If you have bought Microsoft Office 365 for your business, you can access more than just the well-known tools Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. You also have access to Microsoft Sharepoint, a powerful team collaboration software tool geared towards unlocking the full potential of your organization. Uncertain how to make the most of this tool? Read On!
What is Sharepoint?
Microsoft Sharepoint has been the leading mobile-friendly, intelligent intranet for almost 20 years. The web-based platform allows users to share and manage content, integrate with other Office 365 tools, and encourage collaboration across your entire organization.
The platform’s enterprise content management capabilities are comprehensive and can be utilized in all industries and within any department in an organization.
Sharepoint is accessible via a web browser and provides most of the capabilities through a simplified, easy-to-use interface and powerful web applications. It allows the innovative tool to manipulate content and site structure, enable and disable product features, set up basic workflows and also track analytics.
Can it archive our data?
Yes, it can. One of the main draws of Sharepoint, especially in the current environment, is its ability to enable resilience archiving.
As a single, centralized platform, Sharepoint allows information and applications to be accessed easily, even through portable devices. The platform ensures that collaborative documents are updated and always available, empowering employees to work from anywhere while staying connected.
As the workplace environment grows evermore unpredictable, it is now more important than ever to ensure that your organization remains resilient to ensure that overall productivity remains consistent.
Does it help our company knowledge base?
It does. Sharepoint’s ability to be a knowledge centre for your organization would also be highly beneficial for the growth of your business.
By providing a depository for your company’s rich content, Sharepoint can ensure that new and experienced employees alike can discover information, research, best practices, and insights that may guide them on their next steps in the respective task. All of this is achieved on one intranet site, which integrates all forms of Microsoft apps, from Word to Yammer.
Can it keep our employees engaged?
Yes! An engaged workplace is an efficient workplace. By encouraging engagement through Microsoft Sharepoint your organization can take collaboration to the next level.
By creating an intuitive platform for sharing important notifications within the business, as well as interesting internal and external news, your employees will feel informed and respected with the right platform for maintaining a two-way communication stream.
Sharepoint Surveys, Message Bars, and Behavioural Targeting all integrate seamlessly into a portal that provides an exciting workplace while also removing the need for lengthy, unproductive meetings.
What else can it do?
Sharepoint is a comprehensive tool, able to cater for any size of the organization and suit many business requirements. Here’s an overview of what it can do;
- Business intelligence (BI). SharePoint is integrated with Microsoft Power BI, providing access to Business Intelligence-powered analytics and dashboarding.
- Compliance. The platform’s Policy Center and Compliance Policy Center let your central administration build and apply policies. Users can also delete documents from OneDrive when needed.
- Document library accessibility. SharePoint provides page landmarks and keyboard shortcuts for easy navigation. Updates on upload progress, improved callout readings and updates are also available for help documentation.
- Folder sharing. Visibility on who is sharing a folder and can invite participants and approve or deny access requests is greatly helpful for organizational transparency.
- Sharepoint contains seamless integration with the rest of the Office 365 tools and services for a truly connected business.
- Information rights management. Digital rights management capabilities are also present to protect sensitive information and intellectual property from unauthorized access within your team.
- Large file support. There is no limit on file size, allowing your team to collaborate on any project scale with ease.
- Mobile experience. Sharepoint’s touch-friendly mobile interface gives users a more modern experience. Users can switch between either mobile or PC view at any time.
- Project server. Your project managers can request resources from other managers, utilizing a heat map function to see where their resources spend time. They can also create multiple timelines and benefit from backup and restoration capabilities.
- Project Syntex. SharePoint integrates with Microsoft intelligent search to help employees locate files through relevant metadata in emails, presentations and other Office products. Syntex uses innovative artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate content processing, turning your content into knowledge.
- Site page pinning. Users can pin sites on Sharepoint to follow them at a later point when on-premises or through Office 365.
- Team sites. Sharepoint also provides locations where teams can work on projects and share information anytime, anywhere. A team site includes a group of related webpages and a default document library for files, lists for data management and customizable web parts for a tailor-made experience.
- Yammer. Sharepoint also seamlessly integrates with Yammer, the social networking platform with customizable social feeds that let employees interact within the SharePoint environment.
How secure is Sharepoint?
It’s crucial for any organization to prioritize security and compliance. SharePoint offers a range of security features such as access controls, encryption, and data loss prevention, which allow organizations to control access to sensitive information and prevent unauthorized sharing.
Additionally, SharePoint provides tools for managing records, tracking changes, and auditing access, which can help organizations stay compliant with relevant regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA. By leveraging these features, organizations can ensure that their data is protected from unauthorized access or disclosure, and that they are meeting their legal and regulatory obligations.
Is Sharepoint the right fit for my organization?
Sharepoint is designed with companies of every size in mind. From large to small, if your organization benefits from a portable, easy-to-use tool for collaboration between team members, Sharepoint has the right toolset to accommodate your needs.
For a truly seamless Sharepoint setup, it is highly recommended to speak to a qualified Sharepoint partner to guide you through a successful digital transformation project. Additionally, you may consult the Sharepoint Online User Guide.
Could an expert guide me?
Exigy is a Microsoft Gold Partner, based in Malta and comprised of industry experts that have been implementing digital transformation projects for over 20 years.
Our expertise in Sharepoint implementations has allowed us to lend a hand to the evolution of several innovative companies, both locally and internationally.
Interested in learning more about how Sharepoint can help your organization achieve resilience, or about securing a Sharepoint license? Get in touch with us to have a chat with one of our Inspired Minds!
