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T aming the Email Monster: Managing Email… Using SharePoint

T aming the Email Monster: Managing Email… Using SharePoint. Image from www.zemp.com.au. From YouTube.com. Firm Portrait. Greene Espel P.L.L.P. Litigation boutique, founded in 1993 20 attorneys, 1+ IT staff 1 office in Minneapolis, MN iManage from 2003 to 2012

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T aming the Email Monster: Managing Email… Using SharePoint

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  1. Taming the Email Monster: Managing Email… Using SharePoint Image from www.zemp.com.au

  2. From YouTube.com

  3. Firm Portrait Greene Espel P.L.L.P. • Litigation boutique, founded in 1993 • 20 attorneys, 1+ IT staff • 1 office in Minneapolis, MN iManage from 2003 to 2012 • WorkSite/FileSite 8.5 only; no EMM, IRM, etc. • Still on the Verity indexer • 1.5M files (~75k per attorney) • 1M+ email messages No prior SharePoint environment

  4. Agenda • Who am I? • How did we end up here? • Tools • User requirements and information gathering, planning and implementation • Summary • Q & A

  5. How did we end up here?

  6. Current frustrations • Traditional legal DMS: decent at filing ingesting… not good at finding • Rigid top-down filing mechanisms • Almost nonexistent bottom-up organizational controls

  7. If you talk about “naming conventions” for your DMS, your DMS is failing you.

  8. Current frustrations (continued) • Client stability/QC; plug-in soup • The .NRL and plug-in silo • Indexer upgrade would be expensive • No noteworthy integration with other systems • Not easy to customize and extend • A la carte model for additional functionality • “Send and File”/email management • Records Management • Workflow • Offline client • Web/Mobile access (Extranet and web module functionality and client familiarity issues) • Niche product

  9. Evolution evolution of man's spirit by ~ilsung http://ilsung.deviantart.com

  10. Evolution: SharePoint DMS • Much more flexible for organizing content • Content liberated from plug-ins • Intranet (we didn’t have one) • Extranet possibilities (one familiar to clients) • Additional functionality is in-box • Realistic platform for building and integrating applications • Greater functionality in general

  11. …but what about email?

  12. Why do we put email in the DMS?

  13. Email frustrations • Findability is horrible • No ideal way to break down the “email folder” • Threading not supported • Ad hoc folders are a poor solution • Tagging not supported • Search is marginally helpful • Contacts are converted from objects to inconsistently-formatted text strings • There’s just too much email!

  14. SharePoint OOTB options • Managed Folder journaling • Email enabled doc libraries/lists (send to) • “Connect to Outlook”—SharePoint lists in Outlook • Drag-and-drop (Microsoft style)

  15. Managed Folder Journaling • Pros • Managed folders appear in Outlook and OWA • Records management integration • Uses .MSG format • Cons • Only supported with Exchange 2007 (!) • Designed for a handful of folders • Designed for archiving • Cumbersome to manage • Cannot file attachments separately (using this method) • Marginal dedupe functionality : won’t copy the same email twice, but email messages with the same name can either overwrite or append a unique number • No automatic metadata capture (To, From, etc.) • Attaches journal report Fumble!

  16. Email-enabled doc libraries and lists • Pros • Can “send to SharePoint” • “Reply all” for external users can be routed to SharePoint • Cons • Messy • Creates lots of AD/GAL objects; security must be set manually • If email addresses are created automatically, no control over the name • Must specify which lists and libraries are email enabled • Attachments are split out from the email message • Similar “dedupe” method to Managed Folder Journaling: can append a unique number to files with the same name • Saved in .EML format (!) • No content type support—no automatic metadata capture (To, From, etc.) • Can get spam; may pose an anti-spam licensing/logistics issue 10 yard loss!

  17. “Connect to Outlook” • Pros • Offline support • Cons • Read-only for doc libraries • Drag-and-drop will create new thread in Discussion Lists • No automatic metadata capture (no To, From, etc.) • Creates PST on the client Ineligible receiver!

  18. Drag-and-drop (kinda) Drag from Outlook to Desktop to Explorer View • Pros • No plug-ins required • Cons • Horrible • No content type support • Bypasses metadata prompts • No automatic metadata capture (From, To, etc.); files will be in the “checked out” state if additional fields are required • No dedupe(must have a unique filename) Intentional grounding!

  19. SharePoint OOTB options

  20. Third party solutions Why 3rd party solutions? • Necessary for an email management solution for humans Email management for humans

  21. Third party solutions Some specific things to watch out for: • Do they target the legal market? • How does it manage client/matter lists on the server and client sides? (“My Matters”?) • How does it handle duplicates and invalid characters? • How does it handle metadata capture? • Does it file in place, or move messages? • What kind of search interface does it have? • How does it present the option for attaching SharePoint items? • Is it presenting an Outlook view, a webpage within Outlook, or something custom? • Does the client support background filing?

  22. Third party solutions (cont’d) • Does the client have preview functionality, and how does it work? • Does it leverage SharePoint as a backend without changing it or layering functionality over it? • Is a migration utility available? How does it work? • How stable is it? • What additional functionality does it provide beyond drag-and-drop? (“Send and File,” round-tripping, etc.) • Does the vendor blog? Tweet? • Where are they located? Do they have a US presence? • Do they partner with other implementers?

  23. Third party options • EponaEmailFiler/DMSforLegal • MacroView Message/DMF • Handshake Email Director • Colligo Email Manager/Contributor • WorkshareWorkshare Point • Sword Excalibur • harmon.ie harmon.ie for SharePoint – Outlook Edition/Outlook Enterprise Edition • ScinapticOnePlaceMail • KnowledgeLake Connect • EverSuite Email Management for Outlook • SharePointBoost Outlook Integration 2.0 • ShareTools.biz ShareBox for SharePoint • CodePlex SharePoint Outlook Connector • CodePlex Mail2Share • Dynamics CRM?

  24. EponaDMSforLegal • Why we selected DMSforLegal • Legal focus • Uses native SharePoint functionality (pulls in SP views, etc.) • Outlook search == SharePoint search • Native preview functionality • Background email filing • Similarity to iManage—My Matters, Recent Documents, subscription model • Windows Explorer integration (any app) • Migration tool for iManage, and iManageexperience • Exposes managed metadata tags in Outlook for filing

  25. EponaDMSforLegal: navigation

  26. EponaDMSforLegal: filing pane

  27. EponaDMSforLegal: filing pane

  28. EponaDMSforLegal: filing pane

  29. EponaDMSforLegal: filing pane

  30. EponaDMSforLegal: send and file

  31. EponaDMSforLegal: attachment options

  32. EponaDMSforLegal: background filing

  33. EponaDMSforLegal: Outlook’s perspective

  34. EponaDMSforLegal: configuration options

  35. Email organization: we hardly knew ye • Assessment: 70% of DMS content is email (and growing) • Email increasingly is the medium, the mode, and the content: “email” can go anywhere, be anything • Traditional approach: • Dump all email in the ‘Email’ folder • Email ends up in other folders as well • Deal with the mess afterwards

  36. Filing structure Determining the “right blend” of: • Site collections • Sites • Doc libraries • Folders • Tags • Content types • Site columns • Views

  37. New approaches to old problems “Allow subfolders! vs. No subfolders allowed!” • Goal: location selection only—no additional metadata prompts • Folders provide one-click targets • Managed metadata tags do too, and also allow multi-value • Future enhancement: threaded email view?

  38. Filing Structure Process • Small group of users at first • Design SharePoint- and firm-optimized structure first, worry about migration later • Create iManageto SharePoint decoder wheel • Don’t get paralyzed by the process—it won’t be perfect • Beware of designing for the exception • Spend time to “refile” a sample matter to demonstrate the new organizational model

  39. Specific considerations • Email vs. non-email content types and mixing them within the same doc library: the “email might go anywhere” problem • Making site column names generic enough for reuse for a better search experience • Links to DMS documents: • Links can be anywhere in an email, and can be given context • No more sea of attachments • No attachment icon (as with NRLs)

  40. Other considerations • SharePoint as a platform: reduce email traffic and increase efficiency by leveraging other SharePoint features • Outlook vs. browser access: cater to Outlook’s limitations or break free from the “attorneys [must] live in Outlook” mantra? • Other third party plug-ins • BLOB externalization (StoragePoint) • Browser previewer (BA Insight Longitude Search) • Cross platform (and mobile) access • Scanning solutions not mature

  41. Summary/Lessons learned • Once-per-decade chance to revisit fundamental doc organization and processes • Don’t re-implement existing DMS limitations • Understand thoroughly SharePoint’s many mechanisms for content organization • Take plenty of time • Involve many over time and iterate • Don’t worry if your lines are straight

  42. Contact info Ryan Helmer Greene Espel P.L.L.P. Email: rhelmer@greeneespel.com Direct: 612.373.8351

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