SharePoint Transition: From an Isolated Hierarchical Network Structure to a Collaborative Web-Based Repository Environment

Abstract

Documents findability, file duplication and redundancy, versioning issues, lack of structure standardization, non-standard file/folder naming conventions, limited information categories, and reduced security are problems that affect companies with hierarchical network folder structures. The main causes of these problem are the limited collaboration and the lack of governance on the isolated network folders by the different user types that generate and consume digital media content. The migration to a webbased collaborative platform was studied and deployed in an effort to increase productivity, collaboration, and knowledge sharing between internal and external teams and groups. It was found that by considering the existing information architecture, implementing a governance procedure, training users and involving the intended end user when developing sites plan structures, a transition to SharePoint can be effective and possible. Key Terms ⎯ Enterprise Content Management, Findability, Shared Network Drives, Technology Governance.