Timesaving SharePoint Features

We have developed a couple of features to simplify site management and reporting of information stored in multiple lists. The features are geared towards managing project information stored in SharePoint by reducing time spent on maintaining site structure and security.

This page explains how the features work and how they may benefit your SharePoint deployment.

• Simplified Site Management
• List Consolidation across sites and collections

Simplified site management

Scenario

You are working in a company that uses SharePoint to track repeatable projects. You have created a standard project template that is used to create new sites. SharePoint is working well but the management of site security is becoming onerous. No one is certain that the security permissions are configured correctly and even less people (!) are confident of the process to update the permission settings. Things were at one time great but as people have changed rolls maintaining the security settings of project sites has become a frustrating and nerve-racking experience.

Solution

Our Site Management feature allows project sites and security permissions to be maintained from a single list. It is designed for business users to quickly make changes within a predefined framework. New sites can be added using controlled templates and security permissions can be applied by adding authorised users to the list. We have utilised standard SharePoint components to allow familiarity, ease of use and more importantly a easy upgrade path in the future.

Benefits

• Speeds up the creation and maintenance of sites through simple intuitive forms
• Controls the site templates that can be used to create sites.
• Centralises the management of site security permissions to a single list.
• Allows additional properties to be tracked with each site such as Progress, Start Date and Comments.
• Change the name, description and URL of any site at any time.
• Assign each site one or more individuals or groups that are responsible for updating security permissions without needing to understand the details of how SharePoint security works.
• Apply standard security permissions to every site on creation. Pre-allocating standard permissions for an 'all sites users' and 'all sites owners' group.
• Developed using standard SharePoint lists simplifying training and future upgrades.
• Parameterised settings allows customised column names.
• Integrated powerful site scripting process used to carry out pre and post site configuration tasks.
• Using the scripting process, automate site backups on deleted sites and automate the Consolidation of List items - see below.

List consolidation across sites and collections

Scenario

You have data spread across multiple lists that you need to analyse and report. These lists are in different sites spread across several site collections. You can get to the data using Excel for each lists but it is getting very time consuming to generate the reports.

Solution

Our SharePoint List Consolidation feature automatically consolidates items from multiple source lists to a single destination list. All columns with matching names will have data copied. The process is managed through a central control list that can be automatically populated using the Site Creation scripting engine. All item additions, modifications and deletions are copied based on a customisable schedule which can be set on a list by list basis.

Benefits

• Reduces effort involved in reporting on data across multiple lists.
• Copies list data from multiple sources to a single destination list.
• Runs on a schedule that can be set to different intervals for each source list.
• High performance allows 1000’s of lists to be checked in seconds.
• Consolidates all standard column data types.
• Attachments are not consolidated to save space.
• Security is removed from the destination lists allowing all items to be viewed.
• The consolidated items contain a source column to link back to the source item for updates and a source list identifier that can be used in reports.
• The consolidated results are stored in a standard SharePoint list making full use of SharePoint data management capabilities and 3rd party products.

Our features can be integrated into existing SharePoint web applications or used to build new time saving solutions. They are not available as standalone products but they can be installed by our expert consultants. We work with you to fully understand your requirements. We create the project plan to meet you business objectives and follow a set methodology to recommend the most cost effective solution exploiting SharePoint’s rich capabilities.

If you would like to discuss our features or any other business requirements please get in contact by Email, Phone or Skype .