Check out this interesting blog by
Michal Pisarek, MVP.
There are many definitions when talking about business value.
But far too often consultants talk about SharePoint business value
in complex, abstract forms such as:
Providing leading collaboration and social tools in order to
synergize your existing informational assets.
I have to admit that I used to sprout this kind of crap as well,
because I though that it made me sound smart. But honestly when
speaking to CEO's, CIO's and End Users they don't want to hear this
non-sensical garbage. What they want to hear as stories and
examples of where SharePoint made a measurable and tangible
difference in an organization.
So I have changed my tune! SharePoint Business Value comes in
many forms but here are the ones that seem to resonate with clients
that I talk to. They are simple one liners that I can quickly
relate to users to help them understand the various capabilities
that the platform offers:
Co-Authoring RFP Documents before a deadline
Its 6 people editing a single document a one time. Its
the time savings meaning that people get to go home on time. Its
that the Executive Assistant can format the document at the same
time that others are making changes. It's the difference between
getting the RFP in on time, or missing a big business
opportunity:
Recognizing a Face
Its about coming in on the first day of a new job and
having people greet me because they saw my profile featured on the
Intranet. Its about become part of a new organization quicker since
I know information about my workmates. Its knowing that even though
I have never met a person that I work with everyday I know what
they look like.
Finding Experts
Its finding experts in the organization so that I don't
have to research information that others are intricately familiar
with. It's knowing who to talk to in an organization. Its find out
that who you know is sometimes more important than what you
know!
Find what I was looking for
It's being able to find a document that I was working
with only a couple of hours ago without tearing my hair out. Its
about being able to use views in order to see content in a
completely different way just by using metadata. Its really about
just finding the content when I need, quickly.
Driving Change
Its being able to communicate a message to all staff in
one location. About providing them the ability to engage with
executives by providing comments to announcements or blog articles.
About knowing what is happening in the organization by following
particular keywords.
Automating A Process
Its about helping people do what they are good at, and
automating stuff that takes time. Its about being automatically
notified when to review a document. Its knowing where a document is
in a review cycle without needing to email 10 people.
So what are your examples? Let me know what they are maybe we
can make this a great resource to demonstrate simple, tangible
examples of the business value that SharePoint can bring.
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