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If you are currently deploying SharePoint or have been using it for some time, user adoption is always one of the most important keys to success and ROI. SharePoint is a very good and useful tool, but if people aren’t using it, or they are seriously under-utilizing it, then SharePoint has less value to the organization.
This article will give you a few simple tips on how to increase user adoption of SharePoint and help all users rely on the application to be more efficient and effective in performing their jobs.
A significant part of any SharePoint deployment plan should involve end-user adoption. User acceptance testing should be carried out early in the process to get feedback and suggestions. If SharePoint is already deployed and testing has occurred, then you should consider doing some ‘grass-roots’ research by going to the users and asking for their opinion of SharePoint and how useful it is in helping them do their jobs.
In a study conducted by NeoChange and SandHill Group, they asked people this question – ‘what is the most important factor for realizing value from an enterprise software application?’ The answers broke down as follows:
1% said software functionality
13% said alignment with company processes
16% said managing organizational change
70% said effective user adoption
Clearly, realizing value from an enterprise level application like SharePoint is heavily dependent on user adoption. In fact, the more users adopt SharePoint and leverage it on a daily basis, the more ways they will find to align with company processes, manage organization change and discover additional functionality.
Practical tips to promote user adoption
1.Have a company-wide vision of how great SharePoint can be, then share the vision. Schedule a time for a brainstorming session with SharePoint stakeholders to ‘imagine’ what SharePoint could do for the company if people would use it. Create a vision and communicate the vision to others.
2.Brand your SharePoint portal following company branding guidelines. Marketing isn’t just for prospects and customers, it is also a very useful tool to build employee trust and loyalty. Use the capabilities of SharePoint to promote your company’s brand.
3.Set aside time to train the users. Nothing can replace training when it comes getting users comfortable with SharePoint. SharePoint is large and powerful application that takes some time for a user to master, and training is best way to quickly get them through the learning curve.
4.Put in daily updates on the front page (i.e. current happenings, new employees, etc.). When a user comes to his or her SharePoint landing page, there is nothing more meaningful to that user than to see something that is truly interesting. To keep up with relevant content on the first page, it requires that someone be responsible for updating that content on a daily basis.
5.Build in quick access links that will be of help to the majority of employees, but let each employee modify the links to suit their own specific needs. Usually on the main landing page of SharePoint is good place to a Quick Links web part that is customizable. This simple function is often one of the more widely used aspects of SharePoint.
6.Create a help and training wiki site. To help employees provide and receive quick answers to common (and sometimes not so common) questions about SharePoint, many companies provide a wiki site. A wiki provides a cost effective way to give support without having the expense of help desk.
7.If you are in senior management, use SharePoint yourself and encourage other top level employees to use it too. This may seem like common sense, but it is not uncommon to find that senior management has no idea how to use SharePoint. SharePoint is tool that can add value at every level within an organization and, if upper management uses SharePoint, it sends a strong message to all employees that they should use it too.
8.Create a digital asset library (videos, slides, images, audio, etc.). With all the digital assets a company has these days, having a simple and logical way to find and retrieve those assets is a great benefit to employees. Not only that, it is a great time saver too.
9.Add capabilities to do quick employee polls on various subjects (e.g. cleanliness of the bathrooms, etc.). What employee doesn’t like giving his or her opinion? SharePoint can be used to conduct ‘spot’ polls on a specific subject or to manage more lengthy and complex surveys.
Choose a Partner with Deep Pools of Experience
Selecting an experienced and capable SharePoint consulting firm is not as simple as searching through the Internet to find a suitable partner, however that is a good place to start. There are many choices available, but there are very few SharePoint consulting firms that have the technical skills, the industry expertise, and the bandwidth to do the job right – from start to finish.
SharePoint Engine is the right choice if you are looking for a partner that takes the time to thoroughly understand your business drivers and objectives before recommending a solution. We also have implemented over 100 SharePoint projects since opening our doors in 2007. Additionally, SharePoint Engine can provide ongoing maintenance and support services to ensure that your system is always up-to-date and performing at its highest possible level.
If you would like more information about SharePoint Engine, please contact us at (877) 368-7207 or visit our website at www.SharePointEngine.com.
Feel free to contact our Sharepoint Consulting Firms team here.
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