Wake SharePoint Online from its slumber!
Do you know what untapped potential SharePoint Online has in store for you?
Document management, process automation, central collaboration platform – these are just a few of the numerous options you can choose from SharePoint Can be used online. Best of all, if you already have Office/Microsoft 365 licenses, these options are available to you at no additional cost.
In this blog we want to introduce you to SharePoint Online and show you ways to get the most out of it.
Advantages of the cloud
SharePoint Online is a cloud solution. This means you can access it from anywhere and at any time. Whether in the office, on the go or in the home office, all data and information is available. And if you don't have an internet connection, you can synchronize the document storage with your device and therefore make it available offline.
Another plus point: your data is stored in one of the two Microsoft data centers in Switzerland.
Scalability
Scalability means that capacities adapt to your needs. If you want to store large amounts of data, a lot of storage space is provided. If you only have a small amount of data, you only use a small amount of storage space. Initial investment costs for servers, which must be designed for the possible maximum capacity at all times, are eliminated. You pay for what you need and always have the opportunity to expand capacities.
collaboration
The Corona pandemic has shown how important it is that you... teams can easily work together and communicate with each other. Thanks to the seamless integration between SharePoint Online and the tried and tested Microsoft 365 tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and Outlook, several people edit documents together at the same time. Version management ensures that everyone involved always works on the latest version. Older versions are saved and changes can be traced at any time.
Search function
How much time do you spend searching for specific information or documents?
Surveys show that up to 30% of working time is spent on this. 30%! Too much is too much. Two important features of SharePoint Online significantly reduce search time:
1.) It is a central collaboration platform. This means that all documents are stored in the same place. This prevents an urgently needed document from only being stored on employee A's desktop or team leader B's local hard drive.
2.) Searching is made easier with metadata. Metadata is data about data. For a contract, for example, it is helpful to record some additional information such as contractual partner, expiry date and notice period. Thanks to this metadata, you can later filter and search all contracts and quickly find the copy you want.
Permissions
You always have control over who can access what data. Both internal and external people can gain access to specific lists, folders and documents. You decide whether people receive read-only or edit permissions.
Flexibility
Each organization decides for itself which functions of SharePoint Online are used. The flexibility of the solution allows you to pick out exactly what you need.
Do you need a central storage for your offers?
Would you like to have your personnel dossiers available digitally?
Is your accounts payable process still very paper-heavy?
Would you like to be able to digitally record and easily approve holiday and absence requests?
SharePoint Online offers a suitable solution for all of these examples.
Automate processes and design editing interfaces
You benefit from the excellent integration of SharePoint Online with Microsoft's Power Platform. With Power Automate your processes are automated, Power Apps helps you to design the editing interfaces according to your wishes Power BI analyzes and visualizes your relevant data. Depending on the scenario, you can even use these tools at no additional cost within your existing Office/Microsoft 365 licenses.
Practical examples
We have implemented the following examples of solutions with SharePoint Online and the Power Platform:
Accounts payable workflow: Document storage with automatic reading of invoice data, approval and forwarding to the ERP
Approval processes: Single/multi-stage approval of invoices, meeting minutes and much more
HR Suite: Personnel dossier with automated employee appraisal
Our services
We would be happy to work with you to see how you can optimally use SharePoint Online in your organization. Together we awaken the untapped potential from the Sleeping Beauty slumber. We respond individually to your needs, analyze your initial situation and finally find the right solution.
Contact Contact us for advice or a demo of an existing solution.