Tag: SharePoint

Enter a new age of integration with Microsoft Teams and SharePoint

2020 has been more than challenging for most businesses, and as a second national lockdown gets underway we certainly have more obstacles to overcome. According to Finder.com 60% of UK workers are now working from home, meaning that businesses have had to rapidly change their systems and processes to accommodate this new normal. 

A common theme that has arisen is the need for fluid integration. Companies are leaning towards intuitive solutions that can cope with flexibility and work seamlessly with existing solutions. For this reason, SharePoint and Teams (working in unison) have provided companies with an affordable, powerful intranet replacement. 

But can the pair really replace your historic intranet? We’ve collected some of our commonly asked questions to help you decide. 

Should I use Microsoft Teams or SharePoint?

The answer here is simple, if you are using Teams you are already using SharePoint you just may not realise it. Microsoft Teams is built into Office 365. Each Team you create is classed as a ‘Group’. Groups can have collaboration tools including shared calendars, documents and mailboxes. When a Group is created, a SharePoint team site is automatically created. This use of SharePoint is limiting, SharePoint is an incredibly powerful tool which can be developed into much more. 

A good way to understand the division between Teams and SharePoint is that Teams facilitates cooperation on a personal level and SharePoint facilitates cooperation on an organisational level.

Will SharePoint be able to match the functionality of my current intranet?

With over 100 million users worldwide SharePoint is certainly one of the most popular intranets and although popularity doesn’t always translate to the right option for your organisation it does highlight how universally loved the solution is. One of the benefits of SharePoint is that it gives your business a huge variety of options. Yes, you can use SharePoint out of the box, but it can be developed, and with Microsoft Power Automate (formally Microsoft Flow) automated workflows can effortlessly boost productivity within your organisation.

Furthermore, due to SharePoint’s adoption growth over the past 12 months, you can be assured that continuous work will be done by both Microsoft and third parties to develop and support the application.

Can SharePoint and Teams help improve communication?

Communication is certainly more seamless with SharePoint and Teams. The applications working together can engage users across the whole organisation, make it easier to collaborate on projects and documents, store information and run meetings. 

SharePoint contains a company-wide calendar to help organise events, key dates and holidays as well as team news channels that your employees can opt-in to follow. These few things are but the tip of the iceberg in relation to functionality. No solution can promise improved communication but it is clear that SharePoint and Teams make the process easier than it has been before. 

Free Consultation 

Monpellier are a trusted Microsoft partner specialising in providing an end-to-end solution and support. If you would like more information regarding Microsoft Teams or SharePoint give our team a call on 0191 500 8150 or email info@monpellier.co.uk. 

What is Microsoft SharePoint and how can it help me?

When it comes to communication within the workplace, technology continues to reshape the way we collaborate. But with an app for almost everything these days some businesses are suffering from communication fatigue. Make no mistake, technology is an amazing addition to any workplace but only when it’s the right solution.

With a market flooded with communication and collaboration tools, many businesses are resorting to sticking with outdated methods and processes.  

Microsoft SharePoint has over 100 million users worldwide and is used by a whopping 78% of the Fortune 500. 

What is Microsoft SharePoint  

Developed by Microsoft, SharePoint launched in 2001 and is a web-based document management and collaboration tool. SharePoint works with Office 365 to create a server type environment designed for sharing. 

If you choose to implement SharePoint into your business it is typically deployed onto your company’s network as a selection of intranet sites. Each site is designed specifically for each department with its own security, functionality and data. 

Reasons to use SharePoint 

Improve efficiency – The most common way businesses use SharePoint is as an intranet portal. SharePoint gives its users a powerful, fully-searchable centralised location from which to run operations. By dividing your SharePoint into separate team sites you can organise information and documents by department, ensuring data is but a click away. Unlike other intranet systems, SharePoint follows the same Office 365 style you are acclimatised to but adds additional intuitive features such as; highlighting upcoming deadlines and team scheduling data. 

Cultivate positive collaboration – SharePoint is a content management system (CMS) and is used to store and share information. Its’ features include version management, business workflows and social aspects, which can all be accessed remotely. You can use SharePoint to accelerate productivity by transforming everything from a simple task to complex operational workflows.

Increase business intelligence – Your business collects so much valuable information, wouldn’t it be amazing to view all this data at a single glance and in one location? Through SharePoint’s integration capabilities, users can connect the platform with just about any existing information output from different applications. SharePoint is your one-stop-shop for custom-made business intelligence reporting. 

Microsoft SharePoint by Monpellier

Monpellier (based in Cumbria and the North East) are experts in providing custom, integrated solutions, delivering first-class support and solutions across a wide range of areas from accounting & payroll to intranet and CRM solutions. Give us a call on 01228 550 167 or email info@monpellier.co.uk for a free onsite consultation.

 First published: In Cumbria Magazine’s October’s 2019 issue. 

Number 2 in our Jargon Buster Series: SharePoint 

It’s hard to avoid a mention of SharePoint these days with many productivity experts hailing it as a must-have collaboration tool. But what exactly is SharePoint and how can it be used to help your business?

What is SharePoint?

In very simple terms SharePoint is a web-based document management and collaboration tool. It works with Office 365 and has a core set of functionalities including; document storage, intranet capabilities, and organisation sharing. 

Benefits of using SharePoint 

1. 1. Collaboration – Using SharePoint allows users to stay connected, even during live projects with the use of document version history. Losing information in a cluttered inbox becomes a thing of the past as all employees have access to critical and up-to-date documents at their fingertips. 
   2. Security – Integrated security within the platform protects your data from unauthorised access. You can set permissions per user giving you ultimate control over user visibility. 
   3. Customisation – SharePoint is jam-packed with unique tools that allow you to tweak your organisations build to look and function in a way that works for you. Add custom features, widgets, calendars and request forms to your organisation’s intranet in order to maximise productivity. 
   4. Less Training – By working seamlessly with Office 365 SharePoint feels familiar from the start. In addition to support from your solution provider, Microsoft have free training courses available via their support site to help with the integration of your new collaboration tool. 
   5. Informed Decisions – Use SharePoint to create personalised dashboards that allow your employees to see information from different sources and make better-informed decisions. For example, you could create a dashboard that acts as a live report area that allows you direct access to things such as KPI’s, critical financial data or even current stock levels. 

Free Consultation 

Monpellier are a trusted Microsoft partner specialising in providing an end-to-end solution and support. If you would like more information on SharePoint or any other Microsoft products give our team a call on 0191 500 8150.