[Study] SharePoint Training Can Diminish Costs

SharePoint has seen a broader adoption over the last few years, almost to the point that SharePoint systems are the expected enterprise platform. However, SharePoint management costs have remained about the same – $45 to $46 per user – over the last three years. The reason, according to the State of the Market study, is improper training and a lack of managerial knowledge.

The study was conducted by Osterman Research and looked at over 120 managers and IT executives in the mid-to-large company ranges. Their conclusion was that the typical cost is $46 per user per month, $1 per user up from a 2009 study done on the same topic. That $46 includes only the managerial costs associated with the system.

So why have SharePoint costs remained the same while so many other system costs have diminished? The answer, according to the study, is "a lack of administrator skills, training, and knowledge as an inhibitor to efficiently leveraging SharePoint." This means that the management is inefficient due to improper training and background, and the staff members are unable to make the most of their own system.

When you tabulate the average cost and duration of downtime, the per employee cost expands even further, to $90 per user per month. Consistent maintenance and appropriate setup could reduce or eliminate the additional cost, but the majority of organizations don't make an investment in said maintenance services due to more visible up-front costs associated with those tasks.

"SharePoint is a set of great tools, but at its core, it's a blank slate for any number of applications," said Scott Gode, VP of product management at Azaleos, which conducted the 2009 study. "With SharePoint, there are no known set of scenarios because you can design anything into it. So there has to be a lot more flexibility and creativity in the way that those administrators are trained and gain experience through their work career."