Intranet Collaboration Using Microsoft SharePoint 2007

H065: Intranet Collaboration Using Microsoft SharePointRichard Schumacher and Craig KlimczakTechnology and Educational Support ServicesSt. Louis Community College

St. Louis Community CollegeLargest community college system in Missouri serving an area of about 700 square miles; created by area voters in 1962Three campuses (4th under construction) offering transfer, career and developmental programs, plus non-credit continuing education coursesFour education centersCredit enrollment is about 32,500

The PresentersRichard Schumacher Manager, Electronic Communications Technology & Educational Support Services www.stlcc.edu Dr. Craig Klimczak Vice-Chancellor Technology & Educational Support Services www.stlcc.edu OverviewCollege Websites in TransitionMove to Unified AuthenticationCollege Intranet DevelopmentPortal Deployment FactorsScope, Requirements, Taxonomy, GovernanceTechnical Design and DecisionsSharePoint / MOSS Technology

College Websites in TransitionExisting public website has no focus, navigation, or understandable structureNo consistency in look, style or organizationDoesnt reinforce College branding or marketingReflects internal geo-political structureContent isnt organized by audienceInternal use only content mixed in with other contentContent isnt written for visitors point of viewNo workflow, review or style editing processes

College Websites in TransitionExisting Intranet has three personalities (caused by how it developed over time) and has limited utilization Most users dont understand the difference between:Internal use vs. external use contentAnonymous vs. authenticated accessMostly because the public site has historically mixed this all together and is still in this mixed stateDoesnt currently allow at home access

College Websites in TransitionNeed to:Target audiences providing them the specific content they need in an organized structureUse the Public Website to market the services of the College and reinforce image and brandingSeparate anonymous access content from information that requires authentication to accessCreate a one stop shop for authenticated contentPersonalize the delivery of authenticated content

So Whats Being Changed?Public Website (www.stlcc.edu) will be replaced by a completely new siteFocused on the needs of external constituentsMarkets the College and its servicesUnified look, style, navigation, and content workflowsReinforces image and branding, new marketingUtilizes Serena Collage WCMS

What Students Say They Currently Access on the Public Website84.7% - Registration82.4% - Student Resources81.8% - Class Schedules77.9% - Blackboard60.3% - College Catalog

29.9% - cant find what they are looking forErvin Marketing Report, May 2006Students Web ExpectationsRegistrationHub for student news and communicationsAccess to all programs and classesClass availability, times/room numbers, changes, gradesDo everything online: pay for classes, get parking passes, books, not have to go to the campusErvin Marketing Report, May 2006Most Important Student Website Expectations73% - accurate and timely information70% - easy registration process66% - ease of navigation61% - descriptions of programs55% - easy paymentErvin Marketing Report, May 2006What Employees Say They Access on the Public Website92.3% - Faculty and Staff Resources80.7% - email77.8% - BannerWeb for staff74.8% - Class schedules72.6% - Outlook71.1% - College information69.6% - Libraries

Ervin Marketing Report, May 2006Employee Current Website Dislikes58.9% - say content is old and outdated48.6% - cant find what they are looking for45.8% - information not consistent from campus to campus35.5% - say catalog is not searchable(its a searchable pdf)30.8% - say the search engine is inadequate to meet my needsErvin Marketing Report, May 2006Typical Complaints for Sites with Insufficient Taxonomy and GovernanceContent is difficult to findSearch does not workBrowse is not intuitiveToo many documents and folders that arent of value

Zach Wall, ppc.comExisting Public Website

Navigation Wireframe

Millennium CommunicationsMain Navigation Worksheet

Millennium CommunicationsSo What Does This Mean?The Public Website becomes a marketing toolThe College is making a formal distinction between internal-use and external-use contentContent of value on the existing public website that is not part of the new public website needs a new home:Users (faculty and staff websites) web serverRedesigned IntranetLearning Management System (BlackBoard)

The Authentication IssueEach of the Colleges support systems currently has its own unique user login database (network, library databases, ERP-Banner, LMS-Blackboard, and many more)College faculty and staff tend to think of them as unrelated independent stand-alone systems therefore they think the Colleges public site home page should be covered in separate login buttons for each systemThe Authentication IssueUntil recently, network and email login was a confusing assortment of over 60 domains and workgroups this was unified for the business side of the house as a single AD 2003 domainStudent credentials are coming soon, and will be part of the same AD domainLab and student resources will need to be moved into the new network structure to take advantage of student credentialsThe Authentication IssueExisting systems need to be migrated to use the Colleges AD authenticationNew systems, like student email (deployed as Microsoft Live @ edu), with use the AD IDsAll authentications, and credential support (like password resets), will use the same master login screen this becomes the single point of entry, which will be branded my.stlcc.eduPublic Website Navigation

Millennium Communicationsmy.stlcc.eduThe single point of entry for College systems that require authenticationReplaces and expands the Colleges IntranetA big cultural change transition for faculty and staff who believe each system needs its own separate login button and login screenThe login drops them onto a portal page that personalizes the experience to the user category or even the specific user

New Web InfrastructureIntranets and Authenticated SystemsIntranets provide content that only inside members of your organization may accessThis means these users must first authenticate to access contentFor educational institutions, we have two main types of insiders:Employees faculty, staff, administrators, boardStudentsColleges Intranet JourneyInitial goals and deploymentsBasic best development practicesBasic document managementResponding to user expectationsRe-alignment to new needs, objectives & goalsCultural change through managing behaviors

Steps for Intranet DevelopmentCBIL 1999Development TeamLeadership SponsorProject LeaderContent and Process ExpertsContent and Process OwnersEditorial (includes categorize, index and archive)Creative and DesignQuality Assurance and ComplianceTechnical (web, application, product, database)What Is Not Happening?Initial Intranet focus was on employeesNo central repository of key documents or informationInformation not easily foundInformation was needed to support better decision makingInformation was not being reviewed in a timely mannerWCD/CBIL Intranet 1999

WCD Intranet 2006

Seven Steps to a Successful IntranetCBIL 1999College Intranet SystemThe success of the CBIL Intranet led to the deployment of a College-wide Intranet which initially consisted of two parts:Static html Intranet website reflecting the org chart geo-political structure of the CollegeSharePoint 2001 Portal for document managementInternal-only access due to confidentiality concerns on content

College Intranet - Webpages

College Intranet SPS 2001

College Intranet Doc Library

College Intranet Directory

College Intranet Search

Issues with College DeploymentNo centralized authentication over 60 non-trusting domains, workgroups & NDS treesLogin by the same domain used for emailVaried levels of participation interestDifficulty explaining the need to/how to loginNot all College internal systems/data sources were representedHeavy reliance on paper and paper triggersCollege Intranet - CollegeWebDeveloped as a one stop site one place with links to all the major College data systemsBranding to remove intranet confusionDNS resolution, http://collegeweb.stlcc.edu Internal name resolution onlyNew single-forest, single domain structure eliminated login confusion, misunderstanding

College Intranet - CollegeWeb

Make Sure to IncludeAccess to existing formal information systemsHeavily used informal tools or informationUsually dealing with document managementUsually ignored by formal IT departmentsHow staff collaborate nowShared Excel spreadsheets or Access databasesManual (paper) forms paper newsletters, memosToo many email attachments

Intranet Re-EngineeringLocation for all things requiring authenticationNew audience StudentsEnable access through the InternetPersonal workspacesLeverage lessons learned, user requests, and what is and isnt used in the old systemNew solutionsWhat New Solutions?Information accessDocument managementOrganizational communicationsCollaborative workspacesElectronic formsSystem performance indicatorsKey Performance IndicatorsUser ConsiderationsMultiple divisions and departments with different operating styles and goalsNeed to securely share and backup documentsSome faculty and staff use non-College computers and require clientless deploymentHas to be obvious and easy to usePerformance Improvement GoalsCommunication and CollaborationHigher utilization of organizational knowledgeMaking important documents easy to findManage each and every student experience better, and in a personalized mannerCreate a structure reinforcing business processesReinforce One College

Organizational KnowledgeAn effective portal transforms Organizational KnowledgeIts online in a structure (not scattered about in email attachments, or on various LAN or local hard drives, or on CDs somewhere in a desk) this ensures role based information is available and preservedWho and what becomes easily available through a search

Portal Deployment FactorsPeople 30%Organizational dynamics, management support and leadership, ownership and accountability, trust, sharing valued, time and turnoverProcess 30%Unclear goals or processes, changing needs and objectives, lack of incentives, lack of fundingTraining 20%Growing skills in, and understanding of, Knowledge ManagementTechnology 20%Ronald Simmons, FAAPortal Deployment FactorsRonald Simmons, FAADesign for Your UsersEstablish ownership and direct involvementIdentify and act on known user pain pointsCreate functional rolesEmpower users and business unitsAllow personalizationCreate feedback channelsAccommodate both browsers and searchersWhat Do Users Want?Easy to use, self-serviceInformation Accurate Essential Reliable RelevantInteresting New Dynamic TimelyTrusted Unduplicated Findable Ability to access and organize their documents, from anywhereBe told when there is something they need to know about or act uponProcessClear Vision, Goals and ObjectivesAligned with Business ProcessesPrioritize Content and FunctionalityMaintain Effective GovernanceEstablish Standards and GuidanceConsistent look and feelDont have multiple portals / websitesTrainingAccommodate varied learning stylesProvide self-service learning opportunitiesDelivery optionsInstructor led sessionsOnline eLearning (Adobe Presenter)Printable DocumentationOnline HelpOnline TipsScopingScope DocumentCommunicates what the project will and will not doSets user expectations and may limit scope creepCreates excitement for the projectNeeds to be accessible to your audiencesScope is extended and refined over project cyclesPilot Project SiteIdentifies a target groupLimits scope to something achievable in a reasonable timeframeServes as a demo and marketing toolDrives further requirements gathering

Design ApproachCreate a solid foundation that can fluidly and effectively evolve into the futureYou need to start with an overall plan not throw up a couple of department sites and see what happensFigure out what needs to go in your main portal and follow that up with business process sitesInvolve all four factorsPeople, Process, Training, Technology

Core Portal ContentDocument managementForms managementContact managementBrowse navigationDecision supportExecutive dashboardsKey Performance IndicatorsBusiness IntelligenceCollaborative WorkspacesMeetingsProjects and programsDiscussionsSubscriptionsSearchLinks to other information resourcesPortal Entry PageEssential ComponentsAbout, Help, Search, Real Contacts, A-Z Index, FAQsNavigation alternatives: by role, topic, product/serviceeLearning and online training documentationCollege systems by your role (webpart)Popular Topics (webpart)General and Personalized News (webpart)General and Personalized Alerts (webpart)Employee Role SystemsBanner (full version)Banner Self-ServiceBlackboardHyperion (decision support)Outlook Web Access (email)Library databasesEmployee help desk

Student Role SystemsBanner Self-ServiceBlackboard@my.stlcc.edu WebmailLibrary databasesFinancial transactionsStudent help desk (?)

Central Michigan University

Site and Information StructureTaxonomy (categorization) and metadata (data about data) are the primary means to provide structure to unstructured informationIt creates ordered groups, categories or hierarchiesThis is how users will find contentTaxonomy is often accomplished by applying metadata to documents

Taxonomy from MetadataCategorization SchemesHow users try to do itDocument typeOrganizationalMethods that add valueFunctional (organized by process)Subject oriented (organized by topic)Facet based (organized into multiple taxonomies by unique characteristics - very expensive)College Taxonomy rev. 2

Why Use a Taxonomy?Provides structure to unstructured contentOrganizes together content from multiple sourcesSome users never search; and in many cases search isnt as effective as structure Allows users to find the content they need in a way that makes sense to them

Taxonomy IssuesOrganizations design overly complex taxonomies and metadata strategies:Too deep and too wideToo much jargonToo many fieldsToo many pick optionsToo much variationRegardless of training, education, threats, or enticements, many users will not provide effective MetadataEven the best content contributors typically wont exceed a certain effort thresholdDilution Factor: The poor work of some devalues the good work of others

Zach Wall, ppc.comManage Depth & BreathZach Wall, ppc.comGovernanceZach Wall, ppc.comGovernanceOwnership and areas of responsibilityModifications to the core navigationWeb part gallery additions / modificationsPortal-wide standardsLook and feelStyleStructureMetadataDocument typesNavigationCodingSecurityExample Governance ItemsRecords Management StrategyFile PlanComprehensive collection of policies, processes, and guidelines for creating, storing, and managing recordsDescribes the types of documents that you define as official business recordsRetention scheduleProcess for placing holds on records to delay their destructionMonitoring and reporting the handling of recordsLearning Gateway

SharePoint Learning Kit

Student accesses assignment via Assignment List Web Part

Teacher accesses assignment via Assignment List Web PartTeacher reviews, grades, and returns assignment

Teacher uploads learning resource into extended document library

Teacher assigns learning resource

Student submits assignment

Student attempts assignment

Communications & AwarenessRoadmap the project process and progressPlace all development documents onlineCreate meaningful two-way communicationIncorporate feedback forms and surveys intothe systemDocument decisionsPlace all feedback online

Training and EducationMake sure it answers Whats in it for me?Important activities are usually business process alignedProvide varied training delivery modelsOne-on-one meetingsInstructor led sessionsDocumentationeLearning TutorialsContext Sensitive Help

Resistance to ChangeUsers will be averse to moving away from their existing ways of storing and finding informationOrganizational to TopicalSecure access to more Open accessContent owners will fear losing control of their contentContent managers will fear losing their role

Zach Wall, ppc.com

Enterprise Work Environmentwww.stlcc.edu and my.stlcc.edu

TeamDivisionEnterpriseExtranetInternet

Individual

Business Applications(Banner, Blackboard, Librarydatabases, data warehouse, Help Desk, many more)

Search

Learning ManagementMessagingCollaborative Workspaces and PortalsWeb Conferencing

Communications and Collaboration

Web Content ManagementEnterprise Records Management Document Management Forms

Enterprise Content Management

Business Intelligence

DataWarehousingReporting and AnalysisPerformance Management

TeamProductivityEnterpriseWork EnvironmentPortal / MySitesEnterprise SearchContent ManagementRecords RepositoryWorkflow TemplatesForms Server *Excel Services *Business Data *Catalog

Team SitesWeb PartsBasic SearchAlerts/NotificationsSecurity TrimmingVersioningCentralizedAdministrationDocument CollaborationMeeting WorkspaceDocument, Picture, and Form Libraries

SharePoint Services and Server

Operating System ServicesWeb Parts | Personalization | Master Pages | Provider Framework (Navigation, Security)Database servicesWorkflow servicesSearch services

Core ServicesSharePoint Architecture

CollaborationDiscussionsCalendarsE-MailPresenceProject MgtOffline

Content MgtAuthoringApprovalWeb PublishingPolicy & AuditingRights MgtRetentionMulti-LingualStaging

Portal

MySitesTargetingPeople FindingSocial NetworkingPrivacyProfilesSite Directory

SearchIndexingRelevanceMetadataAlertsCustomizable UX

BPMRich\Web FormsBiz Data CatalogData in ListsLOB ActionsSingle Sign-OnBizTalk Integ.

BIExcel ServicesReport Center KPIsDashboardsSQL RS\AS Integ.Data Con. Library

Site ModelRenderingTemplatesNavigationVisual Blueprint

StorageRepositoryMetadataVersioningBackup

SecurityRights\RolesPluggable Auth.Per ItemRights Trimming

ManagementDelegationProvisioningMonitoringStaging

TopologyConfig. Mgmt.Farm ServicesFeature PolicyExtranet

APIsFields\Forms OM and SOAPEventsDeployment8383What Is SharePoint Server 2007?SharePoint Server 2007 is a collection of Web-based tools that make it easy to collaborate on projectsThe tools consist mostly of pre-designed Web sites that teams or individuals use to store information and collaborate with othersThe sites come with content authoring tools for site owners and membersThe sites use Web conventionsaccess through a browser, linked information, images as well as textto create a fast and easy method of collaboratingThe sites create a single point from which information can be shared

SharePoint Server 2007 SitesCustomizable templates create the Web sitesA variety of purpose-built templates are available:Team Site, Document Workspace, Meeting Workspace, Blog, Wiki SiteEach site comes with a number of Web PartsWeb Parts are content containers used todisplay information on a siteSite members can use Web Parts toarrange text, related links, calendars, images, document libraries, other Web pages, and moreEach site has a Web Parts Gallery from which additional Web Parts may be added

Common Web PartsWeb PartPurposeAnnouncements Post messages on the home page.TasksKeep track of project work details.Calendar Stay informed on team events.LinksPost links of interest for site members.Document LibraryShare documents with site members.Contact ListPost names and contact information of site members.ImageDisplay pictures and photographs.Common Sites and WorkspacesSite and Workspace ComparisonMy SiteTeamSiteDocument WorkspaceMeeting WorkspaceYour Own Work Web Site Best for Team Collaboration Best for Document Collaboration Best for Managing Meetings Supports Search Function Multi-purpose, Longer-term Use Single-purpose, Shorter-term Use Provides Public and Private Sections Use Directly from Office 2003 Applications Create Using Outlook 2003 Control User Access and Privileges Requires Corporate Network Access Typical Team Site

Quick LaunchList key site pages on this navigation menu.CalendarDisplay important dates and events.AnnouncementsPost messages on the home page of the site.Site ActionsShow common commands for the site.Document LibraryContain and display team documents.LinksPost links of interest tosite members.TabsDisplay subsites and link to them.Recycle BinRestore or permanently remove deleted items. People and GroupsControl who can access your site and what content they can view and edit. SharePoint Server 2007 My SitesMy Site is used to store files and collaborate with students and co-workers online My Sites have public and private pagesSharePoint Readers can search for the users site in the PortalUse the public page (called the My Profile page) to share files and information with students and co-workersPublic section is viewable to all authenticated usersUse the private page (called the My Home page) to store files and information that only you can accessSharePoint Server 2007 My Sites

My Profile PageYour public page. Displays information about you and your work to students and coworkers. My Home PageYour private page. Stores files and content for your use. This content is not publicly displayed.

My InformationEdit your profile page.

Left Navigation Menu(Quick Launch)Get quick access to your site content.Site Actions MenuAdd content, edit page, or change site settings.TabsClick tabs to access the public and private pages of your site.As Seen By ListRestrict what others can see, and then preview your My Profiles page as others see it.SharePoint Permissions/AccessAll sites come with permission options The default setting prevents anyone from accessing the site A site owner must give specific users and specific groups access to the siteSite owners either add users to existing permission groups, or give specific permissions to specific usersBy default, there are three groups used for allowing access to a site: Visitor, Member, and Owner. When you add a user to one of these groups, the user is given the permission level associated with the group.SharePoint NavigationTabs across the top of the main window can also be used for navigation. A Home tab always appears. As subsites are created, new tabs generally appear for them, though this appearance is optional.There are three ways to navigate: the left navigation menu (Quick Launch), tabs, and a bread crumb trail. The left navigation menu is customizable, so its appearance varies from site to site. In most cases, the pages on a site will be listed on its left navigation menu.A bread crumb trail is a series of links indicating your location on a site. In addition to showing location, bread crumbs offer links to locations between you and the parent site. Bread crumbs appear below the tabs, in the upper-left portion of the main window.

Basic CustomizationsCreate a Unique Look for Your Site with an Image Web PartDisplay Other Content on Your Site including shared documents, partner names, alerts, RSS feeds, and more to aid collaboration with othersDisplay a Microsoft Office document on Your Site to immediately share information with usersCustomize Announcements on Your Site to create a better experience for your readers

Customize Your Left Navigation Menu by adding or removing site linksInfoPath 2007 FormsInfoPath 2007 is used to create custom forms or convert existing Microsoft Office Word 2007 documents to formsInfoPath forms are distributed using Outlook 2007 or SharePoint Server 2007, or may be published on the Office Forms ServerRecipients of forms can complete and submit them electronically even if they dont have InfoPath 2007 installedOffice Forms Server 2007 providesBrowser-based forms (common browsers, Windows & OS X)Centralized forms managementDesign Once development modelForm-based workflows

Outlook 2007 IntegrationView and edit SharePoint 2007 content in Outlook 2007, even when offline

CalendarSchedule projects, appointments, and milestones. View the SharePoint Server 2007 calendar next to your Outlook 2007 calendar, or overlay both calendars to see all items at once.Task ListAssign project duties and track them to conclusion. Team members can see all tasks in the Outlook 2007 Tasks window, or can view tasks assigned only to them in the To-Do Bar.Document LibraryUse document libraries to preview, search, and open team documents. Team members can edit documents online or offline.Discussion BoardDiscuss topics with team members. E-mail discussions require participants to find and sort messages, but Discussion Boards isolate messages for easy tracking. Contact ListStay in touch with team members and important people outside the team. As one member adds contacts or edits them, the entire team gets the new information.Business Performance Reporting

SharePoint 2007 RSS FeedsRSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a method of publishing and distributing content on the WebWhen you subscribe to an RSS feed also known as a news feed you receive an update every time the publisher releases new contentContent stored in any site list or library can be distributed through RSS you can use a Document Library, Picture Library, Task List, Contact List, Calendar, or Discussion Board

Integrated Search2007 Office SystemConnect to unstructured & structured informationSingle solution for sites, shares, team sites, public foldersLOB system search with the Business Data CatalogEasy-to-use syntax and filters for refining search queriesIdentify people with knowledge and experiencePeople Search results grouped by social distanceAuto-populated personal profiles Customizable My Site portalsManage & secure your search solutionsRelevance tuning using Authoritative SitesOut-of-the-box reporting and analyticsCustomizable query-time security trimmingDeploy search as an infrastructure investmentDesktop and business application integrationCustomizable query and results experience

Integration

Business ApplicationsManagementand Policy

People and Expertise

Excel Services

Excel 2007

Thin renderingin browser

View and Interact

Customapplications

Web ServicesAccess

Excel 2007client

Open Spreadsheet/SnapshotAuthor and Publish Spreadsheets

AuthoringExploration and Consumption4/7/2008 2:48 PMOffice Server Enterprise CALExcel spreadsheet web publishingExcel services BIBusiness data catalog and web partsReport CenterKey Performance IndicatorsFilter Web Parts

LogicalPhysicalCollege Initial DeploymentXxYxZ Farm (a typical medium configuration)Servers 1 & 2:Content SitesSSPSSP admin siteShared services (-)Shared web servicesServer 3SSPShared service (Index)Shared service (Excel)Shared web services (Excel)Shared web servicesCentral Admin Server 4 & 5All databasesLoad balanced servers:Web front endApplications (-)Clustered SQL serverApplication server (Index) Applications (-)SharePoint Data Communications

ObjectScopeGuideline Site collections Database50,000Web sites Site collection250,000(sub) Web sites Web site2,000ListsWeb site2,000Items List10 MDocuments Doc Library2 MDocuments Folder2,000Document size File2 GBIndexed Documents (MOSS)SSP50 MSearch Scopes (MOSS)Site Collection1,000# Profiles (MOSS)SSP5 MSuggested Data LimitsMOSS Search Architecture

ContentIndex

OOB Search UI/Custom Search Apps

Query OM and Web Service

Query Engine

Query

Results

Index Engine

ProtocolHandlers

iFilters

Search Configuration Data

RankingKeywordsBest BetsSchemaScopesCrawl LogContentSources

Stemmers

Word Breakers

SharePointSites

ExchangeFolders

NetworkShares

ExternalWeb Sites

BusinessDataContentMicrosoftPSDemos.com

Applied TechnologiesMicrosoft Office 2003/2007Microsoft Exchange 2003Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007Microsoft SQL Server 2005Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007Adobe Presenter 6.0 (Macromedia Breeze)Intranets Are About PeopleBusiness needs drive the implementation (ROI)What are the business goals?What do you expect to achieve?How will you measure success?Plan before you deploy address all four factors:People, Process, Training, TechnologySharePoint is all about document collaboration remember that some people dont like to shareYour IT department likely doesnt understand taxonomies and cultural change management dont expect them to be the experts on how those impact SharePoint or portalsMore InformationThis slide deck is available at http://www.stlcc.edu/presentations/

Email us at:rschumacher@stlcc.educklimczak@stlcc.edu

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