SharePoint in all its simplicity and flexibility has allowed businesses to deploy quick and effective solutions to meet its specific needs. Throughout years of implementation, a SharePoint deployment is proven to be successful only if it has gone through sufficient planning. On the early stages of SharePoint planning, there is a need to address the major issues around the project which could be about content migration, personnel, content types and customization.
Planning for SharePoint deployment is only one of the many aspects of SharePoint planning. Microsoft has published planning worksheets which can help businesses on planning their SharePoint strategy relative to task. But for this article, let us focus on planning for SharePoint deployment. There are basically five major steps that businesses should follow before they decide to deploy SharePoint:
- Create the on-line environment of SharePoint;
- Plan sites and manage users;
- Plan content types and features; and
- Customize sites with solutions and apps
Let us elaborate more on these steps one-by-one.
Create the on-line environment of SharePoint
Setting-up the on-line environment of SharePoint requires creating and managing site collections. A site collection refers to a website which belongs to one owner with one administrative setting. Together with your site collection, plan as well user management and their corresponding permission levels.
Plan sites and manage users
Plan how your external and internal users would access the site; and know how users can share your content within and outside the organization. It is necessary as well to manage user profiles and configure SharePoint Online features or global settings.
Plan content types and features
Contents placed on the site should also be subjected to planning. Before deployment, it is important for the business to identify what types of content will be placed on SharePoint. This is vital most especially in privacy and security concerns. Most businesses opt not to place sensitive and proprietary data on cloud-based applications. Also, identify the types of metadata that are associated with content types. This is beneficial in describing and categorizing content. With information management policies, it is also convenient to determinate how content types are managed and kept.
Customizing SharePoint through browsers or applications
SharePoint can be customized from browser plug-ins down to custom development applications. In implementing these changes to the solution, it is vital as well to subject them to planning and guidance. In devising a plan, it is beneficial to know the level of customizations that can be done that will bring the solution to a more efficient level. SharePoint can be customized from simple to complex states. These can be done using the browser, supported tools or applications, or through customizations using apps for SharePoint.
A SharePoint deployment can be successful if it is subjected to careful planning, most especially on the aspects that could directly impact the business. Portal Integrators has a pool of SharePoint experts that can plan the most appropriate deployment options for your business. Contact us to know more.