Microsoft SharePoint is a web-based platform for collaboration. But summing it up in just one sentence doesn’t do the platform justice. Truthfully, it is so much more than just a company portal or a document management system. It’s like a magical document library that makes it possible to edit, archive, and retrieve all stored files.
It makes collaboration more productive because documents can easily be accessible for people to work on – together. With SharePoint, it is possible to automate tedious manual tasks. It is also a platform that boosts productivity for the whole organization. Truly, SharePoint has so much to offer. To maximize SharePoint, read on the blog to get the best pieces of advice!
Organize Your SharePoint
In order to unlock the full potential of SharePoint, you need to establish rules before getting started. Setting clear guidelines makes SharePoint a helpful tool that can make your work easier. Simple things like:
- Which files should be uploaded?
- Where should they be uploaded to?
- Who is responsible for which uploads?
- Who teaches new employees in SharePoint?
In creating these rules, you have to communicate the logic behind the organization to your team. Make sure that your team understands the organizational structure to avoid a disorganized SharePoint.
It might also help to sort similar files alphabetically to locate them faster. A clear set of rules for naming is also important. Microsoft offers a useful collection of tips for how to organize files in a library.
Consistent file naming can avoid errors and confusion. For example, one of our customers had a library that contained a lot of files. They found issues when they discovered that some files were overwritten by a “newer” file version, which was not the new version at all! This happened because their employees were saving files using generic names.
Thankfully, the files were recovered. But the moral of that story – create a naming system that can help your organization.
Another great piece of advice for SharePoint users is to utilize columns. Columns can arrange your date in a structured way (similar to Excel).
Customize Your SharePoint Site
It is more pleasant to use SharePoint if it feels like a part of your organization. You can apply your branding by customizing it with your CI colors and by uploading the logo of your company. You can also create templates that can be used by your employees for each new page.
Changing the feel of your site by applying a theme, replacing the header and the logo, customizing your navigation, and adding a responsive layout can completely change the way you use SharePoint.
For more information about the various customizations your SharePoint is capable of, see Change the look of your SharePoint site.
Aside from creating your own unique SharePoint site, you can also integrate SharePoint with other Microsoft applications like OneDrive and Microsoft Teams. It allows you to collaborate easily and manage your data effectively.
When it comes to project collaboration or internal tasks, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams are a dream team. For every team in Microsoft Teams, SharePoint automatically creates a SharePoint page – and vice versa: for every SharePoint page, a team is automatically created.
Another great way to customize your SharePoint site is to enable versioning. This feature can track all edits to your documents. It can also restore older versions if you need them.
You can also enable alerts to help you keep track of edits that you don’t want to miss out on! It also allows you to give editing permissions to high-priority documents.
And we can’t miss one of the coolest features of Microsoft SharePoint! It is how the platform can automate tedious tasks that you often forget to do. Microsoft Power Automate can create a so-called flow from a SharePoint list or library to take care of things like approvals or reminders.
Maximizing The Way You Use Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is a powerful tool that you can use to do work effectively. Used in the right way, it can completely revolutionize the way you work! By having clear organizational systems, applying customizations, and integrating other Microsoft applications, your SharePoint is elevated to the next level.
Aside from the bits of advice we have here, you can maximize the way you use your SharePoint by contacting our team of expert trainers from ClinkIT Academy.
