One of the most popular tools for office productivity is Microsoft 365. The platform has multiple tools that include a mix of old standards, like Word/Excel/PPT/Outlook, and new innovative cloud tools like OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams.
But many businesses aren’t fully utilizing those new tools, simply because they’re not familiar with them or how to use them.
One of the most underutilized tools is SharePoint. This combination file storage and information communication platform can enable better organization communications and security.
Because companies aren’t quite sure what to make of SharePoint, they often miss out, meaning they’re leaving a significant benefit of their M365 subscription untapped.
If you’re ever wondering what SharePoint can do for your Sturgeon Bay business or how to use it, we have several tips below that can help.
Understanding the Power of SharePoint
First, let’s go over a brief primer of what SharePoint is and how its different sites can be used.
You can best think of SharePoint as a company intranet. Your own internal system for sharing information online that allows you to control who can see what.
Instead of needing to build an actual website, users simply use the SharePoint interface to add text, images, and other attributes and the app will build a page out for them.
Image credit: Microsoft
SharePoint Site Types:
- Team Site: These are specific to a particular team in MS Teams or Office 365 Group. Items are kept secure and only those who are authorized can access the site.
- Communication Site: This is for communicating company information throughout your organization. This can be used for top-level communications or by specific departments (like HR) to communicate information to all employees.
- Hub Site: A hub site is a directory of all your team and communication sites, so they can be easy for everyone to find.
Site Templates
To make things easy, there are several different site templates in SharePoint to use as a shortcut for making a site. Once you have a template the way you like, it can be saved as a new template for your organization to use.
Templates include:
- Modern team site
- Classic team site
- Blog site
- Project site
- Community site
Secure File Sharing & Team Collaboration
Certain department documents and conversations need to be secure, such as the accounting department or an R&D department.
File sharing can be tricky if someone accidentally puts a company payroll file on OneDrive where anyone has access. SharePoint helps eliminate that problem by creating secure document storage and sharing that can only be accessed by authorized members of a group.
When you set up a SharePoint Team site or provision one when setting up a team in Teams, you get a protected cloud sharing area where the team can safely save sensitive documents and have communications that aren’t going to be seen by anyone outside the group.
Improve the Efficiency of Your HR Department
Those in the HR department are most likely asked the same questions several times a month by different employees. Things like what the vacation policy looks like, health insurance benefits questions, and where they can find a time-off request form.
You can streamline the process for both your employees and your HR team by setting up a SharePoint communications site.
Common HR forms can be available for download along with the employee handbook. You can also have a calendar available with all observed company holidays.
Employees can access SharePoint communication sites on any device, anytime they need, which improves information access. It also gives more time back to those in the HR department because they’re not fielding all those common questions.
Improve Companywide Communications
74% of employees think they are missing out on company information. Many companies don’t have a centralized system of sharing news and important updates, so the “grapevine” takes over, which can often end up in misunderstandings.
SharePoint gives you an easy way to publish news, policy updates, employee recognition, and more in an online company intranet. This keeps people in the know and also eliminates problems with miscommunications when employees are hearing about a new policy second or third hand.
Keep Projects Managed More Easily
Users can do things with team sites that makes them perfect for project management, such as communicate via messaging and display a project timeline.
Project resources can be easily and securely shared. Team members can stay on the same page and eliminate multiple back and forth emails that easily get lost.
Using SharePoint to manage projects if you already have Microsoft 365 also eliminates the need to pay for another project management app. Instead, you fully utilize a resource you already have.
Make the Most of Your Cloud Solutions with Quantum PC Services
Quantum PC Services can help your Sturgeon Bay area business get the full benefit of cloud solutions like Microsoft 365 through our expert IT consulting.
Contact us today to learn more! Call 920-256-1214 or reach us online.
