SharePoint is a Microsoft product that lets you create and manage websites and collaborate with coworkers. But what can it do for your business?
This article explores ways SharePoint can help improve your business workflows more efficiently. We’ll look at some of the incredible SharePoint features that make the tool so powerful and discuss how the service can help improve communication, collaboration, and organization within your company.
What is Microsoft SharePoint?
Microsoft SharePoint is part of the Microsoft Office productivity suite, and it’s been around since 2001. The SharePoint platform is in three parts: the front end, the back end, and the middle tier.
The front end is what your target audience sees when they visit your website. The back end is where you create and manage your website’s content, and the middle tier is a secure connection between the two.
Microsoft designed SharePoint for SMBs (Small and Mid-size Businesses) to large enterprises. The tool is perfect for team collaboration, content management, document sharing, and more. And because it’s cloud-based, businesses can access their data from anywhere in the world.
Top features of SharePoint
1. Document Library
The document library is one of the most popular SharePoint features. This feature is a central place where you can store, share, and manage all your business documents remotely from anywhere in the world.
Related post: A Complete Guide to Using SharePoint for Document Control Requirements
2. Accessibility
One of the best things about SharePoint is it is highly accessible. That means if you have employees who work remotely or have disabilities, they can still access all the same information and collaborate just as easily as everyone else on your team.
3. Yammer
Yammer is a social networking tool built into SharePoint. The platform lets employees connect and have conversations about work-related topics, which is a great way to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing within your organization.
4. Compliance
SharePoint can help you meet compliance requirements, like GDPR and HIPAA. That’s because it has built-in security features, like data loss prevention and encryption, that help keep your data safe and secure.
How can SharePoint help your business?
1. Improve data management
Various software programs can help businesses manage their data, but one of the most versatile and comprehensive programs is SharePoint. With SharePoint, you can create folders and subfolders to store your data in a logical and easily accessible manner. This makes finding and retrieving information quicker.
SharePoint also guarantees data security. With secure access permissions, you can rest assured knowing that only authorized personnel can view and edit your data. This feature helps protect your information from unauthorized access or alteration.
And finally, SharePoint automates tasks related to data management. With built-in workflows, you can set up rules that automatically process and act on your data according to your specifications, helping you save time and energy and allowing you to focus on more critical tasks.
2. Fulfill regulatory requirements
Relative to regulatory compliance, your business can’t take any chances. That’s where SharePoint comes in, offering a comprehensive platform to help you fulfill regulatory requirements.
To start with, SharePoint can help you manage and store your important documents securely. Regulatory compliance is critical, as you need to access these documents quickly when necessary. Secondly, SharePoint can help you track and monitor employee activity, ensuring everyone follows the correct procedures.
Finally, you can also use the platform to develop and track key performance indicators, providing valuable insights into your business’s compliance status. Using SharePoint for regulatory compliance can help improve efficiency and avoid costly fines or penalties.
3. Optimize content management
SharePoint is an excellent option if you’re looking for an efficient way to optimize your content management. With SharePoint, you can monitor different document versions to identify users that made changes to the document. This feature is helpful if multiple people work on the same document.
The Check In/Check Out feature allows you to lock a document so that only one person can make changes. This way, you can prevent two people from accidentally editing the same document section and causing problems.
Finally, SharePoint keeps track of who opens and edits each document, so you can see who’s been working on what. This helps keep track of projects and ensures that everyone is doing their part.
4. Improve team collaboration
SharePoint offers a central location for team members to access files, documents, and other information. This feature reduces the need for emailing back and forth, making it easy for people to find what they need.
It also offers intelligent features that make it easy for team members to work together on projects. For example, you can use SharePoint to create a project task list that everyone can see and update.
Finally, SharePoint fosters collaboration by offering tools for communication and collaboration. Examples of these tools include group chats and video conferencing. They can help team members stay connected and work together more effectively.
5. Increase productivity
Enhanced productivity is one of the many benefits of SharePoint. The software helps you achieve this goal by providing a central repository for all your business documents. This means that instead of everyone having their version of a document floating around, there is one master copy that everyone can access. This can help reduce confusion and ensure everyone is working on the same page.
The software also makes it easy to share documents and collaborate on projects. With SharePoint, you can easily set up document libraries, track versions, and see who has made what changes. This can help streamline the editing process and make it easy for team members to work together.
Finally, SharePoint provides an easy way to search for documents and information. With the built-in search feature, you can quickly find the information you need without sorting through piles of paper or searching through email attachments.
6. Promote employee mobility and remote access
Increased employee mobility and remote access are among the best reasons to migrate to SharePoint. The software gives employees the ability to access documents and information from anywhere. All they need is an internet connection, and they can log into their account on the SharePoint website and start working.
Also, SharePoint makes it quicker for employees to collaborate, even in different physical locations. For example, they can use SharePoint to create a shared document, add comments, and make real-time changes.
The tool provides a secure platform for employees to access sensitive information from anywhere. This is important because it means the data will be safe even if an employee’s laptop or phone is damaged or stolen.
Related post: Reasons to Migrate to SharePoint
7. Deliver a consistent and streamlined user experience
SharePoint is a great tool for delivering a consistent and streamlined user experience. For one thing, it allows you to create custom site templates. That is, you can create a site with the same look and feel as your other sites, making it easy for users to navigate and find the information they need.
Additionally, SharePoint allows you to create custom lists and libraries. This feature means that you can add or remove fields as needed and ensure that only the most relevant information is displayed to users.
Finally, it allows you to set up alerts. Setting alerts is crucial to notify users when new content is added to a site or when you make changes to a list or library. This helps to keep users up-to-date on the latest information and helps to ensure that they always have access to the most current data.
SharePoint advantages and disadvantages
Now that we’ve answered the question, “what is SharePoint used for?” Let’s examine some pros and cons of using this software for your business.
Advantages
- SharePoint is a great way to organize and manage your content. You can create libraries and folders to keep your documents organized and set permissions so that only certain people can access specific files.
- SharePoint makes it easy to collaborate with others on projects. You can create workspace sites to post documents and task lists and invite other users to join. You can also use SharePoint’s built-in chat feature to communicate with team members in real-time.
- SharePoint is very customizable. You can create custom lists and forms and use JavaScript and CSS to customize the look and feel of your SharePoint site.
Disadvantages
- SharePoint can be complex to use, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with web development technologies.
- SharePoint requires a lot of planning and setup before you can start using it. This can be challenging if you try to implement SharePoint on a tight timeline.
- SharePoint can be expensive to implement, especially if you purchase multiple user licenses.
Final thoughts
Getting started with SharePoint is straightforward. You can begin by buying SharePoint as part of the Microsoft 365 suite, which is a good option if you’re already using other Microsoft 365 products or want to start with SharePoint and other Microsoft products simultaneously.
Another option is to buy SharePoint as an expert service, which might be a better option. KatPro Technologies is a budding Microsoft Partner with a decade of experience helping SMBs and large enterprises integrate SharePoint with their organizational workflows.
KatPro Technologies can help your business achieve a seamless SharePoint integration. Book a free 15-minute consultation with us in a single click!
