SharePoint is Microsoft’s file storage and sharing platform, but it can do a lot more for your business than just save your files. If you’re looking for a way to use technology to improve your business, then moving to SharePoint is the direction you should go to streamline processes, beef up security, optimize your remote workforce, and improve internal communications.

If you have weaknesses or bottlenecks in operations, SharePoint might be the solution so check to see if you’ve got any of these signs that it’s time to make a change:

Sign #1 – Remote Working Isn’t Going to Be Temporary

When you sent your workers home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, nobody knew how long everyone would be working remotely. The answer to that question might still be a guess. Additionally, the experience you’ve had with remote working may have changed perspectives, and pandemic or not, remote work may now be part of your long-term business strategy.

How SharePoint Helps – Secure Access Without VPN

When you utilize SharePoint for secure access to documents and other tools, you no longer need to have VPN. Because it’s in the cloud, you can do away with all of those VPN licenses that were required when everyone needed to connect to the server in your office. SharePoint can also help your remote workers meet rigorous requirements for regulatory compliance because of its encryption and access control features.

Sign #2 – You Need Better Document Management

If you’ve ever had to search for a file or figure out where you were in a process that included moving documents from person to person, you know what a time hole that can be. Good document management can help everyone work faster, and give employees and customers a better experience.

How SharePoint Helps – Get Organized and Control Access

With some thoughtful planning on the front end, SharePoint allows you to enable your business processes with file storage and workflows. You can store documents in different ways such as collections, sites or libraries and have tight administrative control so that employees get access to exactly what they need when they need it. You can even implement policies that make sure the way documents are handled meet your legal and regulatory requirements.

Sign #3 – Document Management Needs to Comply with Regulations

Meeting requirements for document management for regulatory compliance can be complex. You need to control access, manage secure communications, and keep tight records to audit document use all at the same time. It’s possible to combine different software tools to get the level of security that you need but that sometimes leaves you with bulky processes that take a lot of time to manage.

How SharePoint Helps – Robust Security and Document Controls

SharePoint supports regulatory compliance with several features including data encryption, multi-factor authentication, access control, and audit trails. Because Microsoft understands what’s required for document management in different industries, you’ll find built-in functionality that specifically pertains to regulations in industries such as healthcare, government, and financial services.

Sign #4 – Processes Are Slow or Manual Steps Are Missed

If you’re relying on people to pass along documents to move a process from one stage to the next, steps are bound to be missed and time is wasted because you have to backtrack. This can compromise not only efficiency, but customer satisfaction and employee experience.

How SharePoint Helps – Streamline and Automate Processes

With SharePoint you can create workflows that automate processes and provide visibility that allows you to see where you are in your process at any point in time. SharePoint can also be integrated with other tools like Microsoft’s Power Automate, or Adobe Sign. Because of SharePoint’s security features information is encrypted as it moves from location to location, so sensitive data like trade secrets, legal documents and employee information is kept safe.

Sign #5 – You Need to Improve Internal Communications

What do you think of when you think about “Internal Communications”? Announcements and monthly newsletters? If so, then you’re missing out on opportunities to pull your people together in ways that engage and empower them.

How SharePoint Helps – Dynamic Content Accessible from Any Device

With a SharePoint intranet (a website that’s only available to your employees) you can make sure employees get timely news and announcements, while giving people a way to interact and find company information that helps them do their jobs, and build your culture. Your SharePoint site can include features like an event calendar; a wiki library to gather documents for knowledge sharing; and discussion boards which act like your own mini-social network.

Learn more about SharePoint on the Microsoft website.

IT Guidance for Microsoft 365 and SharePoint

If your IT provider isn’t an expert on all things Microsoft 365, they might not have brought the many capabilities of SharePoint to your attention.

Here at XPERTECHS, it’s our job to help our clients find the best technology tools that will help them improve operations and enable success. Contact us to explore what that might look like for you.