Remember when you first began paying bills online? Mailing in a check was the standard routine-still is for many. Yet, after converting to the new way of doing things there is no way you would ever go back again.
Microsoft is a convenient fallback for many companies; they utilize the program because it is what they are accustomed to. Over 100 million people currently use Microsoft products in fact, but that certainly does not mean it is the best solution for your business.
The researchers at iDatix looked deep into SharePoint and discovered five key areas where the program falls short.
The following points challenge you to take a fresh look at what SharePoint is really doing for your business-or not doing.
1.High risk
As an off the shelf product, you have two choices after purchasing SharePoint. You can either customize it yourself, which is discussed further below, or you use it as-is. Now, using any document management system straight of the box inherently causes problems. Your business is not generic; your business solutions should not be either.
A SharePoint deployment, like any other technology implementation, if not aligned with strategy and without proper planning will ultimately get abandoned. The associated problems with a failed ECM system are tantamount, and 60% of SharePoint users rate the system as ‘poor’ or ‘fair’.i With the continual misuse and incorrect implementations that are regularly reportedii it is no wonder why the system is a high risk for abandonment.
2. You are on your own
After choosing SharePoint for their ECM solution, some businesses take on the daunting task of customizing it to meet their specific business needs. Of those that do, 50% indicated that custom solutions required more effort than expectediii . To complicate matters further, tailoring the program to your organization requires expertise in programming and IT.
Integration is further complicated due to a lack of training, proper documentation and integration with non-Microsoft based repositories and existing applicationsiv.
3. Low ROI
A content management system, when properly configured and applied, will lower costs associated with printing, storage, filing and paper usage. Improved operational efficiencies and the reduction in expenses offer a high return on investment. However, due to the extra expenditures and resources required with SharePoint, and the lack of high quality advantages, your company cannot expect to see a high return.
Ideally your a ECM provider will analyze and provide an expected return-on-investment for your company before employing their system, and will continue to evaluate the ROI as their product is utilized. This way you can be sure the solution is working for your business. SharePoint provides no such evaluation.
4.Poor performance
Depending on third parties or in-house developers and programmers to create the custom code for SharePoint that is required to fit the program to your needs puts you at the mercy of others who are not invested in the overall success of your business. This often results in shortcuts being taken to stay on time and under budget.
5. Limited Capabilities
When exploring the options for a successful ECM solution, many companies are looking for an easy to use system that can integrate seamlessly and provide everything the company may need to grow and manage the business. Yet, despite its prevalence only 23% of SharePoint implementations can be considered an optimized and mature ECMv. The primary function of SharePoint is to share files-and that is it.
Due to its lack of features and functions, 49% of companies are looking to incorporate SharePoint into another ECM or document management systemvi. This simply adds additional costs and steps in order for your business to reach its full potential.
In regards to a mature content management system, SharePoint is only giving you a car frame. It provides a basic layout, but in order to successfully get anywhere, you are going to end up investing a lot more time and resources than initially expected. While the car frame may give you a place to sit, you will need an electrician to put in the engine, you must call in a mechanic to affix the tires, and you will continuously require the support and expertise of multiple third parties to actually move forward with the technology.
For the full report, download the free White Paper
i Taking AIIM, SharePoint Good Enough – Good for the Economy (Jan. 29, 2009)
ii CMSWire, Study Finds SharePoint Primarily Used for File Sharing (Mar. 3, 2009)
iii http://www.cmswire.com/cms/enterprise-cms/study-finds-sharepoint-primarily-used-for-file-sharing-004046.php
iv http://www.cmswire.com/cms/enterprise-cms/study-finds-sharepoint-primarily-used-for-file-sharing-004046.php
v AIIM, State of the ECM Industry 2011 – How well is it meeting business needs?
About Chris Lewis
We use iSynergy mainly as an e-File solution. I liked your comments and would like to get more information on how to Use iSYnergy on other areas of my organization. Please advise and thank you.