SharePoint portal as a strategic management and planning tool: University of Southern Queensland (USQ) as a case study

Abstract

SharePoint Portal Server is a Microsoft portal product that enables a customised corporate intranet to be created that has a high level of functionality with applications in knowledge management and collaboration. The University of Southern Queensland has identified SharePoint Portal technology as a powerful tool for a range of applications, including in strategic management and planning. This paper will describe the basic features and applications of SharePoint Portal, the deployment of the portal in both faculty and corporate contexts, and provide a case study of how this product has been utilised as a central element of the roll‐out of a new Planning, Quality & Review Framework for the University. In particular, the use of the portal to integrate strategic planning, institutional research and financial management and planning‐as a vehicle for the roll‐out of the corporate Strategic Management Information System, as a customised document repository and in the facilitation of collaborative document development‐will be explored.