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65. Ruven Gotz
Tools Mentioned:
-
Mindjet MindManager
Balsamiq Mockups
BizAgi Entry Level
Microsoft Visio
@ruveng
spinsiders.com/ruveng
ruven.gotz@avanade.com
Download this deck from slideshare.net/ruveng
Download sample files: http://bit.ly/sps-sample-files
Notas del editor
Because I said so, and I’m the customer.If you don’t include my requirement, I’ll shootOne of my biggest jobs as a SharePoint BA is to manage this desire. My three rules of SharePoint: Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity
Go for it!
Wait a sec – maybe we can think of some alternatives(Hey! Maybe it’s no longer a ‘requirement’)
So, what happens when the customer says “I need this”This is the “we need it all” solution – often arrived at before defining the problemThe “Hammer” problem
So, what happens when the customer says “I need this”This is the “we need it all” solution – often arrived at before defining the problemThe “Hammer” problem
Think about alternatives:Is it close by?
How fast do I need to get there – who needs to come with me
Is a less flexible but more cost-effective solution already out there
Is the destination specialized and particularly hard to get to?
Maybe we need to really think outside the box
Simple is not ALWAYS the best solution: There are times when a complex and expensive solution is the only way to get the required destination
Bottom line: Arrive at outcomes, not requirements
The other problem with requirements is that you only have one time to mention them, so you want ALLLLL of them to be met.So, you put everything in that you can think of…SharePoint lets you be ‘agile’Start with the three rules: Simplicity/Simplicity/SimplicityIdeas from: PragPub Feb 2011 – Pragmatic ProgrammersWay of the Agile Warrior - by Jonathan Rasmusson
But the reality is that most requirements never get used as designed because the landscape changes under your feet.
And this causes you to change course, sometimes even before that ‘required’ item is even finished being built or tested.
Leading to a bunch of rusty tools lying around that cause trouble for years.e.g. what happens when you need to upgrade or migrate? Someone has to chip the rust off to see if this stuff is even useful anymore
The result is wasted money
So, shifting gears: I’ve explained what we should not be doing. What CAN we do?
What would you like SharePoint to do?Well, what can it do?Tons! Let me show youWhat do I need that for?Well, it depends… what do you want it for?Well, it LOOKS cool – sure: I want it.
I’m going to share the tools and techniques that I have built up out of painful experience.
My goal for you: Ability to move forward confidently, knowing that you have increased your chances of delivering a solution that really works for your customers.
Favorite phrase: If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will get you there.
Discovery, Road-mapping, Navigation, Document Inventory/Taxonomy, Wireframing, Business Process
But First: DO NOT DEMO SharePoint Confuses peopleSets unreasonable expectations
The focus here needs to be on pain points and outcomes: NOT RequirementsTry to stick to one team at a time3 – 8 people is ideal – up to 12-15 can work.Need to make sure you hear from everyoneDon’t let manager dominateMake SURE you get front-line workers, not just managersBook 1.5 hours – plan on an hour and a bit.People love some extra un-booked time at the end.
The following slides are a sample deck that I use in workshops
If you are lucky, you can take the results of these workshops and create a roadmap for a phased, rational approach to SharePoint deployment. Push HARD to do this step.Summarize workshop resultsBuild Gap AnalysisIdentify dependenciesLay out a timeline (not a project plan at this point)
Use their language, colors, logoShow ‘day in the life’ type scenario
A little detour into shared understanding
To achieve success, you need shared commitmentTo get that, you need to get to shared understandingSing from the same song-book: Get onto the same pageIf this area really interests you, speak to Ant Clay of 21 Apps – they run the SharePoint IA Master Class
What is this a picture of?With a lot of experience, training or imagination, you may figure something out – but the concept is ABSTRACT
This is something that people understand and agree on.It is concreteVisual tools can help make the abstract into the concrete
MindManager (from MindJet) is a tool that has changed the way I work. Here is a quick demo of how it works.
Now lets get back on-track
Site navigation/Menus
Using Mind Maps for navigational design makes this process MUCH faster and more efficient.
First, I do a presentation about what metadata is to a collection of groupsGive them homeworkThen, bring them back to build taxonomy: This needs to be done with just one group at a time
Folders/Folders/FoldersShow a familiar tool – Excel – to simulate a document library
This is the homework for the stakeholders: Go and examine your files and, for each type of document, list the potential metadata that may be used.
Note: Picture of ‘tacks’ is a visual joke – it doesn’t mean anything
This taxonomy map is built interactively with the client based on the homework that they’ve done
What is wireframing?Creating page mockups that show the function and structure of the page without the fonts/colors/images, etc
This tool called ‘Balsamiq’ makes it extremely simple and fast to make wireframes.They look cartoonish, but that makes it easy to focus on what’s important (not color, font, etc.)
Even without building an automated workflow, it’s essential to understand the business process of your customers.Use BizAgi (which is free to download) or Visio 2010 to map these processes.
Solve the Chicken and Egg problemAvoid the pain of past mistakesGive you tools that you can learn that will make your projects go better.