SharePoint is a platform that integrates with Microsoft 365 technology. It’s a collaboration platform that’s web-based. It’s primarily used for storage and document management, but businesses only using those features could be missing out on other opportunities.
There are hundreds of thousands of organizations that use SharePoint, and the following is a brief rundown of how it can be used.
What Is SharePoint?
First, if you aren’t familiar with it, you may be wondering what exactly SharePoint is.
SharePoint can be used by organizations to create a website. With Microsoft 365, you can then go to the SharePoint start page and create a website.
There are also different versions of SharePoint with varying functions.
For example, SharePoint Server is part of your IT infrastructure. SharePoint Standard and SharePoint Enterprise are other available versions. There’s also SharePoint Online. SharePoint Online means you don’t need your own servers, but you don’t have as many customization options as you do with a self-hosted installation.
With SharePoint, employees who have the appropriate authorizations can open documents and edit them from anywhere, and a lot of the base features are like Google Drive. However, it goes well beyond that with other tools.
The Benefits of SharePoint
Some of the many benefits of using SharePoint as a business include:
- More productivity: You’re going to save everyone time because documents are consolidated. Employees can search and find what they need in a few clicks. You can also choose how you organize both folders and subfolders.
- Data management: With SharePoint, it’s easy for users to get the data they need quickly and easily.
- Simplification of basic functions: Day-to-day business operations are often more time-consuming and complex than they need to be. SharePoint simplifies these operations, such as signature collection or tracking a project.
- Delivery of content: Rather than using folders that are all over the place, with SharePoint, everyone who works on content, from writers to the final point person for publishing approvals, can get what they need easily.
- Collaboration: A lot of employees are working remotely right now, and SharePoint is a good way to improve collaboration no matter where in the world they’re located.
- Security: SharePoint is built with security in mind, which is a big priority among businesses of all sizes right now. You can customize permissions and ensure that your data will stay secure in the cloud.
- Ease-of-use: Probably one of the most significant benefits of SharePoint is its ease of use. You don’t need a web development or IT background to implement it into various parts of your business and your employees’ daily lives.
Ways to Use SharePoint
While the list certainly isn’t exhaustive, the following are some of the specific ways businesses can use SharePoint:
- Facilitating remote work: Probably the most notable use for SharePoint, especially in today’s environment, is to facilitate remote work. With SharePoint, your employees can view files and also make changes. They can add their ideas and collaborate with coworkers who may be located anywhere in the world. Once you have SharePoint set up you can create team sites.
- Creating an intranet: Another compelling way to use SharePoint is to create an intranet. You can create a company intranet inexpensively and relatively quickly. With an intranet, employees have access to key information, and it is something that’s easy for them to navigate. You can also promote content and keep employees in the loop about everything going on, even if they’re not working in person.
- Designing a company Wiki: A company wiki will let your employees go to a centralized location for all relevant company information.
- Employee onboarding: One of the biggest challenges for companies right now, especially as employees are working remotely, is having a thorough, effective onboarding program. SharePoint is a great way to implement onboarding for new hires, and when you have a strong onboarding initiative, you can improve employee retention and satisfaction.
- New product launch: If you’re going to be launching a new product, SharePoint can prepare your key stakeholders and your teams. Employees can gain access to the information they need to learn about the product, you can share marketing materials, and you can train employees through SharePoint.
- Team-specific sites: If you’re working with a team on a particular project, you can create a specific SharePoint site for that only.
SharePoint has the potential to be a great resource for a lot of organizations, particularly with the commonality of remote work. It can keep everyone on the same page and in the loop, no matter where or how they work.
