AIIM Market Intelligence
Delivering the priorities and opinions of AIIM’s 193,000 community

Industry

Watch

The Impact of SharePoint - 2016

Underwritten in part by:

AIIM Market Intelligence

About the Research
As the non-profit association dedicated to nurturing, growing and supporting the information management
community, AIIM is proud to provide this research at no charge. In this way, the entire community can leverage
the education, thought leadership and direction provided by our work. We would like these research findings to
be as widely distributed as possible. Feel free to use individual elements of this research in presentations andpublications with the attribution – “© AIIM 2016, www.aiim.org”
Rather than redistribute a copy of this report to your colleagues or clients, we would prefer that you direct themto www.aiim.org/research for a download of their own. Permission is not given for other aggregators to host thisreport on their own website.
Our ability to deliver such high-quality research is partially made possible by our underwriting companies,
without whom we would have to return to a paid subscription model. For that, we hope you will join us inthanking our underwriters, who are:Colligo Networks Inc.
400-1152 Mainland St
Vancouver, BC, V6B 4X2
Canadaq +1.866 685 7962
q +1 604 685 7962
E sales@colligo.com
H www.colligo.com

Gimmal24 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1000,
Houston, TX 77024
q 877 944 6625
E sales@gimmal.com
H www.gimmal.com

Process Used and Survey Demographics
While we appreciate the support of these sponsors, we also greatly value our objectivity and independence
as a non-profit industry association. The results of the survey and the commentary made in this report are
independent of any bias from the vendor community.
The survey was taken using a web-based tool by 274 individual members of the AIIM community in Juneof 2016. Invitations to take the survey were sent via email to a selection of the 195,000 AIIM community
members.
Survey demographics can be found in Appendix 1. Graphs throughout the report exclude responses fromorganizations with less than 10 employees.

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AIIM Market Intelligence

About AIIM
AIIM has been an advocate and supporter of information professionals for over 70 years. The association
mission and AIIM Market Intelligence, is to ensure that information professionals understand the current andfuture challenges of managing information assets in an era of social, mobile, cloud and big data. AIIM builds ona strong heritage of research and member service. Today, AIIM is a global, non-profit organization representing
the entire information management community: practitioners, technology suppliers, integrators and consultants,
and provides independent research, education and certification programs to information professionals aroundthe world.

– Bob Larrivee
Vice President and Chief
Analyst of AIIM Market
Intelligence

About the author
An internationally recognized subject matter expert andthought leader with over thirty years of experience in thefields of information and process management, Bob is therecipient of the Cenadem Brazil – ECM pioneer Award, andan avid techie with a focus on process improvement, andthe application of advanced technologies to enhance andautomate business operations.

© 2016
AIIM
1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1100
Silver Spring, MD 20910+1 301.587.8202
www.aiim.org©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Europe
Office 1, Broomhall Business Centre,
Worcester, WR5 2NT, UK+44 (0)1905 727600
www.aiim.eu

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AIIM Market Intelligence

Table of Contents
About the Research........................................... 1
Process Used and Survey Demographics................ 1
About AIIM......................................................... 2
About the author................................................. 2
Introduction...................................................... 4
Key Findings....................................................... 4
General Perspectives.......................................... 6
Organizational Use.............................................. 6
Adoption............................................................ 7
Versions............................................................. 7
Project Status................................................... 9
Project Progress.................................................. 9
Reasons for Project Stall or Failure........................ 10
Project Revitalization........................................... 10
User Perceptions .............................................. 11
ECM/DM............................................................ 11
Collaboration...................................................... 12
ECM Functionality............................................... 13
Process and Connectivity..................................... 13
Mobile Capabilities.............................................. 14
Performance....................................................... 15
Issues................................................................ 15
Workflow Issues.................................................. 16

Governance....................................................... 24
Records Management (RM).................................. 24
Information Governance....................................... 24
Misalignments.................................................... 25
Capture and Declaration...................................... 25
Futures, Spend, and Opinions............................. 26
SharePoint Strategy............................................. 26
Lessons Learned................................................. 26
Opinions............................................................ 27
Spend................................................................ 28
Add-on Spend.................................................... 29
Conclusion and Recommendations...................... 29
Recommendations.............................................. 30
Appendix 1: Survey Demographics ..................... 31
Survey Background............................................. 31
Appendix 2: General Comments.......................... 33
General Comments.............................................. 33
Underwritten in part by...................................... 34
About Colligo...................................................... 34
About Gimmal.................................................... 34

The Cloud......................................................... 17
Plans................................................................. 17
Drivers for Cloud................................................. 17
Cloud in Use...................................................... 18
Concerns............................................................ 19
Add-on Products................................................ 19
Optimizations Used............................................. 19
Third Party Products............................................ 20
Auxiliary Products............................................... 20
Access/Connection/Mobile.................................. 21
Access Methods.................................................. 21
Systems Linkage................................................. 22
Linkage Issues.................................................... 22
Planned Connections........................................... 23

Table of Contents©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

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Introduction
The SharePoint platform has evolved over time, positioning to become a digital workspace and universal interface ofsorts. SharePoint is being used in support of collaborative efforts of all kinds including co-authoring of documents,
information sharing, and an integration point with all enterprise information sources. In this study, we find that there
is a slight increase over last year of SharePoint use in an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Document
Management (DM) role with 28% of respondents citing it is their only (10%) or main (18%) ECM/DM system.
And yet, user adoption has been and continues to be something of an issue for 58% of our respondents with indicationthat poor or inadequate training and lack of management support are still the perceived reasons. This is an indicationof human deficiency, rather than technological deficiency. It is not the technology that is failing the organization in asmuch as it is the organization failing the technology.
For some organizations each new version of SharePoint is welcomed and embraced, but for others, it is a struggle
to keep up. Surprisingly, as SharePoint 2016 is being introduced, there are organizations that are just now moving
to SharePoint 2013 and some only to SharePoint 2010. At this time, 17% of our respondents indicate they will
increase their spending to upgrade to SharePoint 2016, with an additional 13% indicating they will make their initial
SharePoint 2016 purchase.
When it comes to SharePoint meeting organizational expectations, nearly half of our respondents are happy with
SharePoint and the on-going product roadmap, with half also in agreement that SharePoint is providing good value
for the cost. Typically, these organizations have a focused plan, working as a cross-functional team rather than total
reliance on IT to make it all happen. This should also be an on-going practice for every aspect of a SharePoint projectfrom initial purchase through upgrades and expansion, to ensure SharePoint is addressing the business needs andsolving business problems, and not put in place for technology sake alone.

Key Findings
General Perspectives❶ SharePoint is the only or main ECM/DM system for 28% of organizations. Thirteen percent see
SharePoint as important for their overall ECM/DM environment.
❷ Eleven percent of organizations have reached a plateau in terms of SharePoint adoption. 22% saytheir SharePoint adoption is facing challenges from the user community.
❸ More than a quarter of respondents say they are still using SharePoint 2010 with 41% citing they
are using SharePoint 2013 as their live primary version. At this time, only 2% say they are live with
SharePoint 2016 and 19% with SharePoint Office 365.
❹ When it comes to the enhancements found in SharePoint 2016, 43% say they are somewhat awareof what SharePoint 2016 offers, while 29% indicate they have no awareness at all. Only 23% of
respondents indicate they understand what SharePoint 2016 offers.
Project Status❶ Forty percent of organizations say their SharePoint implementation was not a success. Inadequate
user training (67%), hard to use (66%), and lack of senior management support (64%) are cited asreasons for SharePoint projects stalling or failing.
❷ Revitalization of their SharePoint project through user training is a priority for 58% of organizations,while 50% plan to update and enforce their Information Governance policies in relation to SharePoint.
For 35% the focus is on positioning and reconfirming that SharePoint is or will be their primary ECM
system.

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User Perceptions❶ When looking at SharePoint as an ECM/DM solution, 43% prefer using their file-share applicationfor everyday content. When looking at SharePoint as a collaboration tool, 58% say it is popular for
project and team site use.
❷ Functionally, 50% say that internal facing SharePoint sites are in wide use, as are the collaborationand team sites (44%). However, when it comes to email management with SharePoint, 76% say they
do not use it.
❸ Looking at SharePoint from a process and enterprise connectivity perspective, 72% of organizations
show no support for mobile device use. Nearly a quarter say they widely use enterprise search, and
19% cite wide use of SharePoint for review and approval processes.
❹ While support for mobile seems lacking, 40% say a mobile application of SharePoint is very
important for controlled document access. Thirty-five percent see a mobile application of SharePoint
as important in providing intranet capabilities on a mobile device.
❺ Change management is a major issue for 58% of organizations challenged with user reluctance to use
SharePoint, more so than the lack of technical expertise cited by 51%. More than one-third say it isinconsistent metadata and classifications presenting the biggest issue for their organization.
Cloud/Mobile/Access❶ Twenty-three percent of organizations plan a hybrid environment with the majority of their information
hosted on SharePoint Online/365 with some remaining on-premise. For 17%, the plan is to moveeverything to Microsoft’s hosted SharePoint Online/365.
❷ Nearly one-third of organizations see a move to the cloud/365 as a strategic platform vision, while
22% see it as taking advantage of the latest SharePoint updates. Twenty-nine percent view a move tothe cloud/365 as a move toward cost savings in IT.
❸ When it comes to cloud use, 31% of organizations are using SharePoint 365/SharePoint Online.
When asked about issues or concerns with using a cloud or hybrid SharePoint solution, 58% feelsecurity is an issue, while 53% feel control over what is managed in the cloud is an issue.
❹ Accessing SharePoint is done from home using a VPN connection for 50% of respondents, while 36%
say they get there through their Outlook client. Outside access to SharePoint is discouraged by 15%of organizations.
Add-ons and Enhancements❶ SharePoint out-of-the-box is good for 64% of organizations. Widgets and web parts (51%), and 3rdparty add-on products (32%), are also in play for SharePoint optimization.
❷ Regarding 3rd party SharePoint add-on products, 30% of organizations plan to implement storage
and archive management with 11% citing it is in use now. Twenty-eight percent plan to haveintegration with Outlook, while 23% say this is already in place today.
❸ Organizations are planning for and implementing SharePoint auxiliary products for data migration(50%), and an additional 24% say they are using this now. Some organizations (23%) see the benefit
in planning for and using (13%) SharePoint Auxiliary products for digital signatures.

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Governance❶ Twenty-five Percent of organizations do not differentiate records from content, with 21% admitting
they do not have good Information Governance (IG) policies in place. Thirty-percent say they do not
capture records, while 15% say they use a combination of SharePoint Records Center and managein-place to do so.
❷ When asked how SharePoint aligns to their IG policies, 80% say their metadata and taxonomy(45%) are not aligned, or there are no policies (35%). Sixty-two percent cite retention anddisposition as their main misalignment with their IG policies.
Futures, Opinions, and Spend❶ Twenty-nine percent of organizations will build ECM, DM, and collaboration around SharePoint, with
10% planning to move to SharePoint 2016. Twenty-seven percent will increase spending to integratewith other repositories, while 26% will increase spending on add-on products.
❷ Looking at value versus costs, 40% agree and 8% strongly agree that they are happy with
SharePoint and the on-going roadmap. 42% agree and 8% strongly agree that SharePoint provides
good value to costs.

General Perspectives
While still widely used as a collaboration tool or positioned as a digital work space, the use of SharePoint for ECM
and DM purposes continues to strengthen, rising slightly from 25% to 28% who cite SharePoint as their only
(10%) or main (18%) ECM/DM system. Positioned by many as a platform, 13% of respondents cite SharePoint asimportant for their overall ECM/DM environment with 11% saying they do use SharePoint for ECM/DM, but it is
not their main system. (Figure 1)

Organizational Use
Figure 1: How would you describe the use of SharePoint as an ECM/DM
system across your organization? (N=273)
We have no ECM/DM
systems, 3%

Other, 7%
It is our only ECM/DM
system, 10%

We have othersystems for ECM/DM
and do not use
SharePoint, 6%

It is our main ECM/DM
system, 18%

We use SharePoint forour intranet but not
ECM/DM, 13%

It is an important partof our overall
ECM/DM/RM
environment, 13%

We mainly use
SharePoint forcollaboraon sites, 20%

Reducing use, 4%©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

Stable – we havereached a plateau ofadop on, 11%Stable – reached our

We use SharePoint for
ECM/DM but it is not
our main system, 11%
N/A, 7%

Not yet live, 4%
Facing user adop on
challenges, 22%

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We have no ECM/DM
systems, 3%

Adoption

Other, 7%
It is our only ECM/DM
system, 10%

We have othersystems for ECM/DM
and do not use
SharePoint, 6%

It is our main ECM/DM
system, 18%
We use SharePoint for
Even with 22%ourofintranet
respondents
but not facing user challenges in the adoption of SharePoint, 11% say they have reachedECM/DM,adoption.
13%
a plateau of SharePoint
In addition, 5% indicate they have reached their planned SharePoint limit,

indicating a high degree of success for these organizations. Eleven percent say they are at the 90% plus mark,with 12% indicating SharePoint adoption in their organizations is increasing rapidly. (Figure 2)
It is an important partour success.
overall
It is the reference to the term “planned” that stands out, as this is a key factoroffor
Where many
ECM/DM/RM
organizations view technology as a solution to a business problem rather than
part
of
the
largerinformation
environment, 13%
mainly use
ecosystem serving as We
a
tool,
it
is
the
combinationofpeople,process,
governance,andtechnologythat unite toSharePoint for
20% an identified business problem.
become a solutioncollaboraonfocused onsites,
resolvingWe use SharePoint for
ECM/DM but it is not

Figure 2: At what pace are office staff
andour adopting
main system,
11%
using SharePoint? (N=271)
Reducing use, 4%

N/A, 7%

Not yet live, 4%Stable – we havereached a plateau ofadop on, 11%

Facing user adop on
challenges, 22%

Stable – reached ourplanned limit, 5%

Stable – reached 90100%, 11%
Increasing slowly, 24%
Increasing rapidly, 12%0%Versions

10% 20%30% 40%50% 60%70% 80%90% 100%

While having a single version of SharePoint is true for 41% of our respondents, 45% are supporting two or more
SharePoint
live versions
with 3%2003
of those supporting five or more. This is not surprising given that data from other AIIM
reports reflects multiple ECM systems in use for many organizations. It is also an indication of siloed activity
within an organization, rather than a planned, overarching framework that would provide a solid, standardized
SharePoint 2007
platform across the enterprise.
The fact that there are multiple versions in place inevitably adds to the load for the support department, andSharePoint
restricts theability to2010
move the organization to the cloud even if the wish is there. It could also be that due
to specific customizations within departmental SharePoint implementations, updating to the latest version of
SharePoint can be somewhat difficult.

SharePoint 2013

AIIM research data show that 41% of our respondents are using SharePoint 2013 as their primary live version
with 26% still using SharePoint 2010. Some organizations (19%) are currently live with SharePoint/Office 365
SharePoint
20162016, the latter just being released this year. (Figure 3)
and 2% with
SharePoint

SharePoint 365/Online
Not in Use

Rolling out
Live on some sites or applica ons
Evalua on/planning stage
Live, but mostly legacy content
Live, primary version in use

I don't care about
SharePoint 2016, 5%
Fully aware, 23%©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

Not aware at all, 29%

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Stable – reached ourplanned limit, 5% Reducing use, 4%

N/A, 7%

Not yet live, 4%

AIIM Market Intelligence

Stable – we havereached a plateau of
Stable –adop
reachedon, 9011%
100%, 11%

Facing user adop on
challenges, 22%

Increasing slowly, 24%

Stable – reached ourplannedlimit, 5%rapidly, 12%
Increasing

Figure 3: What is the status of the following SharePoint versions in your organization? (N=270)
Stable – reached 900%
10% 20%100%, 11%30% 40%50% 60%70% 80%90% 100%

Increasing slowly, 24%

SharePoint 2003
SharePoint 2007

Increasing rapidly, 12%0%

10% 20%30% 40%50% 60%70% 80%90% 100%

SharePoint 2010
SharePoint 2003
SharePoint 2013
SharePoint 2007
SharePoint 2016
SharePoint 2010
SharePoint 365/Online
SharePoint 2013
Rolling out
Live on some sites or applica ons
Not in Use
Evalua on/planning stage
SharePoint 2016 Live, but mostly legacy content
Live, primary version in use
When asked about SharePoint 2016 and the new features it provides, 29% say they are not aware at all, and365/Online
43%SharePoint
say they are
somewhat aware of what SharePoint 2016 offers. Only 23% say they are aware of the newenhancements in SharePoint 2016.
4) This is an indication that either the user community has little interest
I don't(Figurecare about
SharePoint2016,
5%– as specificallyindicated
by
5%
of
our
respondents– or thatthe message
fromMicrosoftis lacking.
Eitheronsway,
RollingoutLive onsome sites
or applica
Not in Use
Evalua on/planning stage
23%indication of, the need forwhen a majority of this size indicates they are unaware, it is an opportunityFully
for,aware,and anLive, but mostly legacy content
Live, primary version in use
Microsoft and its partners to better educate the user community.
Figure 4: Are you aware of SharePoint 2016, and the stated enhancements it offers? (N=268)
Not aware at all, 29%
I don't care about
SharePoint 2016, 5%
Fully aware, 23%

Not aware at all, 29%

Somewhat aware, 43%

Somewhat aware, 43%

For those who are aware and planning for SharePoint 2016, indications are that the majorities see this as following
the SharePoint upgrade path (14%) or the Microsoft roadmap (11%). Fifteen percent see a move to SharePoint
2016 as part of their strategic platform vision in building their information management ecosystem. (Figure 5)©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

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Figure 5: If you are planning to move to SharePoint 2016, what is your primary driver? (N=257)

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10% 12% 14% 16%

Strategic pla orm vision
Taking advantage of the latest/connuous updates
Following Microso's roadmap
We are resisng it
Cost savings in IT
Improved mobile device capabilies
Improved access to external partners

0%2%

Project Status

6%

8%

We are not using orplanning to use
SharePoint, 9%Strategic pla orm vision

Project Progress

4%

Taking advantage of the latest/connuous updates
We have yet to go live,

10% 12% 14% 16%
We have achieved all
we planned and it is a
success, 7%

9%

Just aboutthat
thererespondents
asFollowing Microso's
Most “enterprise”
projects roadmap
suffer from high expectations and low outcomes, so it is of no surpriseplanned and moving
view their SharePoint projects struggling to meet their expectations (26%), or that progresshas stalled(20%).
forward,22%
The project has not
Typically we find thisdue
to poorplanning
and little to no focus on business problems or processes,
Weisareresisng
it initialbeen
a success,9%
increasing complexity, a lack of user training, and reluctance to give up the use of file shares and personal folders.
Costsavings
IT
The good news is that22%
sayin theirprojects are moving forward with an additional 7% citing they havesuccessfully achieved their planned goals. Twenty percent of our respondents indicate that SharePoint is doing
Improvedmobiledevicecapabilies
the job
for them,
but
progress
has somewhat stalled at this time. (Figure 6) It is possible that while these 20% oforganizations have accomplished their initial goals, future expansion or expanded use of SharePoint may not be
It’s doing the job but
plannedat thistime,or they
are in a state of paralysis as to how to proceed going forward.
Thishasis stalled
often the case for
Improved
accessto external
partners
progress
Weplanshave struggledtosomewhat, 20%
tactical projects, where there are noforcontinuous
improvement
upon
project
completion.
meet our originalons,
26% and development of your SharePoint ECM project,
Figure 6: Thinking expecta
about thescope
how would you best describe your progress? (N=262)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
We are not using orplanning to use

We didn’t do enough planning and scopingat the outset
SharePoint,
9%
Users never really liked it or found it hard to use
We have yet to go live,
Senior management didn’t9%endorse and enforce it
Users have dri ed away to other tools
We have become somewhat
locked-in
The project
has not to early versions
beenasuccess,
9% requirements
It doesn’t fulfil our detailed
Inadequate user training
Project teams like it, but it’s not used much elsewhereNot prepared to invest more in extending it
We don’t have the exper se or IT resource to move it on
We have struggled tomeet our original
expecta ons, 26%
Make/confirm the decision that it is our primary
ECM system going forward0%
Get some external help or training©2016 AIIM
- do
www.aiim.org
We didn’t
enough planning and scoping at the outset

Press for a senior level mandate to enforce usage

Users never really liked it or found it hard to use

We have achieved all
we planned and it is a
success, 7%

Just about there asplanned and moving
forward, 22%

It’s doing the job but

Disagree progress
Agree
N/A
has stalledsomewhat, 20%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

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AIIM Market Intelligence
We are not using orplanning to use
SharePoint, 9%

We have achieved all
we planned and it is a
success, 7%

We have yet to go live,
9%

Just about there asplanned and moving
forward, 22%

Reasons for Project Stall or Failure
The project has not

While 28% of our respondentsbeen
view
their projects
as successful, 40% indicate the opposite. When we asked
a success,9%
about the reasons a project stalled or failed, inadequate user training (67%), hard to use (66%), and lack ofsenior management support (64%) were cited as the top reasons. (Figure 7) This indicates that even thoughsenior management may have driven a SharePoint project initially, sustained support may be lacking.
While use of SharePoint may seem difficult and hard, it is possible that proper user training in the application,
as well as the reasons for SharePoint use, could be of benefit not only for moving a project
forward,but also
It’s doing
the job but
progress has stalled
increased user adoption.
We have struggled tosomewhat, 20%

meet our
Figure 7: Whichof original
the following reasons would best apply to why yourexpectaons, 26%
SharePoint
project is stalled or failed? (N=128)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
We didn’t do enough planning and scoping at the outset
Users never really liked it or found it hard to use
Senior management didn’t endorse and enforce it
Users have dri ed away to other tools
We have become somewhat locked-in to early versions
It doesn’t fulfil our detailed requirements
Inadequate user training
Project teams like it, but it’s not used much elsewhereNot prepared to invest more in extending it
We don’t have the exper se or IT resource to move it on

Disagree

Project Revitalization

Agree

N/A

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Make/confirm the decision that it is our primary
ECM systemand
goingreasons
forward for a stalled or failed project, what steps are being taken to get things
So if these are the challenges
external
help or training to choose all of the actions listed that they felt applied to them.
back on track?Get
Wesomeasked
our respondents
Findings
revealthatinternal
training
the priority for 58% of our respondents, while 50% plan to update andPress for a senior level mandate to enforceisusage
enforce
their
Information
Governance(IG)
policies. Confirmation of the decision to make SharePoint the primaryInternal training for our people on how to use it properly
ECM systemisa
toppriorityfor35%
ofrespondents.
(Figure 8)
Update our informa on governance policies
to encourage/enforce use

Ideally, there is a combination of these actions taking place to get these projects back on track. Confirmation
Close down the file shareby senior management that SharePoint is to be the primary ECM system along with the business reasons andBuildwith add-on
furtherons
a out
sharedvision products
should andbe part
ofintegra
the on-goingproject communications effort. This should also be part of theinternal
training
along
with
the
updatedIG policies and procedures, and technology use. Internal training should
Do some customiza on work to beer suit our needs
also include a mechanism for feedback to the project team and internal SharePoint support resources, as part
Reduce the restric ons to make it more collabora veof a continuous improvement initiative to identify and act upon opportunities to refine the user interface, expand
Roll it out toother regions/departments
use, and enhancecapabilities
that increase SharePoint’s business value to the organization.
Roll out to mobile
Nothing: we’ll probably go on as we are
We are likely to move away to an alterna ve system

Not on our scope©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

Strategic priority

Neutral

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Users have dri ed away to other tools
We have become somewhat locked-in to early versions
It doesn’t fulfil our detailed requirements
Inadequate user training
Project teams like it, but it’s not used much elsewhereNot prepared to invest more in extending it
We don’t have the exper se or IT resource to move it on

AIIM Market Intelligence

Disagree
Agree
N/A
Figure 8: What steps are you taking to re-energize your SharePoint deployment? (N=127)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Make/confirm the decision that it is our primary
ECM system going forward
Get some external help or training
Press for a senior level mandate to enforce usage
Internal training for our people on how to use it properly
Update our informa on governance policies
to encourage/enforce use
Close down the file share
Build out with add-on products and further integra ons
Do some customiza on work to beer suit our needs
Reduce the restric ons to make it more collabora ve
Roll it out to other regions/departments
Roll out to mobile
Nothing: we’ll probably go on as we are
We are likely to move away to an alterna ve system

Not on our scope

Strategic priority

NeutralCommunicating a clear vision of the role and importance of SharePoint, regular communications
regarding project status to the user community, and training on IG practices and the technology are
key to keeping SharePoint projects on track.

User Perceptions
ECM/DM
When we looked in more detail at the way users consider SharePoint in relation to ECM/DM use, our respondents
were given an opportunity to choose all of the listed items they felt were applicable to their organization. As aresult we find that there is an acknowledgement of the need to store content in SharePoint, but admittedly they
don’t always do it (52%), and that file-share use is still preferred for everyday content (43%). (Figure 9) These
appear to be cultural elements that could be addressed through better training and IG. This may also address theconcerns of 42% who cited classification challenges as well.

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Figure 9: From the ECM/DM point of view, how would you describe the way yourusers consider SharePoint? (N=152)
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60%

They understand the need to file content there, butsome do and some don’t
The file-share is sll their preference for everyday
content
We struggle to get accurate tagging and classificaon
It is viewed as just another content silo
We have no culture or policy for content or records
management
We have a good level of adopon and users like it
They find it too restricve
It’s how we manage a number of line-of-business0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60%
processes
They
think
SharePoint“owned”
somebodyelse,
They
understandtheisneedto filebycontent
there,
butso
wary
of using
some doare
andsome
don’t itIt’sfile-sharea core tool
for staff
and/or HRTheis slltheircommunicaonpreference for everyday
processes
content
Other
We struggle to get accurate tagging and classificaon
It is viewed as just another content silo
We have no culture or policy for content or records
management

Collaboration

Weour
have
a good levelof adopon andlike it
Turning
attention
to collaboration
andusers
content-sharing,asked
our 25%
respondents
to choosethe65%
listed
0% 5%we10%
15% 20%30% 35% 40%
45% 50% all
55%of60%70%
items they felt applied to user
considerations
related to SharePoint. Since SharePoint was originally positioned as aTheyfind it too restricve
collaboration
it issomewhatsurprising
to find
It’sIt’show
we manage
a numberof line-of-businessa tool,popularwayto
set up project
and teamsitesthat one-third of respondents say that project collaboration withprocesses
SharePoint never
took
off,
and
one-third
saythat
their collaboration is a mess due to the use of multiple products.
Use of SharePoint
for project
collaboraon
They think SharePoint
is “owned”
by somebody
else, andsoOn
the upside, 58% do
in-factsayitisapopulardiscussion
neverreallytook
off for projects and team sites. (Figure 10)
are wary of using ittool
It’s a bit of a mess right now with all sorts of products

It’s aofcore
tool for stafffor
communicaon
and/orHR
The lack
consideration
using SharePointa collaboration and content-sharing tool can be seen as a result of
beingasusedprocessespoor or inadequate
training moving
and IGtopolicies.
In many
We have moved/are
SP-Online/365
for cases, SharePoint is installed with the message that it can be
Othercollaboraon
supportused as a digital work spacebeer
for sharing
and collaboration
without further explanation and training as to how this is
are choosing cloud file-share andproperly doneMany
and users
managed.
collaboraon tools instead of SharePoint

FigureFrom theusing
collaborationand content-sharing
point of view, how would you describe the way yourWe are10:increasingly
Yammer and/or
Lync forcollaboraonusers
and sharing
consider SharePoint? (N=150)
Lack of a mobile client holds it back
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70%
We have non-Microso tool(s) that are taking over thisrole from SharePoint
It’s a popular way to set up project and team sites"My
SharePoint"isasocial portal
Use of SharePoint for projectpopularcollaboraonanddiscussion never really took off
OtherIt’s a bit of a mess right now with all sorts of products
being used
We have moved/are moving to SP-Online/365 forbeer collaboraon support
Many users are choosing cloud file-share andcollaboraon tools instead of SharePoint
We are increasingly using Yammer and/or Lync forcollaboraon and sharing 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%
Lack of a mobile client holds it back

Collaboraon/workspaces/team sites

We have non-Microso tool(s) that are taking over thisrolefrom management
SharePoint
Scannedimage"My SharePoint" is a popular social portal

Co-authoring
Other

File share replacement
Document management, versioning
Archiving, long term preservaon©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

Email management
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% AIIM
50% 60%Industry
70% 80% 90%100%
Watch
Electronic records management12

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70%
It’s a popular way to set up project and team sites
Use of SharePoint for project collaboraon anddiscussion never really took off
It’s a bit of a mess right now with all sorts of products
being used
We have moved/are moving to SP-Online/365 forbeer collaboraon support
Many users are choosing cloud file-share andcollaboraon tools instead of SharePoint
We are increasingly using Yammer and/or Lync forcollaboraon and sharing

AIIM Market Intelligence

ECM Functionality

SharePoint is often described and positioned as a multi-purpose platform, and this is reflected in the range of usage
Lack of a mobileInternalclient holdsbackacross different functionalities.
or itstaff-facingsites are widely used by half of our respondents, while 44%
We have
non-Microsotool(s)thatforarecollaboration,
taking over thiswork spaces, and team sites. (Figure 11)
say
SharePoint
is widelyusedrole from SharePoint

Given all of the attention placed these days on the content contained within email messages, one would think that"My SharePoint"
is aapopular
email management
would bemajor social
focus,portal
yet 76% of our respondents say they do not use email management.
When you look at the integration capabilitiesof SharePoint with Outlook, both out-of-the-box and through thirdOther
party add-on applications, this should be an easy decision to make in an effort to gain greater control overcorrespondence and minimize risks.
Figure 11: How would you describe your use of SharePoint in the following
content management areas? (N=157)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%
Collaboraon/workspaces/team sites
Scanned image management
Co-authoring
File share replacement
Document management, versioning
Archiving, long term preservaon
Email management
Electronic records management
Project management
Case Management
Web content management – external/www
Intranet content management – internal/
staff-facing sites
No useSome use

Widely used

Process and Connectivity

20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%0% 10%
Many organizations understand the connection between
process and their information assets, recognizing that
content without process
goesreviews
nowhere,and process without content serves no purpose. This means there must be
Document
and approvals
connectivity
betweenbusiness
processes
and business information. For 19% SharePoint is in wide use for review
Forms processing – internal electronic ( HR, expenses, etc)
and approval processes. Searchability and findability are also key components of any process, in that actions
Forms processing– from scanned input, internal/externalcannot be taken when information is needed and unavailable. To this end, 24% of respondents say they haveAP,enterprise
AR or Contract
processconnected
searchin wideuse. to other applicaons
Business Process Management (complex workflow)
In today’s
business world, it is common to have employees working from home or field locations, and even
Simplewhile traveling around the globe. Yet,
forworkflow
72%, there is no support for mobile device use with their SharePoint
BusinessIntelligence/reporng
implementation. (Figure 12) This is an area of great opportunity for business organizations to maximize the returnand value of Support
their SharePoint
systems,by devices
extending SharePoint capabilities and process engagement beyond
for/conneconto mobile
corporate walls.
Mobiledeviceuse
will
improve
Portal: connecons to other repositories productivity and operational efficiency, enabling employees,
partners, and suppliers to interact on an everywhere, anytime basis.
Enterprise Search

Blogs, forums, social
Integrated plaorm with content
repositories and business apps

©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

No useSome use

Widely used

AIIM Industry Watch

13

Electronic records management
Project management

AIIM Market Intelligence

Case Management
Web content management – external/www
Intranet content management – internal/
staff-facing sites

No useSome use
Widely used
Figure 12: How would you describe your use of SharePoint in the following process
management and enterprise connection areas? (N=162)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%Document reviews and approvals

Forms processing – internal electronic ( HR, expenses, etc)
Forms processing– from scanned input, internal/externalAP, AR or Contract process connected to other applicaons
Business Process Management (complex workflow)
Simple workflow
Business Intelligence/reporng
Support for/connecon to mobile devices
Portal: connecons to other repositories
Enterprise Search
Blogs, forums, social
Integrated plaorm with content
repositories and business apps

No useSome use

Widely used

Mobile Capabilities
Even though the majority of respondents see no support for mobile device use with SharePoint, that does not mean
it is irrelevant. When asked about the usefulness of mobile application capabilities, 90% recognize it as importantto very important to be able to distribute documents in a controlled way and 78% cite it as important to very
important to provide intranet capabilities. (Figure 13)
The simple fact is that mobile device use is here, and for many organizations, it is in-use, whether they know it
or are willing to admit it. Today’s business organization must be flexible and agile enough to respond to rapidlychanging client, industry, and regulatory demands. The mobile workforce is growing and in need of extended
capabilities.
Figure 13: How would you rate the usefulness of the following capabilities in a mobile
application of SharePoint? (N=135)
0% 10% 20%30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%
Apply and edit metadata
Distribute documents in a controlled way
Work offline in occasionally connected locations
Deploy governance policies to mobile devices
Report on user operations with documents(sync, create, read, update, delete)
Leverage GPS on mobile devices (i.e. geo-fencing
or geo-tagging)
Mobile forms
Capture and tag photos and save to SharePoint
Full capabilities of the corporate intranet
on a mobile device
Integration with social tools such as Yammer

1 - Not Important
2 - Somewhat Important3 - Important
4 - Quite Important
5 - Very Important0%©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

Collaboraon/workspaces/team sites
Co-authoring

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

AIIM Industry Watch

14

Distribute documents in a controlled way

AIIM Market Intelligence

Work offline in occasionally connected locations
Deploy governance policies to mobile devices
Report on user operations with documents(sync, create, read, update, delete)
Leverage GPS on mobile devices (i.e. geo-fencing
or geo-tagging)
Mobile forms
Performance
Capture and tag photos and save to SharePoint

When looking at
performance and what you can do with SharePoint as-is, collaboration and team sites fare quite
Full capabilities of the corporate intranet
well with 42% citing it as good andas device
excellent. Keeping in line with a collaborative view, co-authoringon 15%a mobile
bodes well with
33% withstating
it is
good
and
14% saying it is excellent. (Figure 14) This is an example ofIntegrationsocialtools
such
as Yammerorganizations focusing on a purpose for SharePoint in the sense they positioned it as a tool to enable and support
1 - Not Important
2 - Somewhat
Important
3 - Important
collaborative work efforts and establishingdigital work spaces
for functional
teams to develop
ideas, and create
4 - Quite Important
5 - Very Importantand share content.
Figure 14: How would you rate the performance or capabilities of out-of-the-box
SharePoint in the following areas? (N=147)
0%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Collaboraon/workspaces/team sites
Co-authoring
Email management
Mobile document distribuonElectronic records management
Project management
Case Management
Document approvals
Forms processing – internal electronic, e.g. HR, expenses, etc.
AP, AR or Contract processing connected to other applicaons
Business Process Management (complex workflow)
Simple workflows
Portal: connecons to other repositories
Enterprise Search
Blogs, forums, social
Business Intelligence/reporng

Don’t Know or N/AIssues

Poor

OK

Good

Excellent

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70%

Given the earlier references to poor user training, and level of difficulty in using SharePoint, it is of little surprise
Persuading users to manage and share their content inthat we find user reluctanceto be andthe not
topelsewherecited issue to using SharePoint (58%). This is compounded by the
SharePoint
challenges faced in establishing consistent metadata and classification of content within SharePoint for 35% of
Lack of experse to maximize its usefulness
our respondents. In part, these go hand-in-hand in that if it is difficult to store and classify information, there
uniformityof classificaonandit, which in turn causes the user community to question
will certainly beAchieving
a high levelof difficultyfinding
metadatainstructures
its integrity
and completeness. Expertise is an on-going issue for 51% who say they lack what is needed to
Aligning governance, security and usage policies
maximize SharePoint’s use within
theirorganizations.
(Figure 15)
with otherenterprise
apps
other systems
So barringIntegraonthe lack withof expertise,
it is andthe repositories
cultural aspect of SharePoint causing the most angst with inconsistent
IG practices compounding
thesituation.
Thisdifficult
is an example of technology implemented first, before information
The user interface is sllmanagement practices are established and stabilized. Sharepoint, as with all technologies, must be planned
Understanding
what is configurable/customizable/missingforand not expected
to resolve underlying issues like inconsistent metadata and classification. If it is true inSharePoint,itislikelytrueourof in-housethe organization
before SharePoint.
Maintaining and upgrading
customizaons
Managing rapidly increasing storage volumes
Keeping up to date with version upgrades
Whether to move away to emerging products or other opons
Other©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Industry Watch

15

Electronic records management
Portal: connecons to other repositories
Project management
Enterprise Search
Case Management
Blogs, forums, social
Document approvals
Business Intelligence/reporng
Forms processing – internal electronic, e.g. HR, expenses, etc.
AP, AR or Contract processing connected to other applicaons

AIIM Market Intelligence

Don’t Know or N/A

Poor

OK

Good

ExcellentBusiness
Process(complexFigure15:Management
What are thebiggestworkflow)
on-going issues for SharePoint in your organization? (N=144)
Simple workflows

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70%

Portal: connecons to other repositories
Persuading users to manage and share their content in
SharePointand notSearchelsewhere
Enterprise

Lack of experse to maximize its usefulness
Blogs, forums, social
Achieving uniformity of classificaon andBusiness Intelligence/reporng
metadata structures
Aligning governance, security and usage policies
Don’twith other enterprise
appsKnow or N/A
Integraon with other systems and repositories

Poor

OK

Good

Excellent

The user interface is sll difficult

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70%

Understanding what is configurable/customizable/missing
Persuading users to manage and share their content in
Maintaining and upgrading
our in-house
SharePointand not customizaons
elsewhereLackof experse
to maximize
usefulness
Managing
rapidly
increasingitsstorage
volumesAchieving uniformity of classificaon andmetadata
structures
Keeping up to datewith version
upgradesAligning governance, security and usage policies
Whether to move away to emerging
products
or otherapps
oponswith otherenterprise
Integraon with other systems and repositories
Other
The user interface is sll difficult

Change management– in terms of cultural change – is to be expected and planned for as SharePoint
Understanding
what is configurable/customizable/missing
inherently changes the way employees will work with content and each other going forward.
Maintaining
and and
upgradingour in-housecustomizaons
Engagement
education
are key
to user adoption.
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Managing rapidly increasing storage volumes

WorkflowKeeping
Issuestheversion
use of SharePoint
upExpanding
to date with
upgrades formore business processes
As discussed earlier, process and content are tightly related and must be connected in support of business
Linkageproducts
to other orenterprisesystems –Whether
to
move
away
to
emerging
other opons
processes and workflows. Linkage between
CRM, ERP,SharePoint
Finance, PM.and other enterprise systems is the issue for 34%, indicatingthat to some degree,
their
SharePoint
haslimitations
and may possibly be a siloed entity within the
Difficultybuilding
businesssystemprocesses
with
SP
Other
withforforms”
capabiliesenterprise. The challenge“workflow
is different
the 36%of respondents who cite issues in expanding use of SharePoint for
Poorandaccessto non-SP
databuilding
or SP-dataworkflows
residing in with forms to be a challenge. This gets back to usability; themore processes,
32%
who finddifferent
environments
desire is there, but the ability for users
to actor expertise to enable growth are sorely lacking. (Figure 16)
Difficules of process monitoring and refining

Figure 16: Do you have any of these issues with workflows and processes in SharePoint? (N=139)
Extending processes to mobile
0%5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

We have theno onein using
Expandinguse trainedof SharePoint
forthesemore business processes
Migraonaway
from
SP InfoPath
forms
Linkage tootherenterprisesystems– tool
CRM, ERP, Finance, PM.
We arebusinessnot awareof thesewith
capabiliesDifficulty building
processes
SP“workflow with forms” capabiliesNone ofinthese
Poor access to non-SP data or SP-data residing
different
environments
We don’t really use SharePoint for workflows
andprocesses
Difficules of process monitoring andrefining
Extending processes to mobile
We have no one trained in using these
Migraon away from SP InfoPath forms tool
We are not aware of these capabiliesNone of these
We don’t really use SharePoint for workflows
and processes©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Industry Watch

16

AIIM Market Intelligence

The CloudPlans
Conversations about the Cloud and ECM are always interesting and divided. When it comes to SharePoint,
22% of our respondents are currently undecided or have no plans for SharePoint in the cloud at this time.
Seventeen percent say they will move to hosted SharePoint Online/365, while 23% say they plan to havea hybrid environment with the majority hosted on SharePoint Online/365 and some remaining on-premise.
(Figure 17)
The hybrid approach is not surprising as some organizations may have security concerns or may haveregulatory requirements preventing them from placing certain types of information in cloud based
applications, such as personal information that must be maintained in region.
Figure 17: What are your plans for SharePoint in the Cloud? (N=133)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Majority hosted on SP Online/365, someretained on-premMove everything - Microso’s hosted
SharePoint Online/365
Retain everything on-prem for the foreseeable future
Some content hosted on 365, majority on-premHybrid of private cloud and on-premEverything on private cloud
Seeking third-party cloud opons
We are confused about our cloud opons
Undecided/No plans
Don't know

Drivers for Cloud0%5%
10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Turning our attention to drivers for cloud adoption, we asked our respondents to identify their top two primary
drivers to move to SharePoint cloud/365. Cost savings in IT is a top driver for 29%, while 22% say they are
Strategic cloud plaorm vision
taking advantage of the latest updates. While these are reasonable reasons for change, 30% say it is partof their strategic cloud platform vision, indicating a solid focus on building around and upon the SharePoint
Cost savings in IT
platform. (Figure 18)
Take advantage of latest/connuous updates
Improved access to external partners and mobile
Following Microso’s roadmap
We are resisng it
License costs/issues
Don’t know/Not applicable©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
70% 80% Watch
90% 100%
AIIM60%Industry

17

Seeking third-party cloud opons

0%
We are confused about our cloud opons

5%

10% Market
15%
20% Intelligence
25%
30%
AIIM

Undecided/No
plans
Majority hosted on SP Online/365,
some
retained on-premMove everything - Microso’s
hostedDon'tknow
SharePoint Online/365
Retain everything
on-prem
Figure18:for
If theyouforeseeable
are movingfuture
to Cloud/365, what are your primary drivers? (N=122)
Some content hosted on 365, majority on-prem 0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Hybrid of private cloud and on-prem
Strategic cloud plaorm vision
Everything on private cloud
Cost savings in IT
Seeking third-party cloud opons
Take advantage of latest/connuous updates
We are confused about our cloud opons
Improved access to external partners and mobile
Undecided/No plans
Following Microso’s roadmap
Don't know
We are resisng it
License costs/issues

0%

5%

Don’t know/Not applicable

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Strategic cloud plaorm vision

Cloud in Use

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Cost savings in IT

Exchange
365/Outlook
Web (email)As we have seen earlier
in thisreport, there
is a lack of awareness of what SharePoint 2016 offers, making
Take advantage of latest/connuous updates
Microsoft’s
confusingas it appears
SkyDriveofferings
Pro/One Drive
for Business(Cloud filetheysync)have not well communicated. Additionally, product names
tend to change regularly – especially when an acquisition is involved. The most popular of the Microsoft Cloud
Office 365/Online/Web
Appsto(SaaS/browser
Officeapplicaons)
Improved accessexternal partners
andmobileofferings is one such product – Skype/Lync – with 56% of our respondents indicating it is in use within their
SharePoint
365/SharePoint
Online(Cloud-based
SharePoint)
organizations.
Exchange
365/OutlookWeb
is in place with 49% of organizations while, 31% say they are using
Following
Microso’s roadmap
Project,
Great Plains/Dynamics,
SharePoint 365/SharePoint
Online. (FigureMS-CRM
19)(SaaS enterprise applicaons)

Interestingly, with recent
attention
andresisng
activity
We areit given to file sync and share demands, Microsoft SkyDrive
Skype/Lync(Messaging
and comms)
Pro/One Drive for Business (Cloud file sync) falls in at 30% using it. Perhaps this is again a case of poor
Yammer (Social/micro-blog)
understanding by the user community
as to how this would fit into an overall information management
License costs/issues
Office Groups
framework. (Figure 19)
Don’t19:know/Not
applicable(Search)FigureWhichDelveof thefollowing Microsoft cloud applications has yourorganization
Informaon protecon (DRM, data loss prevenon)broadly adopted? (N=120)
eDiscovery Center
0%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

No plans to adopt

Exchange 365/Outlook Web (email)Evaluang it

Plan to adopt

AdoptedSkyDrive Pro/One Drive for Business (Cloud file sync)
Office 365/Online/Web Apps (SaaS/browser Office applicaons)

0%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

SharePoint 365/SharePoint Online (Cloud-based SharePoint)
Migrang on-prem
content
and policies tothe cloudProject, SP
Great
Plains/Dynamics,
MS-CRM(SaaS enterprise applicaons)
Integraon of cloud SharePoint
to on-prementerprisesystems
Skype/Lync(Messaging
and comms)
Ulizing
third-party
apps from cloud
Yammer(Social/micro-blog)
Different features/upgrade schedules between cloud
Office Groups
and on-premversions
Escalang data volumes
and costs
Delve (Search)

Informaon protecon (DRM, data
loss prevenon)Longerterm archiving
eDiscovery
CenterCost balancesand IT deployment

NoSecurity
plans to adopt

Evaluang it

Plan to adopt

AdoptedGeographical locaon of cloud data servers
Managing what is allowed into the cloud0%

Effect on informaon governance and compliance©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org
Migrang on-prem SP content
and forpoliciesto the cloud
Regulaons
government
offices

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

AIIM Industry Watch

18

Don’t know/Not applicable

AIIM Market Intelligence

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Exchange 365/Outlook Web (email)
SkyDrive Pro/One Drive for Business (Cloud file sync)
Office 365/Online/Web Apps (SaaS/browser Office applicaons)

Cloud is one way to improve collaboration capabilities across the enterprise and beyond the corporate

SharePoint 365/SharePoint Online (Cloud-based SharePoint)walls in a secure and device agnostic manner. This additionally provides support for mobile device use
Project, Great Plains/Dynamics, MS-CRM
as cloud is typically(SaaS
deviceagnostic.
enterpriseapplicaons)
Skype/Lync (Messaging and comms)

Concerns

Yammer (Social/micro-blog)

Office stories
Groups about security breaches and information theft, 58% of our
As can be expected these days, with news
respondents cite security as an issue Delveof concern(Search)for them using SharePoint in the Cloud. Control over what is
managed in the cloud is of concern for 53%, with 50% citing concerns over the effect using SharePoint in the
Informaon protecon (DRM, data loss prevenon)
Cloud would have on their governance and compliance efforts. While this is a reflection of discomfort with theCenter current security and compliance requirements and assess how
technology, it should also serve aseDiscovery
a call to validate
IG policies and practices meet them, regardless of the technology used. (Figure 20)
No plans to adopt
Evaluang it
Plan to adopt
AdoptedFigure 20: How significant would be/are the following issues for you with using a cloud or hybrid solution for
SharePoint? (N=118)

0%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Migrang on-prem SP content and policies to the cloudIntegraon of cloud SharePoint to on-prem enterprise systems
Ulizing third-party apps from cloud
Different features/upgrade schedules between cloudand on-prem versions
Escalang data volumes and costs
Longer term archiving
Cost balances and IT deployment
Security
Geographical locaon of cloud data servers
Managing what is allowed into the cloud
Effect on informaon governance and compliance
Regulaons for government offices

Major Concern

Some Concerns

Not a Problem

Add-on Products
Optimizations Used
Optimizing any IM technology should be a standard goal for all business organizations, and SharePoint is no
exception. When we asked our respondents to choose all of the listed items they felt applied to their SharePoint
implementation, 64% said they are using the out-of-the-box features provided in SharePoint. Fifty-one percent
say they use widgets and web parts, while, 32% indicate they are using 3rd party add-on products to optimize
SharePoint. (Figure 21) Regardless of what is being used, the majority of respondents are trying to maximize theirreturn-on-investment through optimization of some sort.

©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Industry Watch

19

AIIM Market Intelligence

Figure 21: Which of the following optimizations are you using with SharePoint? (N=124)
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70%
We use the standard out of-the-box product
Widgets and web parts
SharePoint0%
Apps5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70%
We use the standardout of-the-box
Limitedin-house productcustomizaon
Widgetsandweb parts
Customizaonusing
in-houseexperseSharePoint
Apps
Customizaon using
outsideexperseLimited in-house
3rd partycustomizaon
add-on applicaons
Customizaon using in-house experse Other
Customizaon using outside experseparty add-on
applicaons
Third 3rdParty
Products
Other optimization, we asked about 3rd party add-on products in use today or in the
Broadening our view of SharePoint
planning stages to implement within the next 12-18 months. Storage and archive management ranks high on the list
with 14% actively using it now and 30%0%
planning
implement
While50%
email 60%
management
is not 90%
widely100%
adopted10%to 20%
30% it.40%
70% 80%as yet, 23% are using Outlook integration today with 28% planning to implement it. (Figure 22)
Security enhancements

Figure 22: Which of the following third party enhancement products for SharePoint have you
Workflow and BPM
implemented/plan to implement? (N=107)
Records management

0%

Case Management
SecuritySearchenhancements
enhancements

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

WorkflowE-discovery
and BPM tools
Records management
Outlook integraonCase Management
Collaboraon tools

Search enhancements
Mobile accessE-discovery
tools
Metadata/taxonomy
management
Outlook
integraon
Auto- or assisted-classificaonCollaboraon
tools
Storage/archive
management
Mobile accessEnterprise
integraon

Metadata/taxonomy management
Auto- or assisted-classificaon
Storage/archive management
Enterprise integraon

Scanning and capture0%

No plans

Firm plans (12-18 mnths)

10% 20%30% 40%No plans

50% 60%Firm plans (12-18 mnths)

Using now

70% 80% 90% 100%
Using now

Invoice automaon (AP)
Auxiliary Products
0% 10% 20%

30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Digital signatures
Looking to the auxiliary productsthat build out the full ECM functionality set, we see that migration tools remain
important for 26%
of respondents
planning to implement them, and 24% who are using them now. This may be an
and capture
DataScanningclean-up/content
analycs
indication of users moving to consolidate disparate repositories into a single SharePoint stucture, or even consolidate
Systemmanagement/healthInvoicedifferent instances
or automaon
versionsof(AP)
SharePoint together. We also find that data clean-up with content analytics is in use bymonitoring
11%, with 22% planningto
implement
it within the next 12-18 months. This suggests a concerted effort to eliminate
Digital signatures
Migraon tools
redundant, outdated, and trivial
content (ROT) as part of the migration plan. (Figure 23)
Data clean-up/content analycs

Yammerconnecon
In our previous SharePoint
reportof 2015, we saw digital signatures in use by 9% of respondents. In 2016, thishas risen toSystem
13% management/healthinOther
use with
23%
planning to implement digital signatures within the next 12-18 months (Figuresocialapplicaons
monitoring23), indicating higher levels of comfort with the technologies, and greater clarity in relation to meeting compliance
Migraon tools
requirements.
No plans
Firm plans (12-18 mnths)
Using now
Yammer connecon
Other social applicaons©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

No plans

Firm plans (12-18 AIIM
mnths) Industry
Using now
Watch

20

Mobile access
Metadata/taxonomy management

AIIM Market Intelligence

Auto- or assisted-classificaon
Storage/archive management
Enterprise integraon
Security enhancements

0%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

No plans
Workflow and BPM

Firm plans (12-18 mnths)

Using now

Figure 23: Which of the following
products for SharePoint have you implemented/plan to implement? (N=105)
Recordsauxiliary
management
Case Management
0% 10% 20%
Search enhancements

30% 40%50% 60%70% 80% 90% 100%

Scanning and capture
E-discovery tools
OutlookInvoice automaon(AP)integraonCollaboraon tools
Digital signatures
Mobile access
Data clean-up/content
analycs
Metadata/taxonomy
management
System management/healthAuto- or assisted-classificaonmonitoring
Storage/archive management
Migraon tools
Enterprise integraon
Yammer connecon

No plans

Firm plans (12-18 mnths)

Using now

Other social applicaons

20%plans
30%
40%mnths)
50% 60%No 0%plans 10% Firm
(12-18Using70%
now80% 90% 100%and capture
Data cleanup should beScanningincludedas part of a migration project, in order to eliminate redundant,
outdated, and trivial Invoicecontent(ROT),
organize business information of value, decrease storage
automaonproperly(AP)
requirements, and lower overall IT costs to maintain the SharePoint environment.
Digital signatures

0%analycs
5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Data clean-up/content
System management/health
From home using VPNmonitoring
accessMigraon tools
From the Outlook email client

Access/Connection/Mobile
Access Methods

Yammer connecon
There arenumber of drive/OneDrive
ways to access information that is managed within SharePoint. When we asked our
Simulatedfileashare/virtual
respondents to choose their
topsocial
3 methodsof access, 50% say they access it using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Other
applicaons
mobiledevices– browserfrom On
home.
While
this
may beaccesslimiting, it is perceived as providing the highest levels of secure access. Use of the

NoofplansFirmindicatingplans (12-18
mnths) to provide
Using now
Outlook client is another popular method used by 36%
respondents,
an approachcontrolled,
Whilstwithin other enterprise
singlepoint-of-accessfor the systems
user community. (Figure 24)

According to 15% of ourvia
respondents,
Partners/customers/suppliers
VPN login external access to SharePoint is discouraged by their organization, indicating alevel of discomfort or concern over security breaches and information loss. (Figure 24)

On mobile
dedicated
appfollowing ways do users access content in your SharePoint system? (N=116)
Figure devices
24: In –whichof theRemote/mobile – offline using synchronized copies

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Partners/customers/suppliers via hybrid cloud/cloud-share
From home using VPN access
None of theseFrom- nottheencouraged
Outlook email client
Simulated file share/virtual drive/OneDrive
On mobile devices – browser access
Whilst within other enterprise systems
Partners/customers/suppliers via VPN login
On mobile devices – dedicated app
Remote/mobile – offline using synchronized copies
Partners/customers/suppliers via hybrid cloud/cloud-share
None of these - not encouraged©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Industry Watch

21

AIIM Market Intelligence

Systems Linkage
The concept of a single point-of-access for the users is not new and does require a level of connectivity or linkage
between systems within the enterprise. In days past, this may have meant programmed integration, but today,
various levels of interoperability are more than acceptable. It is no surprise that 30% of our respondents indicate
they have full integration with the Office applications – though it is surprising to see that number so low. We
also find that 17% of our respondents show they have linked SharePoint to their CRM/Service Desk applications,moving closer to the idyllic, seamless, information management environment. (Figure 25)
When it comes to ECM/DM systems, 12% say they have linked their SharePoint system to other ECM/DM
systems in their enterprise with only 5% indicating they are using Content Management Interoperability Services(CMIS) to do so. This is somewhat disappointing as CMIS was expected to be the answer to coupling ECM/DM
systems together in a rapid and agile manner. Since Microsoft has been an active participant in this initiative,
demonstrating its capabilities, one might expect these numbers to be greater. (Figure 25)
Figure 25: Which of these enterprise systems have you connected to SharePoint? (N=109)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25% 30% 35%

Office with full integra on
CRM/Service Desk
Other ECM/DM systems
HR system
Imaging/document workflow/AP system
ERP system
Formal project management system
Dedicated RM system
Finance/Accoun ng system
Legal/e-discovery systems
Web CMS
Email archive
Other social business systems
CMIS connec ons to any of the above

Linkage Issues

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Understanding that this level of interoperability can be a challenge, we asked our respondents to identify their top
We don’t have sufficient technical experse
two issues
in connecting SharePoint to other enterprise systems. Aside from a lack of technical expertise cited by
49%, the major
issuesarerelated toandinformation
management practices. (Figure 26)
Aligning
data
governancesecurity
According to 32% of our respondents, the biggest issue is aligning their data governance with security, andMisaligned metadata standards
for 26%, it is misaligned data standards, both of which indicate organizational and operational struggles withinformation
managementinasCMIS
a whole,regardless of technology. (Figure 26) In many cases we find that while there
Incompabiliesor API standards
are well-defined policies and practices around corporate records, there are few if any focused on content, equating
to or fromcloud/SaaS systems
to a state Connecng
of informationchaos.
Extending from simple search to open, edit andversioning capabilies
Maintaining the connecons across upgrades
Implemenng manage-in-place for retenon and holdOther©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

SharePoint is alreadyour search andWatch
AIIMaccessIndustry
portal acrossmulple22

Finance/Accoun ng system
Other ECM/DM systems
Legal/e-discovery systems
HR system
Web CMS
Imaging/document workflow/AP system
Email archive
ERP system
Other social business systems
Formal project management system
CMIS connec ons to any of the above
Dedicated RM system

AIIM Market Intelligence

Finance/Accoun ng system
Figure 26: What
have been your biggest issues with connecting SharePoint to other enterprise systems? (N=85)
Legal/e-discovery systems

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Web CMS
Email archive
We don’t have sufficienttechnical experse
Other social business systems
Aligning data governance and security
CMIS connec ons to any of the above
Misaligned metadata standards
Incompabilies in CMIS or API standards

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Connecng to or from cloud/SaaS systems

Extending from simple search to open, edit and
We don’t have sufficient technical experseversioning capabilies
Maintaining
the connecons
across upgrades
Aligning
data governanceand security
Implemenng
manage-in-place
for retenon and hold
Misaligned
metadata standards
Incompabilies in CMIS or API standards

Other

Connecng to or from cloud/SaaS systems

Planned Connections

Extending from simple search to open, edit andversioning capabilies
Maintaining
theofconnecons
upgradesThe
concept
providing acrossa simpleto use, single point-of-access to all information across the enterprise is not
SharePointis already
new,
and
yet,
it
remainseverelusive.
Respondents of our survey indicate that they use
SharePoint
as a searchoursearch andImplemenng manage-in-place for retenon and holdaccessportalacrossportal.
and access portal to multiple repositories (12%), with 27% working to make SharePoint
their
primarymulple the user
(Figure 27) This is a great step forward
to enhance
Other and should be part of an overarching strategy repositories,
12%
Don’t
know,
33%
experience, increase findability, and provide secure access every time, from anywhere. But it cannot be done
through technology alone.

Figure 27: What is your forward strategy for connecting SharePoint to otherWe are working
enterprise repositories? (N=117)
towards SharePoint
being our primary
SharePoint is already portal, 27%
our search andaccess portal acrossmulplerepositories, 12%
Don’t know, 33%
We are using/will
We have no firm
use anotherplans to create a
ECM/DM system orsearch and accessproduct as ourportal, 15%
We are using/willprimary
portal, 9%We
are working
use an enterprise
towards
SharePoint
search system as our being our primaryportal, 3%
portal, 27%©2016 AIIM -We are using/will
We have no firm
use anotherplans to create
Weaalready have a
ECM/DM system orsearch and accessrobust andproduct as ourportal, 15% compliant RM
We are using/willprimary portal, 9%system – standuse an enterprise
We don’talone, 17%
search system as ourdifferenate
between records
portal, 3%
We already have aand other content,
robust and25%compliant RM
system – linked toSharePoint, 6%
We already have arobust andcompliant RM
We need/use
system – standWe don’tWith careful set up it
alone, 17%
add-on 3rd party
differenate
can comply with our
products, 18%
between records
needs, 21%
We already have aand other content,
robust and25%compliant RM
We need/use somesystem – linked to
specialist
www.aiim.org SharePoint, 6%
customizaon, 14% AIIM Industry Watch

23

SharePoint is already
AIIM Market
Intelligence
our search andaccess portal acrossmulplerepositories, 12%

Don’t know, 33%

Governance
Records Management (RM)

We are working
towards SharePoint
being our primaryportal, 27%

Over the years, there has been much discussion about SharePoint’s capabilities to manage records in a compliant
manner. This is especially true of users in regulated industries, that is of
if the organization does in fact
Wecourse
are using/will
We have no firm
use another
differentiate records fromplans
content
and aother forms of information. Our findings
show that according to 25% of ourto create
ECM/DM system orsearch anddoaccess
respondents, their organizations
not differentiate between records andother ascontent
product
our – indicating that they treat
portal, 15%We
areusing/willprimary portal, 9%everything the same. (Figure 28)
use an enterprisesearchsystemas ourSharePoint does have the capability to meet therecords
management
needs of 21% of our respondents, provided it
portal, 3%
is set-up carefully and properly to address those needs. Add-on products are the method of choice for 18% who feel
this is the best approach to meet their records management requirements. (Figure 28)

Figure 28: How does SharePoint match your records management needs? (N=108)
We already have arobust andcompliant RM
system – standalone, 17%

We don’tdifferenate
between records
and other content,
25%

We already have arobust andcompliant RM
system – linked toSharePoint, 6%

We need/use
add-on 3rd party
products, 18%

With careful set up it
can comply with ourneeds, 21%
We need/use somespecialist
customizaon, 14%Information Governance
So we have seen a lack of differentiating records from other forms of content. It should be of no surprise then, that
we now see 21% of respondents indicating they do not have good IG policies, and 37% saying the still have work
to do when it comes to aligning SharePoint with their information governance policies. For those who have done
the work (15%), SharePoint aligns well with their policies. This should serve as a message to many organizations
that technology is not the answer to governance. Governance should be in place regardless of technology and thetechnology should align to meet your governance and compliance requirements. (Figure 29)
Figure 29: How well aligned is your SharePoint with your Information Governance policies? (N=117)
Don’t know, 9%

It aligns with themwell enough, 15%

We don’t have muchin the way of IG
policies, 21%

We s ll have somework to do, 37%
Not at all wellaligned, 18%©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Industry Watch

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%24

Don’t know, 9%

It aligns with themwell enough, 15%

AIIM Market Intelligence

We don’t have muchin the way of IG
policies, 21%
Don’t know, 9%

It aligns with themwell enough, 15%

We don’t have much
Misalignmentsin the way of IG

We s ll have somepolicies,
Probing deeper to uncoverthe 21%
areas of biggest misalignment, retention and dispositionaremost troublesome
work todo,the37%
areas for 62% of our respondents, while metadata and taxonomy – information organization – are the biggest
for 45% of respondents. (Figure 30)
thewellquestion here is one of a lack of policy, or the ability for technology
NotSo
at allaligned,18%
to support the policies? In either case,there
must be a middle ground sought and established upon which theseorganizations can build. On the upside, 56% say back-up and disaster recovery are well aligned with SharePoint, as
We s ll have someare security (48%) and privacy (42%). (Figure 30)
work to do, 37%
Figure 30: Where are your main misalignments? (N=105)
Not at all well
0% 10%aligned,18% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Metadata and taxonomy
Security

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Privacy
Metadata and taxonomy
Retenon and disposion
Security
Legal discovery and holdPrivacy
Back up and disaster recovery
Retenon and disposionLong term archive
Legal discovery and holdNo policy

Not aligned

AlignedBack up and disaster recovery

The fact that security, privacy, and disaster recovery are more likely to be aligned with SharePoint
does notLong
compensate
for the fact that a majority of organizations have IG alignment issues, and interm archivesome cases, do not even have policies.
No policy
Not aligned
AlignedCapture and Declaration
We know that for some, records capture is irrelelvant and non-existent (30%)
likelydue in large part to theirMove
to a Records
lack of differentiating records from Don’tcontent.
For18%
those who do focus on records
management,
15% say they use
Center,10%know,
a combination of Records Center and manage-in-place, while 14% move their records to a dedicated records
management system. (Figure 31)
manage-inFigure 31: What is your preferred method of capturing/declaring recordsTagin andSharePoint?
(N=115)place, 12%Move to a Records
Center, 10%
Don’t know, 18%
Tag and manage-inA mixture
place,
12% of Records
Centre and managein-place, 15%

We don’t capturerecords, 30%

Move to our
dedicated RM
system,14% of Records
A mixture
Centre and managein-place, 15%

We don’t capturerecords, 30%

Move to our
dedicated RM
system, 14%©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Industry Watch
0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

25

Don’t know, 18%
Tag and manage-inAIIM Market Intelligenceplace, 12%

A mixture of Records
Centre and managein-place, 15%

Futures, Spend, We
andOpinions
don’t capture
SharePoint Strategy

records, 30%

Move to our
dedicated RM
system,they
14% will build their
Indications for SharePoint use appears to be stong with 29% of our respondents indicating

ECM, RM, and collaboration around SharePoint, with an additional 15% saying they will continue to build on
SharePoint over the next few years. This is clearly an indicator that SharePoint remains an integral part of theorganizational and operational strategy for many organizations. Couple this with the 10% who show they will now
move to SharePoint 2016, and the message is clear: in the minds of these respondents, SharePoint is here tostay for some time. (Figure 32) The real question is how well prepared are they to move forward and grow their
SharePoint systems?
Figure 32: Which of the following best describes your likely
strategy for SharePoint? (N=136)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

We are commied to building our ECM, RM
and collaboraon around SharePoint
We will connue to build on SharePoint for
the next few years
SharePoint remains our ECM system of choice forthe foreseeable future
We are considering/moving to SharePoint 2016
SharePoint has never been our prime ECM focus,
and will stay that way
Our investment in SharePoint is now tailingoff but it is sll important
We may look to replace SharePoint in thenext few years
We may unload some funcons to best-of-breed
products
Our implementaon is stalled, so weare open to alternaves
We have already/are already moving awayfrom SharePoint
Don’t know
Other/Comment

Lessons Learned
Considering the experiences shared by our respondents, we asked them to identify all of the applicable lessons
learned as a result of their SharePoint projects. A resounding number (68%) said that SharePoint projects should
not be left to IT, an indication that while IT is an integral part of implementing SharePoint, it should be viewed asa team effort consisting of cross functional members. (Figure 33)
Taking technology out of the discussion, 54% say that there is a need to know and understand the implicationsof metadata and taxonomy, and 52% say to put IG first then apply SharePoint, supporting the premise that
information should be organized and governed in place before trying to add technology, as technology alone is not
the sollution to information management issues. (Figure 33)©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Industry Watch

26

AIIM Market Intelligence

Figure 33: What are the key lessons have you learned from yourSharePoint implementation? (N=124)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Don’t leave it just to IT
Be sure to understand the implicaonsof metadata and taxonomy
Set out your informaon governance policies
first, then match to SharePoint
Create a SharePoint steering group to driveadopon and conformance
Ensure you have a scoping document anda build-out plan
Understand the implicaons between a plaorm anda product, and set expectaons
Take ECM/RM training in addion to technicalproduct training
Take on-board the trade-off between quick wins
and long term headaches
Consider each version change as a migraon,
not an upgradeUse external advice, parcularly for your typeof businessBe sure to turn on and configure the highest levelof search you have
Talk to add-on providers: they can greatly simplify things
as well as adding funconality
Other/Comment

Opinions
SharePoint has met the expectaons that were0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

set out to us atof
theSharePoint
start
When it comes to meeting expectations
and the Microsoft roadmap for the future, 40% are
SharePoint
providesa valuethatis and what they see on the Microsoft road ahead. Likewise,
happy and 15% very
happy
with
what
they
have
commensurate with its costs
42% agree and8%happystrongly
agreethat SharePoint
provides good value to cost. (Figure 34)
We arewith theSharePoint
product
and the ongoing roadmap

There is also general agreement still, that both the lack of mobile support and the difficulties of external
Wefrustrating,will move toward
2016 is under threat from designed-for-mobile cloud collaboration
access have been
and SharePoint
that SharePoint
products and services in the future. Indications here being that of a growing need to support businessWe will follow Microso down the 365/Yammer routeinteractions with the mobile workforce, partners, and suppliers beyond the corporate walls.
We are concerned that Microso is losing
focus on on-prem SharePoint
The lack of mobile clients has been frustrang
for our users
The difficules of extending access outside the businesshas limited SharePoint use for collaboraon
Simpler designed-for-mobile cloud collaboraonsystems are likely to displace SharePoint

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Internal SharePoint development/configuraonIntegraon of SharePoint to other repositories©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

SharePoint 2016 inial purchase

SharePoint 2016 upgrade from current version

AIIM Industry Watch27

first, then match not
to SharePointan upgrade
Use
external
advice, parcularly
for yourtype
Createa SharePoint
steering groupto driveof businessadopon and conformance
Be sureEnsure
to turnyouon haveand configure
highest andlevel
a scopingthe
document
ofasearch
youplanhavebuild-out
Talk
to add-on theproviders:
they cangreatlya simplify
Understand
implicaons
betweenplaormthings
andas well as
addingfunconality
a product,andset expectaons

AIIM Market Intelligence

Take ECM/RM training in addion
to technical
Other/Comment
product
training
Take on-board the trade-off between quick wins
andlong34:
termHowheadaches
Figuredo you feel about the following statements? (N=124)
Consider each version change as a migraon,
not an upgrade 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
UseSharePoint
external advice,parcularly
for yourtype
has met the expectaonsthat wereof atbusinessset out to us
the start
Be sure to turn on SharePointand configure
the highest
providesa value levelthat isof search
youitshave
commensurate
with
costs
Talk to add-on providers:
they cansimplify things
We are happy
withgreatly
the SharePoint
productthe ongoingroadmap
as well andas addingfunconality
We will move toward
SharePoint 2016
Other/Comment
We will follow Microso down the 365/Yammer route
We are concerned that Microso is losing
focus on on-prem SharePoint0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
The lack of mobile clients has been frustrang
forthatourwereusers
SharePoint has met the expectaons
set out
to us atstart
The difficules of extending accessoutsidethethebusinesshas limited
SharePointuse forcollaboraon
SharePoint
providesa valuethat iscommensurate
its costs
Simpler designed-for-mobile
cloudwithcollaboraonsystems
likelydisplace SharePoint
We arehappyarewiththetoSharePoint
product
and the ongoing roadmap

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

We will move toward SharePoint 2016

Agree

Strongly Agree

We will follow Microso down the 365/Yammer route
We are concerned
Microso
losingWhile SharePoint
maythatappearto isbeweak in the areas of mobile device use and external access, afocus on on-prem SharePoint
hybridapproach
could
addresssomeof these concerns as would the use of add-on products intended
The lack of mobile clients has been frustrang
for ourusers
for these specific purposes with
SharePoint.

The difficules of extending access outside the businesshas limited SharePoint use for collaboraon
Simpler designed-for-mobile cloud collaboraonsystems are likely to displace SharePoint

Spend

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Internal
SharePointdevelopment/configuraon
Unlike2015
whererespondents
expected Neither
to spend
more
external training,
2016 our
respondents say that
Strongly
DisagreeDisagreeAgreenoronDisagree
Agree in Strongly
Agree
integration
with
other
repositories
is
the
top
area
for
increased
spending(27%).
SharePoint
2016 is the focus for
Integraon of SharePoint to other repositories
17% who indicate they will increase spending to upgrade, and 24% who say they will increase their spending forinialtopurchaseadd-on products, SharePoint
indicating 2016
an effort
optimize and improve SharePoint use and extened its capabilities. (Figure35) SharePoint 2016 upgrade from current version

Figure 35: How do you think
your organization’s
SharePoint
training spending on the following areas and applications in the next 12months will compare with what was actually spent in the last 12 months? (N=139)
Third-party add-on products
External professional services0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

SharePoint on-prem licenses
Internal SharePoint development/configuraon
Online/365
licenses
IntegraonSharePointof SharePoint
to othercloud
repositories
MobileSharePoint 2016inialdeployment
purchase
SharePoint 2016 upgrade from We
current
don’tversion
spend anything on thisLess

About the same

More

SharePoint training
Third-party add-on products
External professional services 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
SharePoint on-prem licenses
Scanning and capture
SharePoint Online/365 cloud licenses
Invoice automaon (AP)
Mobile deployment
Other BPM/workflow
applicaons
Digitalsignatures
We don’t
spend anything on thisData clean-up/content analycs

Less

About the same

More

Auto-classificaon
E-discovery

Output management0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

Cloud
collaboraon
tools
Scanning
and capture
Migraon(AP)tools
Invoice automaon

AIIM Industry Watch

28

Integraon of SharePoint to other repositories
SharePoint 2016 inial purchase

AIIM Market Intelligence

SharePoint 2016 upgrade from current version
SharePoint training
Third-party add-on products
External professional services

Add-on Spend
SharePoint on-prem licenses

When it comes to specific add-ons, 24% of our respondents say they will increase spending on site governance,
SharePoint Online/365 cloud licenses
monitoring tools, and records management. Additionally, 23% say they will increase their spending on archiving,
Mobiledeployment
preservation, and storage,
indicatingthat these organizations are realizing the importance of good IG practices
and are making arrangements to move their organizations forward in support of risk management and compliance.
We don’t spend anything on thisLess
About the same
More
(Figure 36)
Figure 36: How do you think your organization’s spending on the following add-on products and applications in the next
12 months will compare with what was actually spent in the last 12 months? (N=139)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Scanning and capture
Invoice automaon (AP)Other BPM/workflow applicaons
Digital signatures
Data clean-up/content analycsAuto-classificaon
E-discovery
Output management
Cloud collaboraon tools
Migraon tools
Records management
Archiving/preservaon/storage
Site governance and monitoring tools
Enterprise connecvity tools

We don’t spend anything on thisLess

About the same

More

Emphasis should be on developing better-aligned information management practices in relation
to governance, preservation, and records management, with an ability to monitor the SharePoint
environment for on-going continuous improvement.

Conclusion and Recommendations
While some may have counted SharePoint out in relation to ECM/DM, it is obvious that it is here and fairly strong
in many organizations. While it has not displaced the legacy systems, it is positioned to co-exist in ways thatleverage existing IT investments with opportunity to extend beyond the corporate walls through inherent or addon means. It is also obvious that a lack of awareness exists within the user community regarding the capabilitiesof SharePoint. Regardless of the reason, whether it be a lack of or poor communication on the part of Microsoft,or that the user community is content to follow the roadmap as presented by Microsoft, opportunities to optimize
SharePoint and maximize return-on-investment is unrealized.
It is also unfortunate that many organizations continue to find themselves in a state of struggle when implementing
SharePoint. However, all indications suggest that initially, it is not the fault of the technology, but failure of theorganization to properly address information governance prior to implementing the technology. SharePoint will not
automatically organize information in ways that meet compliance requirements, as it is not and cannot be aware of
the requirements. It is the human element of a SharePoint environment that must know and understand the rules,
set up the framework for the organization and then align SharePoint to support those requirements and policies.

©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

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29

AIIM Market Intelligence

So are users deserting SharePoint at the rate some might want us to believe? The answer according to thissurvey is no, and in fact, many are considering incorporating the next generation of SharePoint, SharePoint
2016. More than half of those we surveyed are committed to building and extending SharePoint with a strategic
focus for quite a while yet. For many, it will be a team effort, not an IT only project, leading us to believe that
there is serious consideration now being taken in relation to establishing a solid information ecosystem, built
within a well-defined framework, and aligned with SharePoint as a primary user portal.
The indicators are clear that SharePoint can be – and for many today, is – a platform upon which ECM, DM,
RM, and collaboration can be built, implemented and expanded. Do not rely solely on the technology. Establish
and enforce strong IG policies and processes. Seek guidance and expertise to fill in those areas where yourorganization is weak. Most of all, keep things moving.

Recommendationsn If your SharePoint deployment is stalled, or failing to add new value, identify the reasons anddevelop a plan of action to resolve them.
n Confirm with Senior Management what role SharePoint plays in the organizational strategy for
ECM, DM, RM, and collaboration, then focus on those areas. Plan and budget for training andsystem enhancement.
n While technology training is needed for your users, do not discount the benefit from more generictraining in content and records management practices. This will help correct previous mistakeswith content classification, metadata and taxonomies and better position your organization to alignwith SharePoint.
n Develop or refine your information governance (IG) framework, and use this to see where you havegaps in your SharePoint capability, particularly with regards to records management.
n Look for ways to integrate important emails into SharePoint, incorporating auto-classification tosimplify user requirements.
n Evaluate access to SharePoint remotely or from mobile devices and look for ways to enhance thiscapability. This may be an important driver for a move to the cloud, most likely in a hybrid modelthat retains some reassuring on-premise security.
n Link SharePoint to your other enterprise systems, allowing greater accessibility to enterprise
information and simplifying business processes that involve both transactional and unstructured
content.

©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

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AIIM Market Intelligence

Appendix 1: Survey Demographics
Survey BackgroundThe survey was taken using a web-based tool by 274 individual members of the AIIM community in June of 2016.
Invitations to take the survey were sent via email to a selection of the 195,000 AIIM community members.

Organizational Size
Survey respondents represent organizations of all sizes. Larger organizations over 5,000 employees represent 30%,
with mid-sized organizations of 501 to 5,000 employees at 32%. Small-to-mid sized organizations with 10 to 500
employees constitute 38%. Respondents from organizations with less than 10 employees have been eliminatedfrom the results.
11 -100 emps,
11 -100
emps,
14%
14%

over 10,000
over
10,000emps,
20%emps, 20%

5,001 -10,000
5,001 -10,000
emps, 10%
emps, 10%101 -500 emps,
101 -500
emps,
24%
24%

1,001 -5,000
1,001
emps,-5,000
21%
emps, 21%501 -1,000
501-1,000emps,
11%emps, 11%

Geography
62% of the participants are based in North America, with 30% from Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia(EMEA-R), and 8% rest-of-world.
Middle East,
MiddleEast, 5%Africa,S.Africa,
Africa, S.Africa, 5%Australasia, 4%Australasia, 4%
Eastern Europe,
EasternEurope,Russia,1%
Russia, 1%
Western Europe,
Western12%
Europe,12%

Asia, Far East,
Asia, Far
2%East,2%

Mexico,Mexico,Central/S.America,
Central/S.America,
Caribbean, 2%
Caribbean, 2%

US, 45%
US, 45%UK, Ireland, 12%
UK, Ireland, 12%

Canada, 17%
Canada, 17%©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Industry Watch

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12%
US, 45%UK, Ireland, 12%

AIIM Market Intelligence

UK, Ireland, 12%

Canada, 17%

Industry Sector

Canada, 17%Local and National Government together make up 24%, and Finance and Insurance 10%. Energy, Oil, Gas, andMining make up 8% of respondents. Suppliersof ECMWater,
services have been included as their responses are in
Telecoms,
Ulies,are4%evenly split.
alignment with other IT andRetail,High Transport,
Tech. Other sectors
Real Estate, 5%

Other, 2%

Telecoms, Water,Ulies, 4%
Non-Profit, Charity, 4%Retail, Transport,
Real Estate, 5%
Other, 2%

Consultants, 7%
Document Services
Provider, 1%

Consultants, 7%Media,
Entertainment,
Non-Profit, Charity, 4%
Publishing, 2%

Educaon,
Document
Services 5%
Provider, 1%

Media,
Entertainment,
Manufacturing,
Aerospace,
Publishing,Food Process,3% 2%Educaon, 5%

Energy, Oil & Gas,
Mining, 8%

Manufacturing, Aerospace,Life Science, Pharmaceucal,
1%
Food Process, 3%
Legal and ProfessionalLife Science,
Pharmaceucal,
1%
Services,
2%

Energy, Oil & Gas,
Mining, 8%

Engineering &Construcon, 3%

Legal and Professional

IT & HighServices,
Tech —2%
not ECM, 4%

Engineering &Construcon, 3%

IT & High Tech —not ECM, 4%

Finance, Banking,

IT & High Tech —supplierof ECM
IT & HighTech —
productsor services,supplierof ECM
10% or services,
products

Insurance,
10%
Finance,Banking,
Insurance, 10%
Government &10%

Healthcare, 4%

Healthcare, 4%Government & Public Services Government& Public
Local/State,
14%Services -Public Agencies
Government&
Public Agencies Naonal/Internaonal,Naonal/Internaonal,
10%
10%

Local/State, 14%

Job Roles
19% of respondents are from IT, 37% have a records management or information management role, and 16% are
C-Level, President, or line-of-business managers.
Legal/Corporate
Legal/Corporate
Counsel/Corporate
Counsel/Corporate
Compliance, 2%Compliance, 2%
Business Consultant, 5%Business Consultant, 5%

President,Managing
Managing
President,
Director,2%2%
Director,
Other,
Other,2%2%
IT staff, 16%

IT staff, 16%

C-level Execuve, 5%C-level Execuve, 5%
Line-of-businessexecuve,Line-of-businessdepartment head or
execuve,
process owner, 9%

department head orprocess owner, 9%Head ofrecords/informaonmanagement,
17%
Head ofrecords/informaonmanagement, 17%

Head of IT, 3%

Head of IT, 3%

IT Consultant or
Project Manager, 18%

IT Consultant or
Project Manager, 18%

Records or document
management staff, 20%

Records or document
management staff, 20%©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

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AIIM Market Intelligence

Appendix 2: General Comments
Do you have any general comments to make about yourSharePoint deployments? (Selective)n The deployment of SharePoint depends on HR, Communications and other areas. Not IT.
n It has been a long and rocky road – but we are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.
n This survey is very thought provoking. I know our SharePoint implementation has been flawed,
but seeing it here in my answers makes me realize how far we have to go.
n I feel that the expertise to launch this type of platform hasn’t been available for myorganization.
n Users are not happy about the lack of mobile app and also lack of copy/move functionality
and those two facts are undermining our project.
n In a dysfunctional organization such as ours, I’ve been amazed what an individual or small
group of forward-thinking people can do.
n SharePoint has been awesome since I started using it in 2009. It has been a mountain to
climb getting adoption in my organization because of complexity of SharePoint and not being
fully available outside the organization. Other cloud solutions have given SharePoint a run for
its money.

©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

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AIIM Market Intelligence

Underwritten in part bywww.colligo.com
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View, tag, file emails andattachments in SharePoint with apps
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Bring business content to where yourusers work to boost productivity andclassification of email records.

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www.gimmal.com
About Gimmal
You want to consolidate on SharePoint as your platform for enterprise content and records management to improveinformation governance. You want connectivity between your SharePoint and SAP platforms. We created our
products to help you achieve these goals. Gimmal products enable organizations in any industry to standardize
on SharePoint as a powerful content platform for building and deploying rich solutions that satisfy many diverse
business requirements.
Gimmal software transforms SharePoint and Office 365 into a true enterprise content management solution. Gimmal
software offerings for SharePoint include Gimmal Governance & Records Management, Gimmal Intranet & Portals,
and Gimmal ECM for SAP Solutions. To make the most out of their investment in SharePoint, organizations lookto third-party add-on technology to deal with the challenges of improving user experience and adoption, achieving
greater governance and compliance, and extending the usability of SAP content. Gimmal customers want a single
platform, not a collection of disparate point solutions to solve overarching information management problems.
Gimmal products work alone or together to deliver value in SharePoint and SAP environments.
We work with our clients and partners to address the challenge of unmanaged content in shared drives,
collaboration systems, the cloud, and outdated enterprise content management systems. Gimmal’s proven solutions
for intranets and portals, information governance, and SAP interoperability reduce risk and costs compared to otherthird-party solutions or costly customization. Our business applications are supported by the knowledge of our expert
team, who work with our customers and partners to deliver solutions for SharePoint and Office 365 on premises, inthe cloud, or both.

©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

AIIM Industry Watch

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You've just downloaded and readthe latest AIIM Industry Watch
Report on SharePoint. What now?

Take your skills to the next level by learning how to understand records
management components and features, build an information management
policy, identify ways of capturing records, understand records retention, andmanage records in-place with AIIM’s SharePoint training course.

Learn more, visit: www.aiim.org/training

AIIM Market Intelligence

AIIM (www.aiim.org) AIIM is the global community of information professionals.
We provide the education, research and certification that information
professionals need to manage and share information assets in an era of mobile,social, cloud and big data.
© 2016
AIIM
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Silver Spring, MD 20910+1 301.587.8202
www.aiim.org
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Office 1, Broomhall Business Centre,
Worcester, WR5 2NT, UK+44 (0)1905 727600
www.aiim.eu©2016 AIIM - www.aiim.org

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