The Trials of Supporting End Users with SharePoint InfoPath forms InfoPath is one of the most popular products used in business to derive added value from SharePoint. Jon presents a real world view of how InfoPath is used within a local major business, the promise, the challenges, and how best to manage it all. Topics include end user support, governance, and upgrade challenges.

1. InfoPath
- an introduction to InfoPath
- Challenges supporting InfoPath

2. Who is presenting today
2
 Jon Vicary
 Experience
 Since 2008
 SharePoint 2003
 SharePoint 2007
 SharePoint 2010
 Governance
 User Adoption
 Change management

3. Quick Question
Who has no idea what InfoPath is?
Who has filled out an InfoPath form?
Who has created a form?
Basic form?
Complex form?
Who supports end users with InfoPath?
In one word what do your end users think of
InfoPath?
3

4. Agenda
4
1. Introducing InfoPath
2. The challenge of supporting InfoPath
3. Questions and answers
4. Questions and answers
5. Using controls to collect data
6. Browser forms
7. Finishing and publishing the form

5. Agenda
5
1. Introducing InfoPath
2. The basics of template creation
3. Data sources
4. Formatting a template
5. Using controls to collect data
6. Browser forms
7. Finishing and publishing the form
- What can InfoPath do for you
- What can form creators do with InfoPath
- Understanding the different InfoPath programs

6. Introducing InfoPath
What you can do with InfoPath
6
Fill out the form
 InfoPath filler
 Browser (Internet Explorer)

7. Introducing InfoPath
What you can do with InfoPath
7
Fill out the form
 InfoPath filler
 Browser (Internet Explorer)
Submit the form
 By email
 To a SharePoint list / library
 To a database

8. Introducing InfoPath
What you can do with InfoPath
8
Fill out the form
 InfoPath filler
 Browser (Internet Explorer)
Submit the form
 By email
 To a SharePoint list / library
 To a database
Aggregate and view from details
 SharePoint

9. Agenda
9
1. Introducing InfoPath
2. The basics of template creation
3. Data sources
4. Formatting a template
5. Using controls to collect data
6. Browser forms
7. Finishing and publishing the form
- What can InfoPath do for you
- What can form creators do with InfoPath
- Understanding the different InfoPath programs

10. Introducing InfoPath
What can form creators do with InfoPath
10

11. Introducing InfoPath
What can form creators do with InfoPath
11

12. Introducing InfoPath
What can form creators do with InfoPath
12

13. Introducing InfoPath
What can form creators do with InfoPath
13

14. Introducing InfoPath
What can form creators do with InfoPath
14

15. Introducing InfoPath
What can form creators do with InfoPath
15

16. Introducing InfoPath
What can form creators do with InfoPath
16

17. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
17
Browser

18. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
18
Browser
SharePoint Server

19. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
19
Browser
SharePoint Server
SharePoint
library

20. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
20
Browser
SharePoint Server
SharePoint
library
SharePoint
list

21. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
21
Browser
SharePoint Server
SharePoint
library
SharePoint
list
InfoPath
web part

22. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
22
Browser Filler
SharePoint Server
SharePoint
library
SharePoint
list
InfoPath
web part

23. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
23
Browser Filler
SharePoint Server Email form
SharePoint
library
SharePoint
list
InfoPath
web part

24. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
24
Browser Filler
SharePoint Server Email form
SharePoint
library
SharePoint
list
InfoPath
web part
Network
share

25. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
25
Browser Filler
SharePoint Server Email form
SharePoint
library
SharePoint
list
InfoPath
web part
Network
share
Email to
users

26. Introducing InfoPath
Types of InfoPath forms
26
Browser Filler
SharePoint Server Email form SharePoint
SharePoint
library
SharePoint
list
InfoPath
web part
Network
share
Email to
users

27. Introducing InfoPath
What you can do with InfoPath
27
 Connect to a wide range of data sources

28. Introducing InfoPath
What you can do with InfoPath
28
 Connect to a wide range of data sources
 Design themed forms

29. Introducing InfoPath
What you can do with InfoPath
29
 Connect to a wide range of data sources
 Design themed forms
 Provide different views

30. Introducing InfoPath
What you can do with InfoPath
30
 Connect to a wide range of data sources
 Design themed forms
 Provide different views
 Use a rich array of tools to capture data

31. Introducing InfoPath
What you can do with InfoPath
31
 Connect to a wide range of data sources
 Design themed forms
 Provide different views
 Use a rich array of tools to capture data
 Not just a tool to create forms, but a tool
to create business solutions

32. Agenda
32
1. Introducing InfoPath
2. The basics of template creation
3. Data sources
4. Formatting a template
5. Using controls to collect data
6. Browser forms
7. Finishing and publishing the form
- What can InfoPath do for you
- What can form creators do with InfoPath
- Understanding the different InfoPath programs

33. Introducing InfoPath
Understanding the different InfoPath programs
33
InfoPath Filler
 Client side program
 Fill in forms

34. Introducing InfoPath
Understanding the different InfoPath programs
34
InfoPath Filler
 Client side program
 Fill in forms
InfoPath Designer
 Client side program
 Design themed forms
 Provide different views
 Use a rich array of tools to capture data
 Not just a tool to create forms, but a tool
to create business solutions

35. Agenda
35
1. Introducing InfoPath
2. The challenge of supporting InfoPath
3. Business scenarios
4. Questions and answers
5. Using controls to collect data
6. Browser forms
7. Finishing and publishing the form
- A common SharePoint story
- Supporting InfoPath – the options

36. Agenda
36
1. Introducing InfoPath
2. The challenge of supporting InfoPath
3. Business scenarios
4. Questions and answers
5. Using controls to collect data
6. Browser forms
7. Finishing and publishing the form
- A common SharePoint story
- Supporting InfoPath – the options

37. The challenge of supporting InfoPath
A common SharePoint story
In my experience supporting end users with SharePoint, I
see a clear and worrying trend:
SharePoint takes you 95% there out-of-the-box. The last 5%
requires development to make end users truly satisfied
1 2 3
37

38. The challenge of supporting InfoPath
A common SharePoint story
SharePoint Product Marketing:
SharePoint can be used to solve
business problems
to….
SharePoint can be used to almost
solve business problems
38
Examples
 Workflows
 Alert emails
 Web Parts

39. Agenda
39
1. Introducing InfoPath
2. The challenge of supporting InfoPath
3. Business scenarios
4. Questions and answers
5. Using controls to collect data
6. Browser forms
7. Finishing and publishing the form
- A common SharePoint story
- Supporting InfoPath – the options

40. 40
• Switch it off
Don’t support
it at all
• Let people use it but tell them they are by
themselves
Don’t support
it at all
• Support users with basic forms but not
complex forms that contain business logic
Support it
within limits
• Gather requirements and build forms with
end users
Fully
supported
The challenge of supporting InfoPath
Supporting InfoPath: The options

41. 41
• Switch it off
Don’t support
it at all
• Let people use it but tell them they are by
themselves
Don’t support
it at all
• Support users with basic forms but not
complex forms that contain business logic
Support it
within limits
• Gather requirements and build forms with
end users
Fully
supported
The challenge of supporting InfoPath
Supporting InfoPath: The options
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• Eliminates support burden
• One less thing for users to learn
• Preventing users from creating
dynamic solutions to some of
their common business
challenges
• Users continue to use Excel /
Word which don’t meet their
requirements
• Business functions invest in
expensive standalone solutions

42. 42
• Let people use it but tell them they are by
themselves
Don’t support
it at all
• Let people use it but tell them they are by
themselves
Don’t support
it at all
• Support users with basic forms but not
complex forms that contain business logic
Support it
within limits
• Gather requirements and build forms with
end users
Fully
supported
The challenge of supporting InfoPath
Supporting InfoPath: The options
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• Give access to a create tool
• People will use it to find
solutions that make a difference
• Users will ask for support
anyway
• User frustration will increase
when IT says no to support
• Users may create forms that are
not technically built correctly

43. 43
• Support users with basic forms but not
complex forms that contain business logic
Support it
within limits
• Let people use it but tell them they are by
themselves
Don’t support
it at all
• Support users with basic forms but not
complex forms that contain business logic
Support it
within limits
• Gather requirements and build forms with
end users
Fully
supported
The challenge of supporting InfoPath
Supporting InfoPath: The options
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• Give access to a create tool
• People will use it to find
solutions that make a difference
• Users will ask for support
anyway, even for the
complicated stuff
• User frustration will increase
when IT says no to support
• Users may create forms that are
not technically built correctly

44. 44
• Gather requirements and build forms with
end users
Fully
supported
• Let people use it but tell them they are by
themselves
Don’t support
it at all
• Support users with basic forms but not
complex forms that contain business logic
Support it
within limits
• Gather requirements and build forms with
end users
Fully
supported
The challenge of supporting InfoPath
Supporting InfoPath: The options
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• Give access to a create tool
• Great solutions can be provided
to business customers
• Perception of IT increases
• SharePoint is adopted by more
people
• Can be very costly
• IT need to gain skills
• IT will need to consider this in
next platform migration

45. Agenda
45
1. Introducing InfoPath
2. The challenge of supporting InfoPath
3. Questions and answers
4. Questions and answers
5. Using controls to collect data
6. Browser forms
7. Finishing and publishing the form

46. Questions?
Thank you!