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Published on:

16 March 2021

Author:

Rachael Adams

Microsoft SharePoint – The Next Step of Your Cloud Journey

What is Microsoft SharePoint?

SharePoint is an advanced collaboration tool that lets you securely store, organise, share, and access information from any location. It is a business intranet that is easy to setup and maintain and doesn’t have to be implemented by an IT company. Generally, some basic computer skills or a quick course is enough to learn how to build and customise your site.

If you are looking to continue your cloud journey, SharePoint could be the next step in streamlining day-to-day operations and boosting productivity.

How Can Businesses Use SharePoint?

Here are just some of the many ways your businesses can integrate SharePoint into daily processes:

  • Document Storage – securely store company documents so your team can access from any device. This feature is particularly handy for organisations that have employees working from home or in various locations. Co-authoring allows numerous people to work and collaborate simultaneously, with version control, and the ability to add comments and tag users if additional input is required.
  • Leave Calendar – easily configure calendars so everyone in your organisation knows what their teammates are up to. At TechPath we have setup a workflow that sends an email each morning alerting all staff who will be absent for the day. We also use this data to process payroll along with a SharePoint calendar that tracks overtime claims.
  • Policy and Procedures – store and categorise compliance documents all in one location, with options to control who can edit existing or approve new policies.
  • Company Announcements – communicate birthdays and work anniversaries by creating a simple workflow that emails notifications to your team.
  • Access to Company Info – setup links to commonly accessed documents, supplier websites, product brochures, and anything else your team needs to get to quickly.
  • Team Sites – configure department-based subsites where relevant links and documents can be accessed and managed by specific groups or teams.
  • Advanced Actions – power apps give business the ability to automate processes such as financial calculations, quotations, and margin calculators.

How Much Does It Cost?

SharePoint is free with most Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

Planning and Training

Prior to creating your site, it is important that you assess your requirements and determine how you would like SharePoint to work for your business. Ask other companies what they are doing and then put together a sitemap of how it will work and the options that will provide the best user experience. You may prefer to get advice from a SharePoint consultant who can assist with the planning and analysis stage. Once implemented, it is vital that staff are trained on how to use and manage the site.

 

TechPath has integrated SharePoint into an abundance of day-to-day operations and our team are more than happy to share their experience and insights. Contact us to learn more about how SharePoint could benefit your business, and connect with us on LinkedIn for more ideas on how to boost productivity.