You might have been many years in IT and still unknown about SharePoint. So, in this article, we will cover about basics of Sharepoint, especially for a newbie.
What actually is SharePoint?
SharePoint is nothing but a website-based collaboration system for empowering teamwork using workflow applications, “list” databases and other web parts along with security features. If any company is using this platform, Sharepoint even gives the ability to control access to information as well as automate workflow processes across the business units.
SharePoint Online, which is the Microsoft Cloud version of SharePoint incorporates various additional capabilities with other cloud applications. The good news is that SharePoint is paired in functionality with many of the other offerings Microsoft packages with Microsoft 365 license or Office 365.
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SharePoint Benefits
The main aim of SharePoint is to increase the visibility and productivity for information workers across all verticals be it a large or small business. All its features are centred around an intranet-based cross-collaboration which allows secure sharing, workflow collaboration and content management among many others.
SharePoint is very easy to maintain for a website-based collaboration and is simple and easy for any business to understand. It allows to customize infinitely and scale it massively. There are different ways to customize it in order to realize increased productivity and return on investment.
SharePoint Uses
In the past 17 years, SharePoint has been integral in enhancing working efficiency in fortunate 500 companies as an Intranet platform. The features available makes it much easier for people to work together on ad-hoc projects as well as establish standard business processes for recording data, information sharing and document publishing.
Some of the features like versioning, security controls, co-authoring and integration help to achieve more in relatively less time. The ability that SharePoint includes are:
1. It requires approval on a document before ensuring its visibility.
2. It allows “ Check out” documents for preventing any authoring or editing on them.
3. Notifications when documents are uploaded or any changes are made.
4. Helps to make workflow using if/then logic for automating actions such as recording information or moving or emailing documents.
All the features discussed above are key requirements for enhancing the productivity of business users. One aspect SharePoint does better than any other collaboration systems is that it displays the information about what document/information is stored and why.
It is very easy to get the “ metadata” or information about the data such as created date, modified date etc so that workers can better understand the document without needing to open it. You can even create a custom database for yourself in an easy-to-use format and record tons of information that can be integrated into the previously mentioned business processes or workflow.
SharePoint App
Apps are basically integrations that add additional features to the standard collaboration spaces. There are several apps that add features to the platform but do not come with the regular SharePoint platform while some apps are out of the box and come with the platforms.
You can integrate anything from calendar plug-ins to the library for storing and sharing documents to powerful workflow apps like Nintex.
SharePoint as a Content Management System
SharePoint allows adding metadata to files for organizing, sorting and keeping track of any content that is own by the business. SharePoint even can force tags onto content as business users upload them for the collaboration process.
A business organization can even customize it to make end-users provide metadata as a part of this process.
Once the content along with metadata is in the system, SharePoint empowers organizations with various workflows tools for automating processes based on the information given by the end-users, disposal of information based on business policies and content life cycle tools for enabling records disposition.
SharePoint as a collaboration system
SharePoint offers a web-based space where users can upload documents and immediately shared them with the people needing them. Each one can have their own personal storage space called OneDrive where the document can be given access to others only by sharing.
The workflow and approval features can be controlled like how the employee can work on the particular information.
It allows sharing links to shared documents or collaboration spaces via email. The company using SharePoint frequently use it to publish company-wide information like announcements, HR documents and memos.
SharePoint Farm
What is SharePoint Farm? Well, it is a collection of servers that work jointly to fill the SharePoint roles. You can think of it as a different job requiring particular skills. You can configure each server in your farm once you’re ready to set up SharePoint.
You can say it as a team working together towards a common goal.
SharePoint 2019 (What’s new)
In the age of evolving technology, the employee has high expectation and demand the latest collaboration system. So, keeping this in mind SharePoint 2019 has feature enhanced Team and Site pages. SharePoint 2019 also has made sharing information and messaging with teammates easier than ever.
User can easily customize their page by adding documents, images, embedding videos and incorporating feeds.
Lists and libraries have been updated providing a modern look with faster interaction, easy column management as well as better displays for mobile browsers and informative insights. They can also calculate and highlight what’s most important for the users.
SharePoint 2019 also comes with some amazing communication tools like Communication sites and Team News. Communications sites allow to share news, showcase a story or broadcast message to other people. Users can also create their own communication sites from SharePoint Home without contacting IT.
But if users create sites in an ungoverned fashion, this can cause sprawl and information issues so, Admins should carefully deploy this feature.
With SharePoint 2019, sharing links and documents and contacts with teammates has been easier than ever. You will be automatically notified if you are sharing with a big group, including lots of items or sharing beyond the intended audiences.
Streamlined Experience across Mobile and Desktop
For the past few years, the trend of mobile workers has increased rapidly. Users can easily access and engage with the organization’s intranet with SharePoint mobile app.
There are also improved sync clients for OneDrive for Business that ensures users for accessing the documents they need from anywhere on any device.
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