Adding Collaboration to BPM
In the last 12 months, we all have seen a surge in SharePoint implementations.
I think that just about every deployment of our BPM platform has included Microsoft SharePoint.
From my point of view, this solution is great, enabling us to add collaboration to our BPM offering.
SharePoint does have basic workflow functionality that enables programmers to build simple document approval workflows, but is missing the complexity to create real-life corporate level workflows.
We usually get called in to supply the missing functionality.
As our workflow platform sits on Windows Workflow Foundation and integrates seamlessly with SharePoint, we can provide an end-to-end solution that uses SharePoint as the collaboration component and our workflow platform as the workflow engine component.
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SharePoint - User Acceptance
One of the main business pains we have when implementing an advanced SharePoint solution is user acceptance.
Everyone understands and appreciates the importance of SharePoint as a corporate collaboration platform.
The technical implementation and the basic functionality are usually straight-forward, but the main sticking point we find - is user acceptance of the more advanced features , the same features that make SharePoint such a powerful platform...
Understandably, most of the end users in the organisation are not technology experts. All of them know how to use Word, Excel and Outlook, but only few of them are familiar with the SharePoint more advanced features. In comes a new technology platform "SharePoint" with new work approach "document libraries", "lists", "versions"...
The ability to implement a solution without causing a fuss - is a blessing.
We find that the best way to implement a BPM and SharePoint solution is by implementing the platforms "behind the scenes".
The workflow system sends an email to the user with the task details embedded. The email has a link to the SharePoint document. No need to open up SharePoint manually, it will be done automatically.. No need to start training random users as everything is straight forward. By using the end-user's day-to-day tools like Outlook and implementing links to the systems like SharePoint we remove the user acceptance barrier, enabling us to go-live quicker, with less problems. Also, the more users we reach with the emails and the links, the more they get use to work seamlessly with SharePoint, so after a while they become SharePoint experts without even notice that, leading to a great user acceptance of the SharePoint platform.
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