Collaboration and Teamwork Using Microsoft SharePoint

Team collaboration is essential for businesses to function smoothly and requires a tool enabling the workforce working from remote locations to share their ideas and plans on one platform. It is where Microsoft Sharepoint steps in.

Microsoft Sharepoint is an online tool that uses workflow applications to enable business teams to collaborate and access information from anywhere. It allows businesses to control access and automate workflow processes across various business units and sections. The platform enables team members to communicate, exchange data, share file systems, blog, use web content management systems & much more. It can be used to create websites and store, organize, share, and securely access information from any device.

SharePoint also refers to one or more SharePoint products or technologies such as –

SharePoint in Microsoft 365

This is a cloud-based service for businesses of all sizes. Any business can access it by subscribing to a Microsoft 365 plan or even a standalone SharePoint Online Service.

SharePoint Server

SharePoint Server can be deployed and managed on-premises or by subscribing to Office 365 Enterprise to take advantage of all its features, including

• Modern site pages
•  Modern web parts and authoring
•  Modern lists and libraries
•  Search
•  Integration with PowerApps,
•  Power BI and MS Flow, and
•  SharePoint home page.

SharePoint Designer 2013

Released in 2013, it is used to build workflow-enabled solutions and edit external content types for external data solutions based on Business Connectivity Services.

OneDrive Sync

A desktop program that syncs documents from a team site or OneDrive to a personal computer for offline use. Sharepoint can be used in many ways for teams to collaborate.

Advantages of using SharePoint for collaboration

Collaboration

Collaboration between teams and individuals within an organization is essential to run an efficient, quality-driven, result-oriented business. Using SharePoint’s version control feature, tracking each edition or version of a document and the edition author & the edit timeline is possible. Updates can be shared in real time, which helps in increasing efficiency and collaboration.

Data Management

SharePoint lets users set precise data points to sort through documents quickly. Sharepoint’s cloud-based version, SharePoint Online can be used to sort records from any location. SharePoint integrates with Microsoft Office Suite, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook & Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Unified Communications, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Simplified Everyday Activities

Workflows in SharePoint allow users to initiate, track and report daily activities like signing off on documents, document review, and problem & resolution tracking. Integration with web browsers, email, and desktop applications provides a consistent experience.

Compliance

Keeping a company’s data secure and backed up is vital. Issues like hardware failure, the threat of hacking, and other related problems are grave concerns for businesses. Financial, healthcare, and many other companies also have regulatory compliance and privacy issues.

Robust data encryption and compliance features can help keep sensitive business information secure and efficiently managed as per compliance regulations and guidelines. In contrast, cloud backup services can help safeguard data.

Consistent User Experience

SharePoint offers close integration with web browsers, email & desktop applications, providing a consistent feel and user experience. It helps simplify how people use and interact with business data, content, and processes.

Content Management

SharePoint’s content management permits users to write, revise, sort, organize, and update content easily. It helps organizations to focus on core business operations and assists businesses in being more productive through simple document management, web content management, records, and other media management.

Some of SharePoint’s best development features are:

• Asset library
• Efficient records management
• Integration with Microsoft 365 tools and services
• Shared content types
• Large file support
• Managed metadata service
• User-friendly mobile interface
• Open document format

Centralized Management and Administration

SharePoint’s administration console centralizes all relevant functions, allowing the IT team to make changes from a single location.

Search feature

The Enterprise Search feature incorporates business data by scanning and searching to produce relevant and comprehensive results. Additionally, features like spelling corrections, duplicate collapsing, and alerts help improve the results to find the document easily.

Integrated platform

SharePoint’s architecture is scalable and supports Interoperability and web service standards, including Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and XML. SharePoint Online services have open, feature-rich Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and event handlers for documents and data lists. These features offer it the flexibility to integrate with existing and new systems.

Decision Making

SharePoint makes it easy to create interactive, collaborative business intelligence portals which can be used to access data from various data sources and display critical business information in a comprehensible format to make informed decisions. The display can use Business Intelligence capabilities like Web-Parts, Dashboards, Scorecards, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The Centralized Report Center (CRC) offers a central location where all these reports can be put up.

In Conclusion

A collaborative tool like SharePoint is essential for business teams working out of different locations or within the same premises. Connecting with a SharePoint application development services company that can leverage its expertise and knowledge to deploy collaborative solutions can help keep the employees engaged and productive.