SharePoint has become an integral tool for collaborative working
across a number of sectors. We are seeing increasing use within the
third sector, over the next year it is expected by many in the IT
industry to become even more firmly established in the daily
working lives of an increasing number of UK charities.
One of the key benefits that SharePoint offers to charities is
the ability to work in a more efficient way, saving both time and
money.
Our experience is that many charities are still failing to
exploit its capabilities and reap the business benefits, either as
a result of inadequate expertise or of time. We've put these tips
together to help charities address this:
- Planning is critical so think carefully about what you will use
it for and plan every element, including how it will be used and
who will use it.
- SharePoint is relatively easy to install, but once implemented
removing any additions can be difficult. So be sure it is installed
at the outset to best fit your requirements. If you're unsure of
the full extent of SharePoint's capabilities you might need, it's
best to start small by implementing just a few key processes at a
time. Once the initial solutions are fully integrated within the
charity then the application can be developed with further
additions.
- Like any other IT project, as many risks are non-technical as
are technical. Don't forget that SharePoint demands charities
to work in a way that most users are not accustomed to,
particularly in terms of document management. Its introduction to
employees needs careful consideration. For example, will you get
one team at a time up to speed with its capabilities (if so, which
team first?), and is any training required to ensure it is being
used to its optimum? To maximise ROI you must have a strategy
to encourage or force adoption of the new solution.
- Be aware that SharePoint is a cost effective solution for
charities: SharePoint attracts Microsoft's generous licensing
discounts for qualifying charities and is within the means of
almost every charity, making ROI easier to achieve quickly,
providing significant long-term cost savings. Our recent experience
shows that this is a key concern of charities that don't already
use SharePoint.
- Don't think that SharePoint is only designed for big charities
with a large number of employees and internal documents to manage.
The software is equally designed to improve working efficiencies
for smaller organisations. If you are a smaller charity it is
always wise to look at the cost options available. For example,
SharePoint can be purchased as a service rather than installed on a
server, which can be more cost effective if you're a small
organisation.