Table Of ContentMicrosoft SharePoint 2010
End User Guide: Business
Performance Enhancement
Taking the basics to the business with
no-coding solutions for SharePoint 2010
A from-the-trenches tutorial filled with hints, tips, and
real world best practices for applying SharePoint 2010
to your business
Michael McCabe
Peter Ward
professional expertise distilled
P U B L I S H I N G
BIRMINGHAM - MUMBAI
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 End User Guide: Business
Performance Enhancement
Taking the basics to the business with no-coding solutions for
SharePoint 2010
Copyright © 2011 Packt Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written
permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in
critical articles or reviews.
Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy
of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is
sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors, nor Packt
Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages
caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.
Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the
companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals.
However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
First published: February 2011
Production Reference: 1090211
Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.
32 Lincoln Road
Olton
Birmingham, B27 6PA, UK.
ISBN 978-1-849680-66-0
www.packtpub.com
Cover Image by Mark Holland (MJH767@bham.ac.uk)
Credits
Authors Editorial Team Leader
Michael McCabe Vinodhan Nair
Peter Ward
Project Team Leader
Ashwin Shetty
Reviewers
Robert Crane
Richard Paterson Project Coordinator
Joel Goveya
Manish Patil
Michal Pisarek
Proofreader
Jonathan Todd
Acquisition Editor
James Lumsden
Graphics
Geetanjali Sawant
Development Editor
Stephanie Moss
Production Coordinator
Shantanu Zagade
Technical Editor
Erika Fernandes
Cover Work
Shantanu Zagade
Copy Editor
Janki Mathuria
Indexer
Rekha Nair
Foreword
I have travelled the world as a SharePoint evangelist talking to all levels of End
Users, and Information Workers, Site Managers, SharePoint Power Users, and Site
Collection Administrators who come to me with the same question, no matter where
I'm speaking, "Are there any resources for our End Users?" Getting users up to speed
on the day-to-day use of SharePoint is a universal problem in all companies from the
largest Enterprise, to the smallest business utilizing SharePoint.
The problem has compounded since the release of SharePoint 2010 and the UI
Ribbon. Talk about a tough situation. Not only do we have to get buy-in from the
people moving into a new system, but End Users are pretty much on their own when
it comes to using it in the context of their jobs.
The book you are holding in your hands is part of the solution to that problem. When
I was first sent the drafts, I thought to myself, "This is good… really good." I was
drawn in by the simplicity of the language used and the concentration on real world
uses for solving problems, combined with the lack of technical jargon. What kept me
interested, was the authors' insistence on thinking of SharePoint as a problem solving
solution, not a technological solution.
The question is not just "How should I use SharePoint?", but "Why should I use
SharePoint?" Describe to me why something is done as you show me how something
is done, and I will understand it at a much deeper level.
Dux Raymond Sy, Richard Harbridge, Sue Hanley, Andrew Woodward, and Paul
Culmsee are at the forefront of a revolution in SharePoint. They are the ones who are
evangelizing the message that the statement of the problem and a description of
the desired outcome, without consideration of the technology, is what is essential
to get through the next maturity phase in SharePoint.
This book is a good starting point not only for understanding why something should
be done in SharePoint 2010, but also how to do it. It's not an easy thing to do. This is
information you will want within arm's reach as you continue to mature and evolve
your understanding of SharePoint.
I wish that every one of these chapters was an article on EndUserSharePoint.com. If
you know me and my work, you'll understand that's the highest recommendation, I
can give.
Mark Miller
Founder and Editor, EndUserSharePoint.com
Chief Community Officer and SharePoint Evangelist, Global 360
Founding Member, NothingButSharePoint.com
About the Authors
Michael McCabe currently works for Microsoft and focuses on the SharePoint
product. He has 18 years' of experience in technology and has taught the first classes
of Chase employees to use personal computers. Pre-Windows technology; those were
the days. He has worked on collaboration technologies for Lotus, IBM and currently
is a Technology Advisor with Microsoft. He has broad experience in financial
services having worked at JP Morgan, Financial Guarantee Insurance Company, and
as a consultant for the State of Connecticut. Michael has worked abroad and is fluent
in German. He has studied at the Universities of Bonn (Germany) and Innsbruck
(Austria). He earned a Masters from Cornell University and an undergraduate
degree from the University of Notre Dame.
I would like to thank my husband Eric for all his support and
encouragement during this project and always.
Peter Ward is a Business Collaboration Manager for a New York-based
Microsoft partner. In this position, Ward is responsible for the continued success
of implementing Microsoft's Information Worker product suite, which includes
SharePoint, InfoPath, SharePoint Designer, and Office.
His experience enables him to find creative, yet pragmatic solutions to collaboration
challenges in a broad cross section of industries, including consumer goods,
online gambling, government, financial services, and transportation. Although
originally from Britain (and proud of this), he currently lives in Long Island City, the
fashionable part of Queens, and views Manhattan as a small island, 3000 miles off
the coast of Europe.
Other factoids about him:
• Always a software guy. Not much of a gadget guy. In fact, more of a
late adopter.
• Teaches yoga in NYC.
• Tries to cook up the perfect vegetarian dish.
I would like to thank my wife Peggy for being the executive first
draft editor of each chapter, and the following people who provided
input, direction, and technical clarification: Paul Andrushkiw,
Hannah Beren, Scot Bobo, Kathy Mathews, and Narsan Lingala.
This made a tremendous difference to the format and contents of
the book.
I would like to thank everyone at Packt Publishing who made this
book idea a reality.
About the Reviewers
Robert Crane has a degree in Electrical Engineering as well as a Masters of
Business Administration. He is also a Small Business Specialist and Microsoft
Certified SharePoint Professional. Robert has over 15 years of IT experience in a
variety of fields and positions, including working on Wall St in New York. He
continues his involvement with information technology as the Principal of the
Computer Information Agency.
Apart from resolving client technical issues, Robert continues to present at seminars
locally and internationally, as well as write on a number of topics for the Computer
Information Agency, including being involved in the SMBit Pro community in
Sydney. He also develops and presents technology courses on a regular basis
through local community colleges. Robert is committed to a process of ongoing
business and technical education to continue developing the skills required to
assist clients with their business challenges. He can be contacted directly via
director@ciaops.com.
Richard Paterson is a co-founder and director of the international SharePoint
consultancy BrightStarr. He provides technical and architectural leadership to a team
of consultants, architects, and software developers. Richard has been involved in
web development since its inception, and is passionate about its application in the
business environment.
He has worked as a developer and architect in a broad range of industries, including
weapons modeling and psychometric profiling. In 2009, he was selected as one of the
United Kingdom's top 30 young entrepreneurs in recognition of the rapid growth of
BrightStarr.
Richard has an honors degree in Physics and is a Microsoft Accredited Software
Developer. Outside of work, Richard is a committed family man and an enthusiastic
runner and cyclist.
Manish Patil is a graduate in Electronics Engineering and has been working as a
software professional in the IT industry since the last five years.
He serves various business verticals with several brands of IT industry through his
technical expertise on Microsoft Technologies ranging from SharePoint, MS.NET,
SQL Server to Office Development, along with some exposure to Siebel On Demand.
While working, if you don't find him doing coding then he will be seated on a team
member's machine or else doing paperwork. In his free time, he blogs, plays with
his niece, or else thinks about something unusual. Also, a few times he has provided
coaching to aspiring freshers and college students.
I would like to give my sincere thanks to Joel and Ashwin for their
sound coordination, Stephanie for her direct/indirect guidance, and
Dhwani for introducing me to Packt Publishing and giving me an
opportunity. Also, I would like to thank my parents and friends
for not caring about my absence at social events and providing
much-needed support. And special thanks to my wife for
keeping cool.
Michal Pisarek is a SharePoint specialist who assists clients in defining, planning,
and executing projects for maximum business value and end user engagement. He
brings a unique blend of technical acumen and business skills to help clients through
the murky waters of SharePoint.
A Microsoft Certified Trainer and Microsoft Virtual Technical Specialist, Michal
holds several SharePoint certifications in addition to sharing his thoughts on his
blog: SharePoint Analyst HQ. He was recently an organizer of the prestigious
SharePoint Saturday event in Vancouver and is an active member of the Vancouver
SharePoint Users Group.
Michal's other interests include cooking (he used to be a chef) and travelling, and he
is highly addicted to CrossFit.
I wish to thank my employer Habanero Consulting Group and my
amazing partner Robyn for giving me the opportunity to review this
book instead of working.
