An SDLC for SharePointA management model for implementation success

By Gary Vaughan

Worldwide Information Network Systems, Inc. (WINS)SharePoint Saturday Baltimore

UMBC, Baltimore, MD July 25, 2009

SharePoint Challenges

• SharePoint: power, scope, adaptability • Need to move beyond governance • Get SP to work, by addressing 5 questions:– WHY? (business case)– WHAT? (functionality)– WHEN? (rollout priorities)– WHO? (stakeholders)– HOW MUCH? (budget)

The Need for a SharePoint SDLC*

• Management vs. IT challenge • SharePoint SDLC born of: – PMI Project Management Standards– Knowledge Management goals– Lessons from SP Best Practice

• My background and perspective…• Focus: SharePoint for large WANs

* System Development Life Cycle

A Value-driven Approach

• Measurable Organizational Value*– Enterprise strategy leads IT (not reverse)– Identify value: better, faster, cheaper, do more– Cost/benefit measured over time

• Collaboration always a net benefit? • Example: Documentum and pharma needs

*Source: Jack Marchewka, Information Technology Project Management, 2009

SharePoint Skills

Technicians

• SP Developer• SP Administrator• SP Trainer/Help Desk

• Network Administrator• Graphic Artist• Usability Expert

Users

• SP Deployment Manager• Business Unit Manager• CIO

• Champions (site owners)• HQ vs field; LOB vs HR, FIN…• KM, BPR advocates

SharePoint is a “Swiss Army Knife”..so are the needed skills!

N.B. Organizational change management, politics …and leadership!

Source of SharePoint Skills

Develop in-house vs. outsource SP skills

Traditional SDLC Approaches

• Generic SDLC vs. “viral” development (wiki)• Waterfall, CMM (formal, controlled)• Agile, SCRUM (informal, learning)• PROs and CONs…but is SDLC followed?• Tendency for “closed” SDLC within IT shop

Need a more organic approach for SharePoint

SharePoint Planning Tools• Microsoft SP governance, best practices (English)• Re-release of

SharePoint Deployment Planning Services by Microsoft

• General “road maps” (McKesson PPT)• Metrics: – Native SP reporting– Add-on metrics: Google Analytics, Axceler– User business value: Susan Hanley measures

Need an enterprise SDLC methodology…

SDLC “Cycle” for SharePoint

- PROGRAM MGT-- Project Mgt

-- Governance

SharePoint and the “Big Picture”

Source: McKesson Corp, Paul Miller and Aaron Rafus: “How SharePoint can Make you a Rock Star,” Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2008

Implementing the SDLC

• More inter-dependent “baskets” than phases• Not a clean start – “baggage,” competition• Mix of control and “letting go” (Agile)• SDLC can take years (FAA, Red Cross)• Need management at 3 levels:– Program (enterprise)– Project (IT) – Product Governance (MS)

Program Management

• Senior management driver (business vision)• A governance committee or PMO• Diverse actors to support SP: IT, HR, BPR…• Value of communicating across stovepipes• Key measures: coordination, business value

• Lesson: Value of goals and milestones

Project Management • IT Department does SP deployment• Focus on technology, deliverables (deploy!)• Ability to control detailed project plan (WBS)• Removed from users, enterprise resources• Key measures: number of sites, content

uploaded, type functionality enabled

• Lesson: CCB can extend IT’s reach

Product Governance

• Policies (transparency, confidentiality)• Roles, responsibilities and hierarchy• Processes: site requests, CCB, users groups• Parameters: maximum list size, prohibited file

types, etc. (per Microsoft)• Expressed in FAQs, training, guidance• Lesson: Map governance to your organization

1. Assessment

• Business Requirements, “pain points”• IT Vision and policy (“culture”!)• WSS vs. MOSS; Alternatives; Add-ons;

Outsourcing• Resource planning, cost/benefit, timing• Examples: consulting business development

How does SP fit your enterprise environment?

2. Infrastructure

• Existing hardware (servers, work stations)• Telecom network (latency, enhancements)• Legacy software environment (plus AD, SQL) • Planning global deployments (Oleson article)• Example: Christian Aid (MS case study)

Infrastructure shapes your deployment.

3. Design

• “Road map”: sequence, priorities, actors• Value of “Concept Pilots” (Arlington County)• Taxonomy, hierarchy, info architecture• SP branding and templates • Enterprise governance (adapt MS Checklist)• Example: Famine Early Warning System Planning is necessary, but it evolves…

4. Installation

• Server farm(s) established on network(s)• Topology, configuration, testing• Site provisioning process• Back-up…Migration…Integration • Functionality rollout (mobile, MySites, portal….)• Example: D.C. member associations

Pace your hectic IT deployment!

5. Administration• Creation/management of web applications• Monitoring server resources, performance• Service packs, bugs, upgrades• Backing up, recovery, storage• Migrating legacy data• Risk management (AD, extranet, SLAs)• Examples: Red Cross vs. Mitre

Manage SharePoint at many levels!

6. Support

• “Marketing”, Training, Help Desk • User groups (peer best practices, recognition)• Refining search• “Deep dive pilots”: Extranet, WF, field• Change management (communications!)• Examples: FAA (KM), USDA (CRM)

A sliding scale of user training and support

Next steps: mid-deployment

• Formalize PM discipline in SP unit• Get top management more engaged • Piggy-back on existing initiatives (BPR)• Innovate training and support, broaden

adoption• Compare real implementation vs. ideal plan

Next Steps: pre-deployment

• Write down requirements, vision• Check if MOSS is the answer (alternatives?)• Ask legacy vendors for their “road maps”• Get a free SDPS (if MS customer)• Do a quick lessons survey• Do a “concept pilot”

Resources• Books:– MOSS Best Practices (Curry, English)– Crossing the Chasm (Moore)

• Online:– MS best practice resource site– PMI project management standards– Agile Project Management: Re-thinking PMBOK,

CMM, ISO 9000 and Other Standards (Frame)– Draft SUGDC White Paper: A System Development

Life Cycle for SharePoint (Vaughan)– Mindjet ap for SP site mapping [video] (Miller)

Contact Information

• Contact Info:– Gary Vaughan– SharePoint Governance Advisor, Office of

eDiplomacy, State Department– Firm: Worldwide Information Network Services

(WINS) – email: vaughang@winsnetworks.com– My LinkedIn profile