Use SharePoint for Enterprise Content Management by InfoTech.

1. Use SharePoint for Enterprise Content
Management
Findability, taxonomies, and records management: It’s more expensive than you think.
Info-Tech Research Group
‹#›

2. Introduction
SharePoint does ECM, but you must develop atypical IT competencies to be successful. It will
likely cost you more than you think.
This Research Is Designed For:
This Research Will Help You:
 IT managers in mid-sized organizations.
 IT staff that need guidance in how to develop
 Understand how SharePoint is being used by
skills and competencies in SharePoint.
 Those who are evaluating Microsoft
SharePoint 2010 as a potential solution for
ECM.
If your organization is looking to
implement SharePoint for
Collaboration, see Info-Tech’s:
“Build an Enterprise Social
Collaboration Strategy.”
Info-Tech Research Group
your peers.
 Build the business case for SharePoint.
 Anticipate the potential costs of SharePoint.
 Overcome some of the key limitations of
SharePoint:
• Findability.
• Managed metadata.
• Records management.
 Know and understand third-party solutions and
if they should be used.
 Understand what’s new for ECM in SharePoint
2013 and if/when you should upgrade.
‹#›

3. Executive Summary
 SharePoint is one of several solutions for Enterprise Content Management (ECM). If your organization is a Microsoft shop,
uses .NET, and runs on SQL Server or Windows Server, SharePoint must be considered as an option; but it may not be
the best one.
 There are three versions of SharePoint:
◦
◦
◦
SharePoint Foundation
SharePoint Server Standard
SharePoint Server Enterprise
 SharePoint Server Standard is necessary for full ECM. It will likely cost you more than you imagined.
 SharePoint is a toolbox that can be built upon, and there are many third-party solutions that will make your SharePoint
deployment complete if there are gaps in native functionality.
 ECM requires a focus on competencies and internal disciplines, particularly, findability, managed metadata, and records
management. Skill development is crucial.
 SharePoint 2010 is Microsoft’s latest release and builds upon previous versions. It has improved many old functions and
added new ones critical for indexing, enterprise search, and backup. The time to upgrade is in the near future.
Info-Tech Research Group
‹#›

4. Ask: Am I reading the right material?
Info-Tech has many resources that address SharePoint use cases.
Governance, Extension, and Collaboration are addressed in other solution
sets.
A
Develop an Enterprise
Content Management
Strategy
You are here:
Use SharePoint for
ECM
Develop a SharePoint
Governance Strategy
Build an Enterprise
Social Collaboration
Strategy
SharePoint
Collaboration
Extend SharePoint to
Overcome Key
Challenges
Implement a
Collaboration Platform
Manage a SharePoint
Customization &
Development Team
ECM
Info-Tech Research Group
‹#›

5. Determine if this research is appropriate for you
Read this research if:
You are an IT leader in a mid-sized enterprise
exploring an ECM Strategy.
• SharePoint often comes up in ECM conversations.
SharePoint isn’t the only option for ECM, but it’s
crucial to know where it falls in the ECM landscape.
You are an IT leader that already has
SharePoint and now wants to use it for ECM.
• SharePoint is commonly used for informal document
control and collaboration. ECM presents a whole new
challenge. You must understand what it will cost, what
it can do, and what it can’t.
You are an IT manager and have been told
you’re using SharePoint for ECM.
• Anticipate your SharePoint challenges and prepare for
the impact the project will have on IT.
Info-Tech Research Group
‹#›

6. What you need to know: SharePoint for ECM is more difficult
(and expensive) than most people expect
Read this set… or just let a consultant do the project for you.
SharePoint has become incredibly popular. Over 75% of Info-Tech clients use it. Their
success in operation varies widely, and most of them use it for basic collaboration and
content libraries.
Enterprise Content Management raises the bar for SharePoint. ECM is different from
basic collaboration. It is mission critical for executing business processes.
Most enterprises struggle with SharePoint for ECM.
It is difficult and surprisingly expensive.
Understand the costs of SharePoint and take a frank look at internal IT capabilities. If
you have concerns, get a consultant. If you still want to use SharePoint, read this
solution set. It will help you to:
• Understand SharePoint costs.
• Anticipate challenges.
• Prepare IT.
Alternatives might be in order
SharePoint isn’t the only option. Further information on vendors in the ECM space can
be obtained from Info-Tech’s Vendor Landscapes Content Management for Knowledge
Workers and Enterprise Content Management for Process Workers.
Info-Tech Research Group
SharePoint manifests in
enterprises differently than
other ECM platforms. IT
leaders typically adopt
SharePoint as part of a
licensing or platform strategy.
Traditional ECM appears with
detailed RFPs, a flotilla of
consultants, detailed
implementation plans, and a
large outlay of capital. This
complexity encourages highlevel commitment.
SharePoint might appear like a
cheap-and-cheery ECM
alternative. But without the
commitment and investment, it
often just whimpers and dies.
Don’t blame SharePoint for
internal ECM failings!
‹#›

7. Recognize that SharePoint dominates the market
What’s in this Section:
• Know who is using SharePoint and why.
• Know the challenges of using SharePoint for ECM.
• Discover the most used features of SharePoint.
Sections:
Recognize that SharePoint Dominates
the Market
Determine the Costs and capabilities of
SharePoint for ECM
Address SharePoint’s findability limitations
Prepare for Records Management
Prepare IT for SharePoint and ECM
Understand what the future holds for
SharePoint
Info-Tech Research Group
‹#›

8. SharePoint 2010 can finally deliver true ECM functionality!
Where We Are:
Microsoft has demonstrated that it has learned from previous
iterations of SharePoint. Improvements have been made in
SharePoint 2010 that extend usability and functionality.
The Reason:
SharePoint 2010 has improved functionality over previous
releases, particularly for administrative tasks. It is becoming
much more mature as a platform and is a threat to the market
for administrative add-ons. It has also begun encroaching
into the records managements area, where previous versions
have failed.
The Result:
Info-Tech predicts that by the end of 2013, 85% of
SharePoint implementations will have moved to SharePoint
2010.
SharePoint for ECM is really SharePoint Sever (Standard or Enterprise); it is not SharePoint Foundation.
Friends don’t let friends use SharePoint Foundation for ECM!
Info-Tech Research Group
‹#›

9. SharePoint 2010 has improved drastically.
Web Content Management and Records Management require special
consideration.
SharePoint 2010 is a great improvement over
earlier versions. It is far easier to manage and
enables a wider range of capabilities,
particularly for collaboration.
The key enabling feature for ECM is the
addition of managed metadata. This feature
greatly improves the user experience and
enables advanced workflows and content
lifecycle.
Records Management and Web Content
Management remain two areas where
SharePoint remains limited. Administrators can
still deliver tremendous technical capability but
the out-of-the-box functionality requires
extensive configuration.
In many cases, third-party SharePoint addons or even SharePoint alternatives are in
order.
Info-Tech Research Group
‹#›

10. Popular SharePoint uses map directly to common challenges
Prepare for the common ECM challenges: records management, training, and
developing taxonomies.
How are you using SharePoint?
Collaboration
Records Management
35
Document Management
What are your key challenges?
34
21
Training Users
19
Archiving
18
Developing Taxonomies
Internal Social
18
20
Web Content Management
20
Records Management
Content Delivery
17
External Social
Privacy
7
0
14
12
Inserting Content
10
20
30
40
8
0
5
10
15
20
25
Source: Info-Tech Research Group, Q1 2012.
n=45
In a similar study published in 2011, AIIM found that the most used function of survey respondents was
collaboration. Following in second was document management. See Using SharePoint for ECM: How
well is it meeting expectations?
Info-Tech Research Group
‹#›

11. Sometimes it’s best to leave it to a consultant
Ask yourself some important questions:
1
Can we determine…
Requirements
 What do we need SharePoint to
do for us?
 What business benefits can we
attain?
Infrastructure
 How much hardware do we need?
 Which version of SharePoint do
we require?
 Do we need any other Microsoft
products?
 Do we need any third-party
products?
Operations
 How do we build our managed
metadata?
 How do we train our users?
 How do we support our
infrastructure?
Info-Tech Research Group
2
Can we afford…
 Professional advice and
consultation?
 Someone to come in and do the
project for us?
If you answered mostly “no” to 1 , or
“yes” to 2 , then get a consultant to help!
Info-Tech Insight
Despite what Info-Tech recommends, most people will at least
initiate a SharePoint ECM project with limited outside
assistance. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! Keep reading and
prepare for the inevitable pain.
‹#›

12. Info-Tech Research Group Helps IT Professionals To:

Justify IT spending and
prove the value of IT


Manage business expectations



Quickly get up to speed
with new technologies
Train IT staff and effectively
manage an IT department
Make the right technology
purchasing decisions – fast
Deliver critical IT
projects, on time and
within budget
Sign up for free trial membership to get practical
solutions for your IT challenges
“Info-Tech helps me to be proactive instead of reactive –
a cardinal rule in a stable and leading edge IT environment.
•
- ARCS Commercial Mortgage Co., LP
Toll Free: 1-888-670-8889
Info-Tech Research Group
www.infotech.com
‹#›