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I’m Published!

// July 23rd, 2004 // Personal

I’ve been holding off on this until the article was actually released but I am pleased to say that I have my first ever article published today in Business Brief (a pan island, monthly business round up).

Hopefully I’ll be asked to write a few more (I like being asked to write things – it makes me feel all special). This particular article was on Business Portals – a subject about which I know considerably more than I should.

For those who are interested, the article is in the extended entry.

Business Portals – the next generation of information management.

It is safe to say that information technology is now incorporated into most aspects of modern business. Whilst the technology is well established, the way in which we use these tools has changed very little over the years. It is on this basis that I would like to introduce a new paradigm for the management of digital information within any organisation – the Business Portal.

What is a portal? Well a portal means different things to different people. In this article, when I refer to a portal I mean a dynamic website which contains a collection of documents and other data. There are many different portal solutions on the market. Easily one of the most well established, powerful and extensible is the Microsoft SharePoint product family. I’ll discuss the specific advantages of SharePoint a little later on but first let’s take a look at how a portal could enhance your business.

Restructuring your business processes

The way information is stored within an organisation is generally derived from traditional, paper based filing methods. Documents are kept in folders on disks spread across any number of file servers. Whilst such systems are ideal for long term storage of data they are not conducive to workflow and collaboration. On the other hand, a well structured portal allows for archiving of documents whilst ensuring that current information is easily accessible. The complex collection of folders is replaced with a simple, web based system. To access personnel files you simply load the personnel section of the portal. If you can’t find what you are looking for then a search facility allows you to locate it.

Portals also simplify document approval and workflow. Traditionally the everyday task of collaborating on a document is achieved using email. The first draft is completed and it is then emailed to the next person involved in its creation. At best, the result is a half dozen versions of the same document and it is difficult to establish which one is the master copy. At worst, the document gets mislaid, delayed, reverted or lost completely. Sharing documents and getting work approved is more work than it needs to be.

A portal removes these potential pitfalls. The document is stored on the portal from the outset, with the software managing the versions. Documents can be reviewed by as many parties as need to. You are able to see exactly who is working on the document and how far away from completion it is at every stage of the process.

Word integration

Unsurprisingly for a Microsoft product, SharePoint is tightly integrated with Microsoft Office. Users can open documents directly into Word, Excel or other members of the Office family. More than that, portals can be setup to use specific document templates, making it easy to apply consistent corporate branding on a departmental basis.

Intranets

Many larger companies have set up a corporate intranet as a focal point of internal communication, but if only the IT department know how to update it then information quickly becomes out of date. Portals like SharePoint can replace your intranet and enable non-technical staff to update the content themselves using just their web browser or Microsoft Word.

What will it cost and what’s in it for me?

Cost and return on investment are of course key to IT spending decisions. In terms of something as intangible as a Business Portal, ROI can be difficult to determine. Costs, on the other hand, are easy to work out.

There is good news on the software cost of SharePoint. The basic version is a freely downloadable add-on for Windows 2000 or 2003 Server. So that’s your software outlay – zero.

You’ll need some hardware to run the software on. It is likely you’ll already have a spare server somewhere in your organisation that’s up to the job. If not, then the cost of an additional dedicated server is pretty low. In effect you can put together a fully functioning business portal for less than £2,000. Not bad for something that is capable of totally revolutionising the way you work.

By way of a real world example, Itex have been working with Jersey Post to implement a business portal. The system has now been in place for a little over three months and Jersey Post’s staff are already benefiting from improved collaboration and enhanced workflow.

Advanced uses

A full listing of the extent of a portal system is beyond the scope of this article but suffice to say they can be very powerful indeed, perhaps used as an external facing portal for client interaction, as a secured web site for sharing documents with suppliers or partners, or as a single front-end to legacy applications.

Conclusion

Next time you are searching through your file shares for that vital document for the meeting that should have started five minutes ago, remember that life can be easier and more productive and for a minimal outlay – all you need is a Portal .

Robert Dudley – 06/2004