Why SharePoint Implementations Succeed (or Fail)

It has been proven time and again that simply introducing new technology to a business or a business/functional unit does not automatically solve their needs. This is particularly relevant with SharePoint technologies, which has been marketed as a "self-service" business solution. This gives the users direct involvement in setting up their sites; however, this can often back-fire if enough thought has not been put in to the content, layout, and usage of the sites.

While conducting a client case study, AKG has come across some common factors that play a role in why a SharePoint site implementation would "succeed" or "fail" within a given business or functional unit.

Success Factors:

• Supportive management.
  Not only does a manager need to support the implementation of a site and its children, the best success rate is shown when management takes an active role - including participating in site design and actively using the system themselves.
• Job relevance.
  A site and its child sites will be heavily used - and thus succeed - when it has information useful to accomplish tasks and/or is actually the place where the work is done. The information on the site needs to be specifically tailored to the team's needs.
• Timeliness.
  One of the advantages of the modularity and self-service focus of SharePoint is rapid prototyping. A high adoption rate can often be achieved in a new SharePoint site when the users can see their requested changes integrated quickly. Depending on the difficulty of the request, new functionality can often be implemented within hours.
• Business Leader Involvement.
  A user or manager who has a deep understanding of the day-to-day business operations of the unit is essential to organizing the content and setup of a successful SharePoint site. This person does not need to be a manager; some of the most successful business leaders are administrative assistants.
• Early Success.
  Businesses often use a "pilot" group or process to test-drive a new SharePoint implementation. This can often lead to evangelism to other departments and can serve as a demonstrated example of what works and what does not.
• Updating the Business Process.
  It is very common to attempt to do business "the way we've always done it." When we implement a new technology, it's common to try to warp the new technology around the old process - often leading to a less-than-optimal solution. The most successful SharePoint site implementations are when the business process is re-thought, and the new technology is used to support and enhance that process.

Factors that endanger success:

• Forcing a solution.
  A group that simply adopts a SharePoint implementation because they are instructed to will often resent the change and not buy in to the new solution. This is also true when the group wants to adopt SharePoint, but the site structure and content is forced upon them without their input or agreement.
• Inadequate financial support.
  Any well-oiled solution needs time, thought, and resources to implement and to maintain going forward. Anything more than an extremely simple site will need some technical support - sometimes custom development - as well as a dedicated administrative resource to set up and support the day-to-day operations of the site.
• Lack of focus on the business need.
  Unfortunately it is common for a new technology implementation to focus on the "bells and whistles" and to not address the needs of the group or process. When setting up a new site, it is certainly valuable to look at "best practices" of a knowledge management solution and what the technology offers; however the focus needs to remain on "the way we do business."
• Stale or worthless information.
  Users will not come back to a site if they constantly see the same information. This point also emphasizes the need for adequate resource support for maintaining sites.
• Complicated sites / poor navigation.
  Like any site on the web, a SharePoint site needs to be intuitive enough to the user population, or they will feel intimidated or confused and not use the site. The design of the site needs to take into account the technical skill level of the user audience.
• False starts.
  If a site implementation is delayed, non-functioning, or does not have the proper resources, it has a good chance of failing before it even starts. Users want a new system to work the "first time" and not run into technical instability, lack of administrative or technical support, or spotty content, when they are first asked to use a new system.

In summary, SharePoint site implementations have the best chance of success when both management and the user community have an active involvement; when sufficient thought has been put in to the design and content of the new site; when the proper resources are allocated to the implementation and maintenance; and when the site works the first time without technical challenges.