Project Description

Facilities and Development Division Green Square SharePoint Project

The Facilities Development Division of UT-Battelle’s Facilities and Operations Directorate required a more efficient and effective solution for their collaboration of divisional information. In the previous solution for divisional collaboration of information a website was created to accommodate a graphical interface to all the associated information. Information pertaining to Organization, Services, Staff, and Performance were further broken down into specific topic links to other websites. These topical links were arranged in the formation of a square with 31 smaller corresponding green squares appropriately acquiring the nickname of the “FDD Green Square”. The FDD Green Square was essentially a collection of links to a myriad of file types and applications such as Word files, Excel files, Adobe PDF files, and links to other sites and other web developments lacking organization by the type of files and applications. Though the 31 Green Square links are easily identified, specific information was not easily located and only partially integrated into their respective processes.

There were several evident challenges in providing a more efficient and effective solution. Similar to the predecessor solution, collaboration between different audiences was necessary. Many groups of individual users needed the ability to access the same central point of information. Also, the data and information needed to be organized in a manner that would be sensitive to the numerous and unique audiences that interacted with the solution. Users required the ability to easily discern what information would be appropriate to them and how to easily locate that information. Additionally, the new solution needed to provide a better way for the user to interact with the information and provide a better collaboration environment. For example, links to checklist could be downloaded in Word or Adobe PDF files in the previous solution, but that link didn’t provide storage or organization for those downloaded files.

MSLLC determined a Microsoft SharePoint Environment would provide an appropriate solution for this project. UT-Battelle, the Facilities and Operations Directorate, and Facilities Development Division were already somewhat familiar with SharePoint. MSLLC and the Facilities Development Division were simultaneously developing SharePoint sites at the program and project level, making it easier to integrate in the daily activities of the users. Full implementation would require some basic training, but the application provided a user-friendly solution. After comprehensive evaluation of the current solutions content and how the division related it to Project Management, MSLLC outlined a site structure that simplified and better organized the business process into Tools, Standards, and Projects. The users would have web access with the SharePoint solution and would still have a central point of information. The MSLLC designed SharePoint site would provide a unique interface with several new features:

• Audience views that identify only pertinent information to the user
• mproved definition and organization of information
• Better Process integration
• Addition and implementation of new features to further encourage collaboration

The MSLLC designed SharePoint site provided a solution that filtered the users returned information by using what SharePoint calls “Audiencing”. SharePoint used Microsoft’s Active Directory in conjunction with predetermined groups to establish a filter of information depending upon what audience(s) the users were assigned. For example, if information about Design Request Forms was assigned an audience of “Design”, then only those users appointed to “Design” were able to access the information. This solution saved time by reducing the amount of unnecessary information available to the user while also allowing greater clarity to focus on their applicable information.

The MSLLC designed SharePoint site also provided improved definition and organization of information. Most of the information from the predecessor’s solution can be found in one of three locations on the SharePoint site. Those three locations reside on the site organized by:

• Tools – the location for content related to Checklists, Forms, Surveys, Requests and other features that provide a user with the necessary aids to successfully perform specific actions and duties. For example, users were able to download a one page Construction Approval Invoice Word or Adobe PDF file in the previous solution, whereas the new solution allowed users to access an electronic checklist through the Tools menu that worked through the flow of the checklist and stored the results in the same location.
• Standards – the location for features related to procedures, guidance, manuals, reports, performance management, metrics, and other features that provide a user with a knowledge base to function in unison with the Division’s management.
• Projects - The Projects site collection provides something new in a collection of programs and projects specific to the Facilities Development Division. Integrating the Projects into the SharePoint Environment enhances the experience for group collaboration while allowing users to work through a single source for projects and the other aspects of their jobs. Audiencing would be relevant to this site as well, and as such users would only see the appropriate programs to which they are involved. The Projects site links would redirect the user to the appropriate SharePoint site for the desired program or project.

The MSLLC designed site also provided a more intuitive solution that allowed users the ability to integrate the SharePoint solution with the actual process. The site gives users the ability to manage work flow, check lists, documentation, and many other user interactive features integrated into the solution. The MSLLC solution not only provides the ability to obtain information on the location of topics such as safety for example, but also the ability to electronically complete safety documentation and have it stored in that same location.

The MSLLC designed solution also provided several additional features related to enhanced collaboration experiences. In addition to the solutions already mentioned, the site provided users with access to group shared documents, tasks, calendars, team discussions and other relevant information to the user. The MSLLC solution provided users a more efficient and effective solution for their collaboration of divisional information.