SharePoint 2010 for Project Management by Dux Raymond Sy – O’Reilly Media

If your work revolves around projects – whether you work in design, construction, technology or another field – and you use (or are required to use) Microsoft SharePoint, then you really need this book.

In this eagerly awaited update of the previous edition that covered SharePoint 2007, Dux Raymond Sy takes you by the hand and shows you the capabilities of SharePoint 2010 as a Project Management Information System, or PMIS. Having bought the first book, I was alerted by my favorite publisher of the availability of the updated book. I grabbed the second edition as quickly as possible. The differences between SharePoint 2007 and 2010 are many, and it is preferable to get the edition that covers the version that you use at your place of work. An overview of the basic differences between the two editions can be found here.

The renowned speaker, author, blogger and Microsoft MVP shows the SharePoint novice how to use the platform for creating a PMIS, managing stakeholder interaction, task distribution, project tracking, uploading documents and implementing workflows, and other important project steps.

Assuming you have been tasked with implementing SharePoint and have read a technical book and learned some of the ins and outs of this powerful software, you might be wondering ‘OK, so how do I use all that?’ Dux first defines SharePoint thus: ‘SharePoint allows individuals in an organization to easily create and manage their own collaborative solutions’. He then proceeds to answer your query by taking you on a small tour of SharePoint’s capabilities as a PMIS.

You might also be a project team member who has started to use SharePoint because it has recently been implemented at your company. In that case, this book will of tremendous help: a series of ‘Workshops’ chock-full of screen captures form the skeleton of this book, making it easy to read for anyone interested in SharePoint or tasked with using it on a daily basis.

The compatibility with Microsoft Office and the familiar Office-like interface of SharePoint 2010 makes learning the basics a breeze with Sy’s help. My only beef is that I wished the book could have been longer, specifically regarding the use of workflows. Coverage of the interaction between SharePoint and Visio would have also been helpful, but there are other books – of a more technical nature – that deal with Visio and workflow implementation.

All in all, this book is highly recommended, and a valuable addition to any SharePoint library. In fact, I advise you to start here if you are relatively new to SharePoint.

SharePoint 2010 for Project Management is available on the O’Reilly Media website here.