Technology Solutions for Small & Medium Businesses

 
SharePoint Tip

It probably goes without saying, but planning your SharePoint implementation ahead of actually installing the software will save countless hours and headaches later. In general, consider creating the following before you even touch the DVD:

Taxonomy
Plan out the structure of your SharePoint site

Site Types
Decide what types of SharePoint site templates you want to use; different templates have different capabilities and you can't change them once a site is created

Content Types
A Content Type in SharePoint terms represents the meta data, template and workflow associated with content

Security
Who has access to what content and where they have contribute rights

This is not the complete list, but planning even just this much will go a long way to your success.

SharePoint Solution Assessment

Business Challenge
Microsoft SharePoint is a very broad technology that can be applied to a number of different business problems. However, it's not always the best technology -- while it offers unparalleled collaboration and light document management capabilities, not all of its features are equal. How do you know where SharePoint might be a good fit or where you should look for an alternate technology or a specialized add-on for SharePoint?  How long will it take to implement the technology in your environment?  What challenges are there in ensuring adoption?  We help you answer all of these questions.

Consejo's SharePoint Assessment Solution

Over the course of many SharePoint engagements with a diverse client base, we have created a three week assessment solution. Our specialized SharePoint Assessment can quickly help you understand if SharePoint will be a good fit for your organization, where you may need 3rd party plug-ins or if you should look at a non-SharePoint solution.

Deliverables

The final deliverable is an Assessment Document, which typically includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the following information:

  • A review of your needs and information about your organization pertinent to the SharePoint implementation

  • Our recommendations for implementing SharePoint in your organization

  • A high-level project plan for creating a SharePoint solution within your organization (based on the information we've gathered during our engagement and our past client experience)

  • High-level licensing requirements and costs associated with both software and services. The services estimate will be based on Consejo's involvement; costs for services engagements with other agencies may be more or less that costs quoted by Consejo.

In addition to the assessment document, we include the most recent version of the CMS Watch SharePoint Report (Team license - Basic Edition). The report, along with our assessment document, provides both a short and long term reference for our clients.

Since each client has unique needs, Consejo typically works with you to determine what information and/or guidance best meets your needs. Our assessment of SharePoint's fit for your organization would then focus on just those elements.

Project Timeline Summary

The Assessment engagement typically lasts three weeks from beginning to end. Here is the list of the major tasks and approximate durations:

  • One of our senior SharePoint consultants will spend approximately three to four days onsite with your organization. During that time we will conduct the interviews and facilitated sessions

  • Following the interviews and onsite work, we will begin our review of any documentation on your business requirements and other source material

  • By the end of the second week of the engagement, Consejo will deliver a draft of the Assessment document, which we will jointly review with the project stakeholders

  • You will have two to three days to review the document and provide feedback
  • At the end of the third week, Consejo will deliver the final version of the document. Additionally, you may request an executive summary PowerPoint presentation at no additional cost.

SharePoint Assessment Cost: $15,000 (US)

If you're interested in learning more about the Consejo SharePoint Assessment, please contact us.