Presented at SP LIve 360 Orlando, FL December 2012

1. How to Effectively Plan, Execute
and Control SharePoint Projects
Dux Raymond Sy, PMP, MVP
Managing Partner, Innovative-e
Level: Intermediate
Video Recording: https://vimeo.com/55729180

2. Objectives
• In this presentation, you will learn the essential components
of delivering successful SharePoint projects
• In addition, you'll learn key techniques in:
– Establishing Project Success Criteria
– Collaboratively Engineer a Solution
– Developing Relevant Project Plan
– Executing and Controlling a SharePoint Project

3. Agenda
• Can’t We Just Focus on the Technology?
• Establish Success Criteria
• Collaboratively Engineer a Solution
• Develop Relevant Project Plan
• Effectively Manage the Project

4. Agenda
• Can’t We Just Focus on the Technology?
• Establish Success Criteria
• Collaboratively Engineer a Solution
Why won’t
• Develop Relevant Project Plan
this one fit?
• Effectively Manage the Project

5. Typical Scenarios
• Pilot deployment for IT then magically it becomes an
enterprise production deployment
– No planning
– Everything is ad-hoc
– No budget earmarked
• Heavily customized implementation
by techies lacking SharePoint skillz

6. Implementation Continuum
Draconian IT Governed Wild Wild
Control Empowerment West Chaos

7. Agenda
• Can’t We Just Focus on the Technology?
• Establish Success Criteria
• Collaboratively Engineer a Solution
• Develop Relevant Project Plan
• Effectively Manage the Project

8. What Does Winning Look Like?
• Why is SharePoint being implemented?
• What is the Priority?
– Time
– Cost/Budget
– Scope
• Identify Key Stakeholders
– Sponsor
– Customer
– Team

9. Establish Rules of Engagement
• Project Phases
– Initiation
– Planning
– Execution
– Control
– Closing
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Project Communication
• Project Tracking

10. Agenda
• Can’t We Just Focus on the Technology?
• Establish Success Criteria
• Collaboratively Engineer a Solution
• Develop Relevant Project Plan
• Effectively Manage the Project

11. Executive Ignorance Is Not Bliss
• Execs ordered SharePoint to be deployed
– Do they REALLY understand the value of SharePoint to the
organization?
– Is the budget realistic?
• As the enlightened ones, it’s our responsibility to raise
executive awareness about SharePoint

12. Educate and Engage the Business
• SharePoint is more than just a glorified network share
– Stress that SharePoint is a platform
• Tip: Address their pain points
– Provide high-level technology overview
– Discuss business challenges
– Map it to a SharePoint Solution

13. Don’t Call it SharePoint
• Enterprise Solutions
– Corporate Intranet
– Content Management
• Point Solutions
– Employee Onboarding System for Human Resources
– Conference Room Scheduling System for Facilities
– Project Management Information System for PMs
• System Integration
• Custom Application Development

14. Keep Priorities in Order
• You can’t do it all!
– What business need should you solve first?
– What are common features that can be deployed?
• Project scope must be limited and specific
– What’s important? Time? Budget? Functionality?
• Tip: Involve decision makers in planning and prioritization

15. Agenda
• Can’t We Just Focus on the Technology?
• Establish Success Criteria
• Collaboratively Engineer a Solution
• Develop Relevant Project Plan
• Effectively Manage the Project

16. Define Project Goal
• A clear, quantifiable statement of project intent
– Why is the project being undertaken?
– What will the project achieve?
– Who is the customer?
– When is the deadline?
– Where will the project be implemented?
– Any constraints?

17. Example: Project Goal
The current SharePoint 2007 intranet will be upgraded to
SharePoint 2010 throughout the university in order to increase
adoption and reduce IT support requirements.
The upgrade should be completed a month before Fall
semester begins.

18. Identify Relevant Deliverables
• Apart from the end product, what are the essential project
artifacts and or milestones that needs to be completed?
• For example:
– Governance Plan
– Training
– Content Migration
– SharePoint 2010 Installation and Configuration

19. Define the Work Needed
SharePoint 2010 Upgrade
Content Install &
Governance Training
Migration Configure

20. What are You Estimating For?
Duration Work Resourc
e
Attend Conference
Paint This Room
Install SharePoint 2010
on Single Server

21. Create Schedule

22. IT Can You Handle This?
• Implementation
– Do you have the relevant skillsets
to plan, engage with the business,
deploy SharePoint?
– Are key processes for release
management, disaster recovery,
auditing in place?
• Support and Maintenance
– What does the support structure look like?
– Resources available for maintaining related technologies?
• Future Releases

23. Agenda
• Can’t We Just Focus on the Technology?
• Establish Success Criteria
• Collaboratively Engineer a Solution
• Develop Relevant Project Plan
• Effectively Manage the Project

24. What Do You Track?
• Making time to gather intelligence about the progress of the
project is a significant priority for the project manager
• What critical elements of a project do you track?
– Schedule
– Risks
– Changes
• Tracking with percentages doesn’t mean jack squat

25. Tracking Process
• Monitoring Progress
• Analyzing Status
• Correcting the Schedule
• Managing Changes

26. Questions?
Dux Raymond Sy
dux.sy@innovative-e.com

27. Thank You!