SharePoint User Group Belarus.

1. SharePoint project: DOs and DON’Ts
Natallia Makarevich, Lead Software Engineer
Raman Bakanovich, Business Analyst
Belarus SharePoint User Group
November 2013

2. Purpose?
Project success criteria:
 Skilled team
 Enough time
 Appropriate budget
Is it enough?
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3. Customer and SharePoint
Are they the best match?
+
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4. Customer and SharePoint
Reasons why SP projects fail:

Technology preferred by the customer

Technology already bought by the customer

End-users’ religion is against SharePoint

SharePoint can’t solve customer’s problem
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5. Customer and SharePoint
And why any projects fail:

Customer is not involved in the project

User adoption is skipped

Incorrect or incomplete requirements are
gathered

Low feedback from customer

Wrong deadlines

Technical debt is huge

And many many more..
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6. Speak as not SharePointee

Customer language is the only correct language
- Be on the same page with QA and BA
- Consider pros and cons of each solution:
explain what is possible and what is not
desired.
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7. Learn OOB!

Customer – Know OOB SharePoint!

BA – Know OOB SharePoint!

QA – Know OOB SharePoint!

Dev – Know OOB SharePoint!
Intensive communication
and training are a must!
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8. If you're SharePoint
Developer

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Knowing your domain is essential
- Sometimes BA may help. So read the requirements
- Keep learning!
- Try different SP features
- Create Accelerators, be rational

9. Chimeras at SP project

3rd party components sometimes are
unreasonably added to the solution

The more chimeras, the more efforts to support
- Conduct solution evaluation
- Conduct impact analysis
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10. Chimeras at SP project

Every technology has its applicability area

Chimeras can be created without 3rd party
solutions
When choosing a technology think
about its purpose
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11. SharePoint Operations &
Maintenance

System administrators are our friends
Make sure you have one
in your team from the beginning
of the project
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12. Do not test SharePoint!

QA should know SP – otherwise you’ll get
hundreds of bugs and will get drawn in disputes
Teach your QA!
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13. Do test SharePoint!

Quality assurance should be maintained on high
level anyway

Custom functionality often breaks OOB features

QA will help you to identify missed requirements
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14. Follow SharePoint style

SharePoint as platform has its limitations, rules and
principles

BA, QA and DEV should be aware of them
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15. SharePoint projects are
not special enough...

Plan architecture

Choose and follow a methodology

Maintain documentation
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16. If you're SharePoint Project
Manager

Common PM practices are applicable

Project (as well as Sprint scope) should be
managed to avoid stress within the team

Team with the right skills is important

Knowing SP is an advantage
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17. Staff team with the right
people

SharePoint is technology

More .NET specialists won’t solve the problem quickly

One should understand “technological background”
- Document technical peculiarities
- Communicate and explain!
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18. If you're SharePoint
Architect
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- Project timeframes may affect solution
architecture. Be prepared
- Estimate implementing OOB featured carefully
- Maintain proper environment for your team
- Patterns are not a silver bullet. Be critical

19. SharePoint architecture...

Simple is the best!
- Follow Guidelines
- Make components reusable
- Make components less interconnected
- Maintain Knowledge Base!
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20. If you're SharePoint
Business Analyst

They should become a SP expert

They should like SP

They should be trained

They should document the requirements
whatever methodology is used

They should be critical to customer’s wishes
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21. If you're SharePoint
Business Analyst

They shouldn’t


provide poor requirements

miss requirements


commit under deadlines without the team’s approval
miss stakeholders
You should be aware of Gold platting
- Teach your BA
- Ask questions as early as possible
- Get feedback from BA as early as possible
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22. Q&A – What do you think..
 ..about BA at SharePoint project?
 ..about QA?
 ..about PM?
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