geographic placement (Farm)Control versioning
(List)Account for alternate authentication method(s) (Web
Application)Account for encryption (Web Application)Etc.
So in understanding your taxonomy and how its going to work and
support your business processes, manage your content, comply with
your security requirements you need to understand the holistic view
of how all of these things will work together in SharePoint.80
Taxonomy/Context ConsiderationsThe content that will be stored
as itemsThe site and list/library columns that will identify,
qualify, and differentiate those items from each otherThe content
types that will help maintain appropriate metadata, workflow,
behavior, and other settings for different kinds of itemsThe
lists/libraries that will segregate those items within the sitesThe
sites that will contain those lists/librariesThe site collections
that will contain those sitesThe content databases that will house
those site collectionsThe web applications that will contain those
site collectionsThe farms that will host those web applications
Work your way up the layersAgain, theres that line of
demarcation.81
The Process8Try to validate what youre thinking before you go
and build it.
82
Card Sorting
TestResults
This is really handy for categorization but also for validating
a navigation structure youve come up with.83
The Process9Use pictures along with specs.
Once you get to the point of drawing up specs that actually
reference SharePoint componentry, give your users some
pictures.84
Theyre not going to digest a table of content types, libraries,
and site columns, but they can probably understand something like
this.85
Overall Guidance10Dont push too hard.Go with the culture.
86
Folder MetadataDemonstration
Last But Not LeastWe Need to Talk
Overall GuidanceBe approachable.Make the toolset
approachable.
91
Overall GuidanceBend the tool to their processes, not the other
way around .
(as much as possible)92
If you dont go through this process and plan and communicate
across all of the participants, stakeholders, sponsors, etc93
New Hampshire
Was made possible by the generous support of the following
sponsorsAnd by your participation Thank you!
ReferenceWe Need to Talk
Links
SharePoint 2010SharePoint 2013SharePoint OnlineResources for IT
Prosbit.ly/SP10-Resourcesbit.ly/SP13-Resourcesbit.ly/SPO-ResourcesFeatures
and Editionsbit.ly/SP13-Servicebit.ly/SPO-ServiceLimits and
Boundariesbit.ly/SP10-Limitsbit.ly/SP13-Limitsbit.ly/SPO-Limits
SharePoint Maturity Modelwww.sharepointmaturity.com
Guidance for Modifying Pre-Defined Taxonomybit.ly/17KHAuw
Discontinued Features and Functionalitybit.ly/1bhrLKr
Links
My Knowledge Management (KM) ResourcesClick Here
My Enterprise Content Management (ECM) ResourcesClick Here
My Web Content Management (WCM) ResourcesClick Here
My SharePoint ResourcesClick Here
My Records Management Resources (RM)Click Here