Data Context is Essential for Successful SharePoint Deployments

Microsoft SharePoint is one of the most effective tools for helping companies enhance employee collaboration by providing centralized access to mission-critical data. Some firms, however, overlook a key aspect of SharePoint regarding the actual context of this information, according to CMSWire's Jennifer Mason.

Mason explained that she has helped many firms build SharePoint platforms. Replacing other systems can come with some issues if businesses do not launch a solution that meets the data demands of their users.

"Ideally your solutions are going to provide a way for users to work through a process with your solution supplementing and guiding them along the way," Mason wrote. "Your solution should be a tool that allows them to be guided through the actions required of them for the task at hand."

Firms that employ the data plus a context-based approach can view problems from many angles, according to Mason, allowing them to understand how users can work with data more effectively. This may also make the tasks of employees more natural, reducing the likelihood of errors and user frustration in the long run.

SharePoint is Considered a Necessity for a Majority of Organizations

The use of SharePoint is growing throughout many companies, cementing the tool as a technological necessity. A survey of 551 IT organizations conducted by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) found that nearly 70 percent of SharePoint deployments are made by CIOs or IT managers even though the system is available throughout the entire enterprise.

AIIM encouraged executives to view SharePoint as a business platform for the entire firm, rather than solely a technological option.

John Mancini, president of AIIM, said that more organizations are looking at SharePoint 2013 in terms of evaluating its business functionality.

"This presents a perfect opportunity for IT to engage with the CEO to ensure that corporate strategy and business drivers are identified and in place so that additional SharePoint investment is aligned with the business to deliver the appropriate pay off," Mancini said.

As Microsoft achieved immense success with previous SharePoint solutions, SharePoint 2013 is likely to deliver in areas where other iterations struggled. Executives who want their companies to have the most effective collaboration and content management solutions available should strongly consider implementing SharePoint to enhance operational efficiency and boost productivity.