The popularity of SharePoint is growing rapidly, with more than 190 million users worldwide. Indeed, it is an incredible platform for document management and is currently being loved by a number of organizations.
The platform is being considered a boon for users due to its seamless and user-friendly features. If you haven’t heard about SharePoint, you would be enthralled to know that it is one of the top enterprise solutions to manage documents.
Curious to know more? Let’s dive right into the information pool and know about SharePoint.
What Is SharePoint?
The platform is famous as Microsoft SharePoint worldwide. It is enthusiastically being used for document management, but it also includes the feature to develop websites, for which you can hire SharePoint developers. It is majorly being used to store, organize, share, and access information from devices.
Being a website-based collaboration system, it includes a database, web development features, security features to enable business teams to work together. The platform helps organizations automate the workflow of business processes & units.
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It is very much similar to Google Drive, though it incorporates much more for users. The environment of Sharepoint is opulent, where people can exchange data, communicate, and work together. It includes a shared file repository, web content management system, blog, and intranet to facilitate all needs of the organization.
You can access Microsoft SharePoint from the browser, desktop application, and mobile app. Altogether, SharePoint online has many different capabilities with cloud applications. Moreover, you can use other offerings of Office 356 and Microsoft 365.
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SharePoint Products:
Actually, SharePoint includes a number of products that you would frequently be using. Let’s take a glimpse of them.
1. SharePoint in Microsoft 365
It is a cloud-based service available for businesses of all sizes. Microsoft introduced it to debar users from installing an on-premise server, as they can easily subscribe to Microsoft 356. It allows users to create a site to share documents and data with colleagues, customers, and partners.
2. SharePoint Server
It is a Microsoft Server facility that enables organizations to acquire an on-premise server with Office 356 Enterprise Subscription. Using this server, you can take advantage of all the latest server features, as they offer additional capabilities and features.
It enables you to leverage features like modern web parts, lists and libraries, modern search, integration with PowerApps, MS Flow, Power BI, and HomePage of SharePoint.
3. SharePoint Designer
It is a free solution that enables you to create powerful and workflow-enabled solutions. It is largely used to edit external content types for external data solutions.
4. OneDrive Sync
It is a popular Microsoft desktop program that allows you to sync documents for your team. It enables you to manage your data into synced documents and save it with higher security and sharing capabilities.
So, these are the major SharePoint products that you would be using while leveraging a full SharePoint service.
Watch: What is SharePoint? A Beginner’s Guide
What Is The Purpose Of Using SharePoint? What Is SharePoint Used For?
The fact is SharePoint isn’t a new system; it has been available for more than 17 years, and Fortune 500 companies are already using it as an “Intranet” platform that connects all sectors of business. A wide range of features makes the platform incredibly useful for organizations.
It allows people to work together in a collaborative environment and work in ad-hoc projects. You can easily establish business processes on the platform for document publishing, information sharing, and data recording.
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The many features of the platform include security control, versioning, co-authoring, integration with Exchange (such as Outlook Email Application ), allowing users the capability to do a number of jobs such as maintaining the integrity of work.
Let’s take a look at the abilities of the SharePoint platform:
- Access Control: Before any file is visible to any user, it asks for approval from the authority. Moreover, CheckOut documents have the prevention control for editing and authoring on them.
- Alerts: Whenever any changes are being made to the doc or a new doc is uploaded, the system notifies.
- Logical Ability: The platform includes an if/then logic that automates actions such as moving or emailing documents and recording information.
Apart from these, the software enables organizations to harness a wider range of features that add up to the productivity of employees and better collaboration. Though, the visualization of data is the major perk of SharePoint, as it enables organizations to see the documents in a collaborative environment. It makes it easier to find what information is available, where, and why.
With SharePoint, it is extravagantly easy to acquire “metadata” or related information about data. This information majorly includes modified time, time of creation, custom tags on documents, and more. The information allows users to understand the purpose of creating the file and why it is critical to open it.
Moreover, users can create a database in an easy-to-use format and record an enormous number of information pieces that can be integrated into an automated workflow or other business processes.
In Short, SharePoint is a useful and powerful platform for organizations that deal with huge data every day. Let’s understand how we can use it.
Read More: Why should you use sharepoint application development for your business?
3 Ways You Can Use SharePoint In 2021
#1. SharePoint As An Intranet
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Intranet is the most common way organizations use SharePoint for years. Customizability is the major reason behind using SharePoint as Intranet, which is restricted in Office 365. Paying little more efforts on internal resources or third-party tools, you can avail users with an abundance of resources such as :
- Custom navigation
- Branded landing pages
- Training content
- HR policies and procedures
- Organizational announcements
- Paid time off (PTO) management systems
- Web parts with important images, videos, list items, or reports
Moreover, the platform can also be used to develop a website for enterprise data management that can run on the intranet. For this, you can consult and hire SharePoint programmers.
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#2. Content Management & Collaboration
Secure and speed-fast data management are critical needs of every organization. Thus, centralized content management systems are required, where users can store, share, and collaborate on their data or organization data.
Today, file sharing is a major and frequent practice, but it is hard to achieve structured document storage in traditional file storage systems. Moreover, they come with limited permission management and inhibit remote access.
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While SharePoint fulfills all modern needs of users, such as enormous access capabilities (including cloud and over VPN connections). Moreover, SharePoint provides fast metadata-based searches, document versioning management, and more options.
From record management to business workflow, it supports all modern organizational needs and promotes the remote working culture through the internet connection.
#3. SharePoint For Business Intelligence
Using SharePoint as a central BI platform is a contemporary way of using the platform, as the platform allows deep integration with Microsoft Office, Office Web Apps, Access Services, Excel, SQL Server, and more.
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Succinctly, the platform has a marvelous ability to define connections to other external data sources. Organizations can easily use SharePoint for quick and effective analysis of the huge data collected. Following are some tools that can help you achieve BI practice:
PerformancePoint allows you to make a dashboard and KPI for data visualization, reporting, and scorecards.
PowerPivot Support is another fantastic platform that extends the native capabilities such as data compiling from multiple data sources and a lot more.
Visio Service enables you to upload data in the form of Visio drawings.
These are appealing functions for any organization. Thus, needless to say, Business Intelligence with SharePoint is going to be amazing for any organization. Besides, Custom SharePoint web application development services are also part of business intelligence endeavors in the contemporary market.
Now you have gone through the major application of SharePoint. You would be wondering what the benefits of using SharePoint are. Let’s understand.
How Is SharePoint Beneficial For Organizations?
SharePoint is very effective in increasing the overall productivity of an organization by enabling seamless information & data access all across the verticals, in both small and large businesses. The features of SharePoint are based on Intranet-based collaboration experience and facilitates secure sharing, content management, and workflow collaboration amongst the team members.
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If you are seeking a website-based collaboration platform, then SharePoint enables immense ease to maintain fundamental levels for business. Besides, it is very easy to understand for business users. Moreover, it is effortlessly customizable & scalable to a variety of needs of organizations.
It boosts return on investment and increases operational productivity and innovation within the organization.
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What Else Must You Know?
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SharePoint Apps
SharePoint Apps are a major interest among organizations using the platform as they integrate various incredible features to the platform. Some applications are out of the box and come integrated within the platform, but there are a number of applications that add features and options that don’t come with a regular platform.
(Image Source: www.microsoft.com)
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How To Use SharePoint?
SharePoint can be used for a number of purposes. Some refer to it as the Swiss army knife for productivity and collaboration. If you want to use the platform, it is better you jot down the requirement so your business and what ways the platform can be used.
Moreover, it is best to connect with a SharePoint Development Company if you want to develop a website for enterprise data management.
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How & Where To Learn SharePoint?
There are so many ways you can learn SharePoint; the most recommended way is to start using it. But! It can be very complicated for the novice, so they can also enroll in SharePoint training in the city or online classes.
Apart from these, you can also find the content for SharePoint usage on YouTube. Attending webinars is another way available online to get some specific usage knowledge. But! The best way is to start using and exploring the features of the platform on your own.
So, now you know almost everything about SharePoint. Needless to say that SharePoint is a peculiar platform that comes with a variety of features to make enterprise workflow easier and add up to competency among processes.
Wrapping Up
Per Microsoft, there are more than 250,000 organizations leveraging the SharePoint platform, and 85% of them are Fortune 500 companies that harness the power of SharePoint Online integrated with Office 365.
Using a Saas Service like SharePoint offers organization autonomy that would enable them to achieve the desired ROI and make processes software-driven internally. So, If you are enthralled with the notion of using SharePoint, seek SharePoint consulting services provided by ValueCoders now.
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