[jlm072174]

I am creating a Sharepoint site for my fellow executive assistants for us all to collaborate, share information, combine vacation calendars, stockpile critical contacts, store frequently-needed company templates, etc. ... basically a one-stop shop for us all to share information without clogging up our email servers with electronic overload.

What I'm looking for are general suggestions for things you'd find helpful in such a product. My site list already comprises the following: a calendar (for us to consolidate our vacation/out-of-office plans); an external contacts area to store caterer information, preferred service providers in our different market areas; a discussion area (forum) for reviews/feedback (e.g., service providers), EA 911 for help with urgent issues, announcements, etc.; a list of links to websites or service providers of interest (this site will be on there!); and a document repository for templates and org charts.

What are some other areas/topics/sections you might find helpful in our field? Any/all suggestions appreciated!

[MrsMorePower]

I am doing research also, I do not have anything set up yet, but will be looking forward to setting it up in the future. It seems very promising and secure. Good Luck.

Sharepoint:
-helps with documenting organization in document libraries, to-do lists, alerts and discussion boards,
-Public web sites hosted on SharePoint,
-host web sites that access shared workspaces and documents, as well as specialized applications,
-SharePoint does not intend to replace an entire file server
-task list or discussion pane
-to-do lists, alerts and discussion boards
-helps your organization get more done by providing a platform for sharing information and working together in teams,

Intranet:
-any part of an organization's information or operational systems with its employees,
-important component and focal point of internal communication and collaborations,
-always private and requires authorization for each web viewer,
-used to deliver tools and applications, e.g., collaboration (to facilitate working in groups and teleconferencing) or sophisticated corporate directories, sales and Customer relationship management tools, project management etc., to advance productivity.
-large numbers of employees discussing key issues in an intranet forum application could lead to new ideas in management, productivity, quality, and other corporate issues, to communicate strategic initiatives that have a global reach throughout the organization,
-what the initiative is aiming to achieve, who is driving the initiative, results achieved to date, and who to speak to for more information.
-By providing this information on the intranet, staff have the opportunity to keep up-to-date with the strategic focus of the organization.
-Examples include: employee manuals, benefits documents, company policies, business standards, newsfeeds, and even training, can be accessed using common Internet standards (Acrobat files, Flash files, CGI applications). Because each business unit can update the online copy of a document, the most recent version is always available to employees using the intranet.
-developing and deploying applications to support business operations and decisions across the internetworked enterprise
-Cost-effective: Users can view information and data via web-browser rather than maintaining physical documents such as procedure manuals, internal phone list and requisition forms.

[MrsMorePower]

Public web sites hosted on SharePoint at SharePoint - websites

[LisaOlsen]

You might also include valuable community resources that would benefit admins such as referrals for child care services (possibly contact child care providers who might offer discounts for their info to be included on your site), cultural events, blood banks, womens health issues, etc. You might also include mentoring opportunities.

[jlm072174]

Thanks much for the input thus far. The intent of the site will be primarily work-related material, as we have another avenue for publicizing/sharing personal needs such as daycare, community events, personal referrals, etc.

My objective with this site will be to consolidate the things that we use/access/need on a daily basis in one location. Dare I say, it's somewhat in response to the recent redesign of our intranet which was intended to make things easier for us to locate, but failed to hit the mark, in my opinion. Now, it's harder to find the things we need on an immediate basis, and usually causes more frustration for us all in looking for them. But rather than suggest a few million more dollars be tossed at that project (especially in this economy), I'm looking for a low-cost solution that makes sense and is meaningful/useful. In addition, my objective is to help cut down on the volume of emails pertaining to these very problems (e.g., "does anyone have a link to ...", "who knows a good limo service in Houston?", "I'll be out of the office on Friday ...", etc.) We had a recent meeting among the core EA team, and email volume was one of the biggest complaints voiced all around. We have enough stuff coming in from and for our executives, so any opportunity to help keep the IT folks happy with our reduced inbox capacities and slow server complaints, while consolidating all this "stuff" in one spot is a win-win-win situation for us all.

Essentially, it would almost be like a mini "Office Arrow" for my company, tailored to our needs and providing support in the various markets we cover across North America, if that makes sense. That said, I'm trying to think of the things we EAs need on a day-to-day basis that make our lives easier to do our jobs to incorporate into the site.

[Karen Loughman]

My company uses a SharePoint site for our clients as a collaboration tool. We started a blog and a Wiki site as well as an ftp site on there for employees to use to share information with each other.

[Jodith]

I definitely recommend adding the Discussion webpart to the page. It's essentially a forum added to the sharepoint site, and it's a great way to ask those needed questions without sending out e-mails, and then the answer is there where everyone can refer back to it as needed. The Discussion webpart, I've found, is greatly underused by most sharepoint sites I've seen.