SharePoint Document and Data Control

Transcription

1 SharePoint Document and Data Control This article is concerned with how the management of documents and data in a site related to the delivery of SharePoint, thus allowing the control, storage and management of information related to a SharePoint delivery project. This document will describe the recommended structure for a SharePoint Project filing system and the associated numbering scheme, collectively referred to as the file referencing system. Please do not confuse this article with say a document lifecycle in a site. When delivering a SharePoint solution, it is not enough to simply create a bunch of documentation and store it somewhere without at least indicating how the documents inter-relate, the ownership, who has receipt of the document, and its relevant state (i.e. version). A successful SharePoint delivery is the sum of its deliverables, and the documentation of the project is a key facet of that. The better the quality of the documentation, the better the quality of the project; and the better the management of the SharePoint environments after. You cannot successfully manage a new SharePoint delivery without documents to backup how it was created and how it should be operated. SharePoint is an excellent vehicle Document and Data Control since it has the ability to assign metadata against documents so that key columns can be created allowing the capture of data associated with each document created or uploaded. Document and Data Control is a crucial aspect of the control of data and how this procedure then links into Configuration Management (a key chapter in the book). Please read the introduction into how this procedure can be used to aid the successful delivery of SharePoint. Reminder. This article is referenced from my book 'Managing and Implementing SharePoint Projects'; and needs to be read if you are going to build things like SharePoint Quality Plans, User Requirements etc.; because they need to be managed and controlled. 1 Control and Procedure Documents require control in the project - now comes the academic part - very important since we need to know some rules concerning document and data control. Page 1 of 7

2 1.1 Control All Project documentation must be controlled. This procedure addresses the control of project documentation. For the purposes of this procedure, the definition of the term 'document' includes project data. In addition to the basic aspects of document creation, approval and update, the topics covered include the receipt and transmission of documents, filing and referencing schemes. Controlled documents may come under formal configuration management, depending on their use. Those controlled documents that specifically relate to the technical or functional performance of a product, either software or hardware, shall be identified as configuration items and therefore will be subject to configuration management. Where the deliverable is a standalone report it is more likely to be a controlled document rather than a configured one; similarly most plans that ate generated in support of a project are controlled documents. When delivering SharePoint and within a team of differing skill sets, terms of reference and locations it is important that a standard of documentation be reached and adhered to as all the documentation becomes part of the signoff to the client. The mark of good documentation is a significant mark of a good SharePoint delivery. 1.2 Responsibility The Delivery / Project Manager is responsible for the control scheme. The document identification and production control scheme. as defined in this procedure, shall apply unless another method is contractually imposed by the customer. Such a scheme shall be described in the SharePoint Quality Plan. The project manager is responsible for delivery of the document identification and the control scheme. The project manager as part of setting the control scheme is responsible for ensuring the rest of the team adheres to the control scheme. 1.3 Register A Register is essential for the control of documentation. The production and subsequent modification of all project documents for SharePoint delivery projects must be controlled. There is a requirement to register external documentation and this should be on receipt and thereafter control their internal distribution / issue, storage and retrieval. The requirements of this procedure shall apply unless contractual requirements state otherwise. in which case these shall be stated in the SharePoint Quality Plan. 1.4 Application This procedure applies to all Project Documentation and Data This procedure covers project documentation and data received, created or transmitted and destroyed / archived. This scope includes the contract stages of the project and covers documentation and data held in both hard copy and electronic forms. Page 2 of 7

3 1.5 Glossary Glossary of Terms The following terms have the following definitions for the purpose of this procedure. Delivery / Project Manager - for the purposes of this document the term covers Project Leader Document - Project documentation and data in either hard copy of in an electronic format or stored on electronic media Products - may be items of SharePoint hardware and/or software produced under client contract, or items provided for the purposes of delivering SharePoint Configurable document - configurable documents are defined as: Product Specifications for all types Product Drawings, both overall and detailed Software Documentation Product Manuals and Guides User Requirements Documentation System Specification Documentation 2 Control Process 2.1 Filing System A filing system is essential for all SharePoint delivery projects For SharePoint it is vital that a filing system be defined to ensure that duplicity of information does not take place and information can be properly located. To do this, a filing system is defined that sets the format, numbering scheme and format, ensuring traceable controlled data and data which is can be exposed in the SharePoint Quality Project Plan. A SharePoint filing system for project documentation must be established to control the trace-ability, storage, location and retrieval of documents. A recommended system is described in the Document Register Form. This structure is strongly recommended to provide standardization. The retention of Quality Records for the SharePoint delivery project if not managed can lead to duplication which is both wasteful and expensive. The filing system can be used to indicate the location and member of staff / function responsible for holding the master copy of a record. By ensuring the file index is available to all project staff, the need for other parts of the organization to retain unnecessary copies of the files will be reduced. Page 3 of 7

4 2.2 Referenced and Traceable The production, receipt or transmission of controlled documents must be recorded to provide the basic traceability of such documents. This includes those documents and data of external origin such as standards and customer drawings which may be received in either hard copy or electronic form. It is recommended that these requirements extend to other project documentation e.g. project communications, technical notes, memoranda as well as controlled and configurable documents prior to reaching a configured state. The preferred method is by means of a document register. In particular, documents that contain or relate to technical / design information or data shall be recorded, including their version status, in such a register. An alternative means is to record the absence of these documents with the project filing system where the contents list forms an acceptable register. 2.3 Production Rules The production and subsequent modification of all controlled documents in a SharePoint delivery project should ensure that: They fulfil the requirements for which they were produced They carry a unique identifier Their distribution is identified and ensures availability where and when required Their existence is recorded They are authorised before being issued / distributed A 'guard' or back-up copy of the document should be maintained, to minimise the impact to the project or the loss or damage of the master copy of a document In the event of the document being modified, such changes shall be authorized by the same functional organization that undertook the original authorization. The change control history is maintained, is readily accessible and its location is indicated in the document On completion of their useful like their disposal / archiving is controlled 2.4 Recording Record the Archiving and the Disposal of Documents. The document register must be updated to indicate the disposal / archiving of a controlled document. Distribution of the updated document will instruct recipients as to the disposal of the existing versions. Upon receiving an updated version, it is the responsibility of the recipient to dispose of / return the old document as instructed. If retained for legal of knowledge preservations purposes the old version shall be clearly marked as 'superceded' or 'obsolete'. It should also be annotated with the reason for retention. Page 4 of 7

5 3 Document Register Form A form is attached that can be used if in the control of documents you do not have access to a SharePoint One Stop Shop. The SharePoint One Stop Shop is discussed in my book Managing and Implementing SharePoint Projects and describes how you can create as part of the delivery of SharePoint a special site to manage and store your SharePoint documents as described in the Glossary (Products). If you do not have a SharePoint One Stop Shop, read on anyway, then check out the form at the end of this section. If you do have a SharePoint One Stop Shop then you could simply define a document library called SharePoint Project Documents with the following columns defined: Document Title Document Reference Number and Version Location Date Issue To, if outgoing document Source, if incoming document To be Retained (Y/N) In either case, you will need to use the form when storing documents against the project. To help you do this we need to describe each of those columns. Document Title. This is the title of the document, not the physical name of the document. For example, if the physical name of the document is userreqs.doc and the title is called User Requirements then the document title you enter here is User Requirements. Document Reference Number and Version. All documents should have a reference number. For example, the SharePoint Quality Plan refers to several documents; Project Plan, Risk Management Plan, Configuration Plan - for example. Therefore each document entered into the register would have a reference number and a version number. A good document reference number for SharePoint would be something like SPS[Acronym of Document][Contract Number]; where SPS = SharePoint, [Acronym of Document] could mean QUAL for Quality Document, and [Contract Number] could mean the contract number designated by the client relevant to the delivery of SharePoint. Location. The physical or electronic name of the location where the document is located. For example, if the physical location is Cabinet A in Room 400 then you could enter CABA - RM 400. If the location is on a fileshare called PMO and located in a folder called SharePoint then you would enter the target folder relevant to the document on that share. Date. The date when the file was updated Issue To. The name / initials of the individuals who will receive the document (potentially those who would sign off the document) Page 5 of 7

6 Source. The name / initials of the individual who created the document, or the person would needs to control the document within the project. To be Retained (Y/N). All documentation would be controlled of course, but some documentation is transient. For example the project could receive some data which must be injected into a system specification for SharePoint. For example, the SQL Team may have produced core system specs for SQL, but that data would end up in the System Specification document. Therefore, its likely that this document would not be retained. However, if the document is say a SharePoint Quality / Project Plan then the document would be retained. It is useful to identify the retention plan of the document but use the Source and Issue to help you identify whether the document is to be retained. 4 Document Review Template During the Project, at key milestones, you will need to review the outputs of certain documents. The key documents when created for the intention of signoff by the client or the business in respect to the delivery of SharePoint are: SharePoint Quality Plan SharePoint Project Plan SharePoint User Requirements Page 6 of 7

7 SharePoint System Requirements There is very little point in creating such important documents, having a quick meeting with the client, waving a piece of paper and saying - 'hey I've created this document so I've done my job ok'. The client will still need guidance in signing off this document and this meets a voyage of discovery by reviewing the document. Page 7 of 7