Supporting and Training SharePoint End Users

A critical component of any SharePoint rollout is training the users of the environment in the use of SharePoint. Using SharePoint is a big shift in thinking for most users, who may be used to the "old" method of accessing files on file servers and via email attachments. It is vital to the success and viability of your SharePoint environment to train the users on the new technology. In general, effective SharePoint training takes one of several forms:

• Documentation Creating a document, preferably with screenshots and step-by-step procedures and guidelines, is one of the easiest ways to disseminate knowledge about SharePoint.

• Structured classes A series of hands-on training classes is one of the most effective approaches to teaching your users how to use the new platform. This type of training can be outsourced to a training company, or you can run your own in-house training. It is vital that the sessions include hands-on practice on test SharePoint sites.

• Online presentation It is becoming more and more easy to produce professional-grade presentations with tools such as Microsoft Producer for PowerPoint. These types of tools allow you to create a web-based multimedia presentation that can demonstrate how to use SharePoint. In addition, the materials can be burned onto a CD-ROM, or placed on a website so that remote users can start to use the system.