SharePoint Online as a Document M anagement S ystem

Dudok de Wit David

Documents management in a deskless company

SharePoint Online as a solution

Redesigning the documentary organization

Interoperability with the existent infrastructure

Extending SharePoint Online's functionality

Bachelor’s thesis project Deskless company day-to-day work

Remote collaboration with classic Office tools Coordination via a custom made CRM Multiple distributed documents versions, not

always accessible Typical questions about documents

Do they exist? Where are they? Which ones should be used?

Slows the company expansion

Document Management System CriteriaCentralized solutionCRM interoperabilityMicrosoft Office interoperabilityReasonable pricing

Microsoft SharePoint Online

Most used applications at ISMATMost used applications at ISMAT

Web Services, WebDAV, SharePoint Designer, Etc.

Web Services, WebDAV, SharePoint Designer, Etc.

ISMAT CRM

General comparison

CHF 395.-+ installation

CHF 153.-

CHF 537.-+ installation

Monthly costs*

*for 15 users, including maintenance,

July 2009 numbers

Before:No common tree logic between workers

•Mixed private and professional folders •Duplicate files and folders•Scattered files •Irrelevant documents that needed to be deleted

After:Tree logic redesigned with SharePoint in mind

•Added meta-data to documents which allowed:

• easier sorting• views creation• grouping

•Implemented a rights strategy•Linked documents with clientsHow to keep clients information consistent between

the existing CRM platform and SharePoint Online?

Using SharePoint Online’s Web Services and PHP5’s own SOAP implementation

CRMNew client

Collaborator zone

ISP Server zone Microsoft SharePoint Online zone

Identified user on the CRM

MySQL DB

CRM

POSTClients list update

with SOAP

«New client» form sent

Clients table update with

PHP

Web ServicesASMX 2.0

Clients lists is read only

from the SharePoint user interface

ISP Zone

Business process Select and personalize

generic consulting material for customers

Productivity objective Reduce human actions reduce errors

Technical objective Copy multiple documents between lists and add client metadata

JavaScript / jQuery pluginWorks with the Document Library

Web PartUses Web Services and information

available in the HTML code

Adding functionality in the user interface

JavaScript plugins installation methods Store the jQuery library and the plugin in a

Document Library in the root of your Site Collection and reference it from the ASPX page▪ Best practice compatible with code auditing▪ End-users can’t manipulate it

Use a Content Editor Web Part with the script reference in it▪ Only a browser is needed▪ Easy to try out

Use a configuration file

Advantages Executed on the client side, no risk to break the

server Visually integrated with SharePoint’s GUI Can support real business processes

Portable Easy configuration (GUIDs input not obligatory) Only one script reference to add

Compatible with IE,FF, Chrome, Safari, … Thanks to the jQuery API

Official documentation Microsoft Open Specifications Center

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecifications

Microsoft Interoperability Webcasts http://www.microsoft.com/france/interop

SharePoint Online Standard Developer Guide

SharePoint / Office Live JavaScript API http://darrenjohnstone.net

David Dudok de WitMScIS Student at HEC Business School

Lausanne

Email: David@Dudokdewit.net

IT blog: www.dudokdewit.net