Microsoft SharePoint is a web-based collaboration platform that allows businesses to store and organise content and information. Part of the Microsoft 365 suite, SharePoint is beginner friendly and doesn’t require code to setup, but that’s only one reason why its’ popularity has taken off.

The beauty of SharePoint is it can mean different things for different businesses, thanks to the myriad functions and features it offers. In short though, it’s a collaboration system where intranets can be created on a centralised platform. These are used to store and organise business information, which can then be accessed and worked on by employees, both on-site and remotely.

SharePoint turns into an internal organisation website, a place where news and updates are communicated, and policies, procedures and other important documents stored and made available. It becomes a central hub of content and information management.

Any introduction to SharePoint must include a rundown of SharePoint sites, the foundation of the platform’s functionality. A site is a collection of content, apps, libraries, pages, links and more where teams can collaborate, communicate and save important information. Employees in a site can invite others to work with them there, keeping data points to the one centralised location.

There are four different types of sites on SharePoint, so let’s take a brief overview of each one:

Team Sites (linked)

This is a place for collaboration, a tailor-built area for teams or departments to collect and display all the links, information and content that is important to them. A linked team site will connect to a Microsoft 365 group, which allows other apps such as Teams and Planner to be added to improve the collaborative experience.

Communication Sites

A communication site is more one-way traffic than a collaboration space. It’s where an organisation can display information, links and announcements to their staff members. An HR department will often use communication sites to present handbooks, policy documents and so on.

Team Site (Unlinked)

This is a team site like mentioned above, just not linked to a Microsoft 365 Group. It’s a bit more basic in that you can’t link all the additional 365 apps such as Planner or Microsoft Teams.

Classic Sites

Users of older versions of SharePoint may come across this legacy version of sites, which has now been discontinued. We’d definitely recommend embracing the modern SharePoint sites, they are where this platform works at its peak!

There are two versions of SharePoint available today. If your organisation makes use of the Microsoft 365 product family, you are likely to be using SharePoint Online. This is a cloud-based service hosted on the Microsoft servers rather than on-site at your business. It’s included in all tiers of the Microsoft 365 subscription, or as a standalone subscription.

There is a second version available called SharePoint 2019. This is an on-premises solution offering complete control over the deployment and customisation.

The integration with the other Microsoft 365 apps is where SharePoint really excels. Many of the apps, such as Planner, were once part of SharePoint, but have since been pulled away and turned into their own standalone products. They integrate with SharePoint as needed, boosting the capabilities of site users and really enriching the productivity of users.

Let’s take a look at some of the Microsoft 365 applications and how they work with SharePoint:

Microsoft Teams

Communication and collaboration is facilitated by the ability to access and share SharePoint documents directly from Teams.

Office Apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote)

Fast and easy documentation creation and sharing. Files can also be accessed offline, as well as collaborated on in real time when all users are active and online.

Power Automate

Automates workflows between SharePoint and other Microsoft 365 apps, such as sending notifications, updating data, and more.

Outlook and Planner

You can send or receive email messages from your SharePoint site using the connected group mailbox. Planner integrates with SharePoint calendars and task lists, enabling users to manage schedules and tasks directly from their email.

Hopefully, you have a good grasp of where SharePoint sits in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. It’s an enterprise platform that connects employees with tools and information they need in their day-to-day work, while offering scope for communication and collaboration around projects. Its four main functions can be summed up as follows:

File and Document Management

Centralizes document and file storage, making it easy to access, manage, and share them securely. Permissions can be set so that the right documents are accessed by the right people, and advanced tagging allows for

Content Management

Manages digital content through structured content libraries and metadata tagging. Internal sites can be built where news, blogs, images and videos are stored and made available for use and collaboration.

Knowledge Management

SharePoint is a secure and easy-to-access solution for the storage, distribution and use of your organisational knowledge. Policies and procedures, FAQ’s and best practice documentation can be made available and used in a way that is efficient and productive.

Project Management

Managing projects becomes a seamless and well-documented process thanks to tools including task lists, timelines, and team collaboration. Project information is easily shared, and weekly tasks and activities are tracked, monitored and worked on together, regardless of location.

If you have any questions about SharePoint and how it can improve collaboration, content management, and business process automation in your organisation, get in touch with Smile IT. We can introduce you to this important tool and help incorporate it into your collaborative workflow. Our team can also help you migrate across to Microsoft 365, ensuring the most powerful suite of productivity tools are at your fingertips.