How to Implement a Large Scale Portal Solution
DO your analysis before you decide on a product / solution / concept. So many organisations say "we need a Portal!" without actually finding out if they actually do. I have been involved in many Portal projects where at some stage down the line the organisation realises that what they actually need is good CMS and KM or Enterprise Search Solution.
DO find out how your users work! Many Portal projects fail because IT deliver their "best guess" of what interface a user requires. Sit down with key users and establish what their typical journey is through the multitude of systems interfaces.
DO get a dedicated Portal team organised! When it comes to implementation time, expand this to become a virtual team which includes all of IT and relevant business representatives.
DON'T aim to implement everything at once. The 'Big Bang' approach DOES NOT WORK. Don't just take it from me. The Internet is littered with Portal hard luck stories from those who tried and failed to deliver everything.
DO break things into chunks. Levels of complexity within Portal projects are always high. Abstract this complexity by using work streams or even separate projects.
DON'T promise too much. Portal projects are plagued with 'blue sky' promises.
DON'T treat a Portal implementation as an ordinary project. Portals deliver fundamental changes in the way people work, it is not just another application, it is the road to a single application interface. Treat it as such.
DO market the benefits of the solution. Establish clear business benefits for each phase / work stream, believe me, it will help you in the future. Portal projects regularly 'disappear up their own arse' because by the time they are delivered, no one can quite put their finger on why they wanted one in the first place.
DO use Enterprise Architecture to define what you have already AND what you plan to have.
DON'T expect your users to undersand the interface just because you do! Those close to the project naturally find using the Portal easy. Users will have a much different experience. If you can afford it, hire an interface design specialist and get them to justify and document every piece of functionality in plain English. Include this in a context sensitive help application.
DON'T implement features just because you can. Establish a business case with clear and concise benefits for every application then implement them as separate projects within individual business and technical application owners.
DO find out how your users work! Many Portal projects fail because IT deliver their "best guess" of what interface a user requires. Sit down with key users and establish what their typical journey is through the multitude of systems interfaces.
DO get a dedicated Portal team organised! When it comes to implementation time, expand this to become a virtual team which includes all of IT and relevant business representatives.
DON'T aim to implement everything at once. The 'Big Bang' approach DOES NOT WORK. Don't just take it from me. The Internet is littered with Portal hard luck stories from those who tried and failed to deliver everything.
DO break things into chunks. Levels of complexity within Portal projects are always high. Abstract this complexity by using work streams or even separate projects.
DON'T promise too much. Portal projects are plagued with 'blue sky' promises.
DON'T treat a Portal implementation as an ordinary project. Portals deliver fundamental changes in the way people work, it is not just another application, it is the road to a single application interface. Treat it as such.
DO market the benefits of the solution. Establish clear business benefits for each phase / work stream, believe me, it will help you in the future. Portal projects regularly 'disappear up their own arse' because by the time they are delivered, no one can quite put their finger on why they wanted one in the first place.
DO use Enterprise Architecture to define what you have already AND what you plan to have.
DON'T expect your users to undersand the interface just because you do! Those close to the project naturally find using the Portal easy. Users will have a much different experience. If you can afford it, hire an interface design specialist and get them to justify and document every piece of functionality in plain English. Include this in a context sensitive help application.
DON'T implement features just because you can. Establish a business case with clear and concise benefits for every application then implement them as separate projects within individual business and technical application owners.
posted by Archie Tetchy at 11:04 AM
