Information Management Needs and SharePoint Prototype

A fixed price consultancy-led review of the Information Architecture (IA) needs of an organisation or department, leading to development of a testable prototype architecture and taxonomy.

The focus is on usability, which helps smooth the path of user adoption for information management systems such as SharePoint.

The output of this service includes these deliverables:

• Team that understands IA and has experienced research and development of an IA
• Prototype taxonomy and SharePoint proof of architecture

Benefits

Understanding and establishing the basic information architecture is an essential step if co-workers are to be able to collaborate using digital technologies such as content management systems, intranets, portals and websites.

Information inevitably increases and develops, yet contains core values of the organisation. Some organisations have taken the initiative, invest, and deliberately manage that resource by:

• Appointing IA officers and teams
• Promoting useful and time-saving practices
• Making it easy to store information in the right place
• Increasing “searchability” and relevance
• Avoiding common implementation disasters

Service Delivery

Storm’s Architecture Review comprises 4 activities, which are explained in more detail below. The activities are:

1. Briefing for the IA team
2. Information discovery and gathering
3. Analysis & design
4. Prototype taxonomy & testing

The review is carried out on-site, and is led by a Principal Consultant.

Briefing the IA team

A small team of 1-2 members is selected to carry-out the duties of Information Architect. The purpose of the briefing is to provide “just enough” training, “just in time” so they can play a full role in the ensuing activity.

The participants provide business knowledge, and they must know who to speak with to access information. They work closely with Storm’s Principal Consultant, who provides the IA and project management expertise.

Information discovery

The team works to gather organisation charts, information forms, compliance and audit requirements and example documents.  User stories are developed in order to understand the purpose and value of the information.

Analysis and design

Information is analysed by the team to find commonalities, roles, and differences.

Then, something like a metamorphosis occurs between analysis and the production of a working design that supports the users’ needs. Years of experience are Storm’s unique value proposition, and this is the activity that typically yields the biggest return for clients.

Prototyping

The initial design is refined through prototyping. This is usually done by creating and installing a physical taxonomy and working with a target group of users to upload and find documents.

As information proliferates exponentially, usability is becoming the critical success factor for websites and software applications. Good IA lays the necessary groundwork for an information system that makes sense to users.