Completion Report
Project Summary:
The Estates Department identified the need to utilise a document management system to improve the management of all documents associated with buildings including refurbishments
The Scope of the project included
Scope
The project will
| Scope | Priority | Completed | |
| 1 | Determine the Business Requirements with regards to
| must | yes |
Determine the Business Requirements with regards to
| must | created the H&S, O&M and Space Management areas, but then project restricted to Estates Development | |
Determine the Business Requirements with regards to
| must | created the H&S, O&M and Space Management areas, but then project restricted to Estates Development | |
| 2 | Investigate potential document management solutions and provide recommendations as to preferred solution | must | yes |
| 3 | Implement Chosen solution | must | yes |
| 4 | Ensure chosen solution can cater for Document Management for Estates Development and Estates Operations (O&M - Operations & Maintenance) | must | yes |
| 5 | To define and implement a specified examplar project | must | yes |
Out of Scope
- eFinancials Document Management
- The incorporation of the general administration folders (e.g. EB15)
- The incorporation of documentation associated with Soft Services
- The migration of existing documentation into the new document management solution - as this can be managed by the Estates department as required
Out of Scope NOTE - In the future estates hope to phase in / integrate the existing admin (K/EST/15) drive down the line a bit. However estates need to ensure the system has the capability required when estates are ready to merge it into the system with one entry point for all estates folk.
Objectives and Deliverables
| Description | Category | Completion Status (Yes/No/Partial) and Notes | |
| O1 | Determine Business Requirements | ||
| D1 | Business Requirements document is produced | M | yes |
| O2 | Investigate potential centrally available document management solutions and provide recommendations | ||
| D1 | Evaluate existing centrally available document management solutions against the business requirements and provide recommendations | M | yes |
| O3 | Implement Chosen Solution | M | Partial - created the H&S, O&M and Space Management areas, but then project restricted to Estates Development |
| D1 | Provide access to an Operational Document Management System | ||
| O4 | Deliver an easy to use application to host the storage and management of Estates & Buildings project documentation | ||
| D1 | A new document structure is available according to defined business requirements | M | yes |
| D2 | Can share documents with other users | M | yes |
| D3 | Can store documentation in a variety of formats with no loss of integrity | M | yes |
| D4 | Ability to manage document change control through a check-out / check in process | M | yes |
| D5 | Ability to version control documents | M | yes |
| D6 | Ability to review audit history relating to documents | D | yes |
| D7 | Provide the ability to transfer O&M manuals and associated documentation from a project envirionment into the Estates Operations environment | M | Partial - created the H&S, O&M and Space Management areas, but then project restricted to Estates Development |
| O5 | Estates can manage their project documentation | ||
| D1 | E&B will be able to manage the application themselves (setting security levels, sharing documents etc) | M | yes |
| 06 | Security | ||
D1 | Specific users will only be able to see specific areas | M | yes |
| D2 | Access to the application by both UoE staff and external contractors for specific Estates projects, on a project by project basis | M | yes |
O7 | Deliver an intuitive (easy to use and robust) application to find the specific documents required | ||
| D1 | Must be able to search for and retrieve documents within the document management application | M | yes |
| O8 | Deliver an example solution(s) | ||
| D1 | A small number or projects (at least 1 project) should be used to sample and deliver the example solution before proceeding to using it for all projects | HD | yes |
| O9 | Provide the environment that will enable the upload of existing documents | ||
| D1 | Transfer identified - the selected old documents to the new document management application (by Estates Development) | M | yes |
| O10 | Training | ||
| D1 | Define and specify specific Estates training requirements | M | yes |
| D2 | Training course made available for Estates Development | M | yes |
Project created the H&S, O&M and Space Management areas in an initial pass. More work will be required on those sections with metadata, etc, before Estates go beyond pilot, but Estates' priority was with the project sites.
The project went ahead with the Estates Project Department only and successfully completed a pilot using SharePoint
It proved that a small team working together with Estates and IS Apps could successfully drive the project forward. This project proved that Estates SharePoint is fit for purpose.
The Project was estimated at 120 days at the Brief Stage.
Analysis of Resource Usage:
Staff Usage Estimate: 120 days
Staff Usage Actual: 117 days
Staff Usage Variance: -3%
Other Resource Estimate: 0 days
Other Resource Actual: 0 days
Other Resource Variance: 0%
Explanation for variance:
The PICCL log included a number of changes to the scope and delivery
Agreed scope was changed once the selected document management application (SharePoint) was selected
The Design and Proof of Concept was split up into 3 stages
By the end of January the senior secretaries had reached as far as they were able to
- A number of PICCL Logs included delays for the project to ensure the Estaes Project Managers found it fit for purpose
At our project meeting on 29-Mar, with key stakeholders, we successfully agreed on the revised milestones:
From then the project moved forward.
Key Learning Points:
When implementing a new technical solution a small working party should take the project forward working together with Business and IS Apps closely involved.
In this project the Administrative Secretary worked with an experienced SharePoint Analyst Developer. When it had been agreed at design level the Senior Secrearies played a large part in making sure that SharePoint was fit for purpose and finding out what could be achieved before rolling out to demonstate to the Estates Projects Business Managers.
Outstanding issues:
This was a pilot project and the information that will be useful when it is picked up again to move forward that will be useful in future developments:
- Drawings procedure and how Estates can provide it within SharePoint
- Estates to agree naming convention that should be used for their projects
- Search solution, is livable but may need further refined in the future
- RISK moving forward to ensure the search is further considered (eg by full user testing)
- Make clear the document properties (in ongoing user training is led by Estates)
- For optimal use of the system, templates must be used when creating new project sites
- RISK to be included of templates being manipulated (see user guide for more information)
- Some further investigation into exporting webparts to ease the process for creating project site templates is recommended.
Information that will be useful for Estates and IS Apps when starting a new project in earnest
Documentation produced and has been sent to Service Support, Production Management and Apps Support for information
- Please see the Estates System Description Document for SharePoint
https://www.projects.ed.ac.uk/project/est084/system_desc
- User Manual for Creating Estates Project Sites
https://www.projects.ed.ac.uk/project/est084/page-5