What is Sharepoint Used For?
SharePoint is a versatile platform used by organizations for a wide range of purposes centered around collaboration, content management, and business processes. Here’s a breakdown of its key uses:
1. Document Management and Collaboration:
- Centralized Document Repository: SharePoint acts as a secure, centralized location to store, organize, and manage all types of documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDFs, images, videos, etc.). This eliminates the chaos of scattered files on individual computers or shared drives.
- Version Control: It automatically tracks changes made to documents, allowing users to revert to previous versions if needed. This ensures data integrity and helps manage document lifecycles.
- Co-authoring: Multiple users can work on the same document simultaneously in real-time (when integrated with Office Online), improving teamwork and efficiency.
- Secure Sharing: SharePoint enables controlled sharing of documents and folders with both internal and external users, with granular permission settings to define who can view, edit, or manage content.
- Check-in/Check-out: This feature prevents conflicting edits by allowing users to “check out” a document while they are working on it and “check it back in” when finished.
- Metadata Tagging: Users can add descriptive information (metadata) to documents, making them easier to search, filter, and organize beyond simple folder structures.
- Document Workflows: SharePoint allows for the creation of automated workflows for document approval, review, and other processes, streamlining business operations.
2. Intranet and Communication Portals:
- Building Internal Websites: Organizations use SharePoint to create internal websites (intranets) that serve as a central hub for company news, announcements, policies, procedures, employee directories, and other important information.
- Communication Sites: These are specifically designed for broadcasting information to a broad audience within the organization in an engaging and visually appealing format.
- Team Sites: SharePoint enables the creation of team-specific sites where project teams or departments can collaborate on documents, manage tasks, track progress, and communicate effectively.
- News and Announcements: SharePoint facilitates the sharing of company-wide or team-specific news, updates, and announcements, keeping employees informed.
- Employee Engagement: Features like discussion boards, wikis, and social features (often integrated with Viva Engage – formerly Yammer) can foster communication and build a sense of community within the organization.
3. Workflow Automation:
- Automating Business Processes: SharePoint, often in conjunction with Microsoft Power Automate, allows organizations to automate repetitive tasks and streamline business processes. This can include approval workflows, feedback collection, task assignments, and notifications.
- Forms and Data Collection: Using Microsoft Forms integrated with SharePoint lists, organizations can create surveys, polls, and data collection forms.
4. Content Management System (CMS):
- Managing Web Content: While not a traditional public-facing website CMS like WordPress, SharePoint can be used to manage content for internal portals and some types of external-facing sites.
- Page Creation and Editing: Users can create and edit web pages with various web parts (pre-built components) to display text, images, videos, lists, libraries, and other dynamic content.
5. Project Management:
- Task Management: SharePoint lists can be used to track tasks, assign responsibilities, set due dates, and monitor progress within teams and projects.
- Calendars and Scheduling: Shared calendars can be created to track project milestones, deadlines, and team availability.
- Project Sites: Dedicated SharePoint sites can serve as central hubs for all project-related information, documents, tasks, and communication.
6. Business Intelligence (BI):
- Data Visualization: SharePoint can integrate with tools like Power BI to display data visualizations, reports, and dashboards, providing insights into business performance.
- Data Analysis: Lists and libraries can store data that can then be analyzed and presented in meaningful ways.
7. Custom Application Development:
- Low-Code/No-Code Solutions: Using Microsoft Power Apps, users can build custom business applications that integrate with SharePoint data and workflows to address specific organizational needs without extensive coding.
In summary, organizations use SharePoint to:
- Improve Collaboration: Enable teams to work together effectively on projects and documents.
- Enhance Communication: Facilitate internal communication and information sharing across the organization.
- Streamline Document Management: Organize, secure, and control access to critical business information.
- Automate Business Processes: Increase efficiency by automating routine tasks and workflows.
- Build Internal Portals: Create intranets and team sites to centralize information and resources.
- Manage Content: Create and manage web content for internal and potentially external use.
- Gain Business Insights: Integrate with BI tools to analyze data and track performance.
- Develop Custom Solutions: Build tailored applications to meet specific business requirements.
The specific way an organization utilizes SharePoint depends on its size, industry, and unique business needs. Its flexibility and integration with the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem make it a powerful tool for enhancing productivity and information management. Sources and related content