SharePoint is an excellent tool for document management, boosting productivity, centralizing document storage, and facilitating team collaboration. Its customizable features can be tailored to fit an organization’s specific needs. Organize documents efficiently, utilize metadata for easy searching, set up workflows to streamline document approval, and employ version control to ensure everyone has access to the latest document version. Integrate SharePoint with other applications like Office Suite and CRM systems for a smoother workflow and enhanced data consistency.
In this blog I will take you through SharePoint Document Management in brief. Let’s begin.
Reality
First, the reality. Document management in SharePoint is not like any other DMS you have used. It is very, very different. Whether you are migrating from file shares (network drives), dedicated DMS applications like Egnyte or iManage, or other cloud applications like Dropbox, Box, or Google Drive, DMS in SharePoint is and will be quite different. Below, I would like to list a few key differences that make SharePoint document management so unique.
Decentralized Document Management
With many of the 3rd party DMS applications I listed above, users are used to having just one huge repository where they can dump everything in and execute the searches from. Nope, SharePoint does not work that way. In SharePoint, documents do not reside in a single location (i.e., Document Library) or even a site. In SharePoint, documents are spread among many sites and document libraries. So, when you search for the information, you have to know where you are to get the proper search results. We also call this flat information architecture.
Sites vs. Folders
In SharePoint, we think in terms of sites and main permission groups, rather than folders. What it means is that, say, you are migrating from file shares or Dropbox, you first need to think about the many sites and document libraries you will be creating before you move the folders from the old DMS to SharePoint Online. Check out this article to learn more about this concept.
Metadata… has to be created
The good news is that if you relied on metadata tags in your old DMS – you can do the same in SharePoint. The bad news – no metadata tags exist out of the box, and you have to create them. This is where it might get a bit hairy. Due to the decentralized nature of SharePoint – you can create metadata locally at the library level or globally at the Term Store level. You might also need to get into the Content Types and Content Type gallery. This requires a bit of know-how. Once again, this is doable, but requires setup.
SharePoint is not just for Document Management
This is yet another huge difference between SharePoint and other DMS applications. SharePoint is not just a Document Management System. For example, another great use case for SharePoint is Intranet/Communication Hub. Likewise, when you create lists of information, those are also stored within SharePoint as well. So, when you migrate documents from other applications – you have to give it some thought to make sure you get your information architecture right for the future/scalability.
Impact of Microsoft Teams
Another huge aspect to consider is that your users will most likely interact with the SharePoint DMS via Teams. This goes back to the point I made early in this article, where you have to think through the information architecture and possibly reorganize the file shares/folder hierarchies and base them on teams/groups/conversations/channels rather than a hierarchical folder/subfolder repository. That means you would also need to think through the proper channel type and choose between standard, private, or shared channels.
The many limitations of SharePoint
Nobody is perfect. You will probably be quite surprised to learn about many limitations of SharePoint that you never had to deal with in past document management systems. Here are just a few:
- Can’t enforce/require metadata on documents
- Performance limits on a document library
- Sync limits on OneDrive Sync
- Folder depth/URL limit
The above limits do not mean that document management in SharePoint is not possible or is a bad idea. It is just that your employees will need to receive extra training to learn how to use SharePoint properly.
SharePoint document management features are unique to SharePoint
If you used other DMSs in the past, you would be pretty surprised to learn that SharePoint document management features are unique to SharePoint. They work and behave in a certain way that does not reflect that of your current DMS. Examples include Version History, Co-Authoring, and the check-in/check-out mechanism.
Collaboration over Regulation
Perhaps the most significant change is that SharePoint is set up for collaboration and sharing (hey, there is the word “Share” right in its name). By design, SharePoint is meant for easy sharing of its content, both internally and externally. By default, anyone can share anything they want with anyone they want. If you’re going to achieve the opposite, you must do a bit of security and permissions setup within the SharePoint Admin Center and at the site level to make SharePoint more restricted and secure. This is quite in contrast to many other DMSs that do not allow easy sharing of their content.
Unique Security & Permissions Model
Speaking of Security & Permissions… In addition to the folder-level security you are probably used to, we also now have site-level security and group-level security (thanks to Microsoft 365 Groups). Add to the mix the privacy levels of Teams + 3 different types of channels we now have in Teams – and you get the idea. Also, you need to check upon the Active Directory groups you are probably syncing from on-prem as well.
Training users to effectively use SharePoint document management
Users must be trained on how to utilize SharePoint in order to get the most out of it. A six-step manual may be useful:
- Introduce SharePoint and educate people on its features and advantages.
- Assign Roles and Permissions: Utilizing user job profiles, assign roles, permissions, and responsibilities.
- Establish Document Library Structure: To facilitate users’ access to documents rapidly, establish a basic folder structure.
- Establish Version Controls: Instructions for users on document check-in and check-out, version revision, collaboration, etc.
- Establish Document Approval Workflow Procedures: Establish document approval workflow procedures.
- Conduct Regular Refresher Training: To stay current on new features, hold training sessions every three months.
It is ideal to provide users with real-world circumstances and an interactive learning environment. Refresher training on a regular basis keeps users motivated and interested. For the benefit of future users, record every step in the process. Document management is made simpler with SharePoint.
Wrapping Up
The Advantages of Document Management with SharePoint
SharePoint is an effective solution that helps businesses manage their document collection more efficiently. It makes it simple for users to save, arrange, and share documents. There are many advantages to utilizing SharePoint. First of all, it provides a single location for all papers, making them accessible from anywhere at any time. Second, it enables several users to collaborate on the same document at once.
Moreover, SharePoint guarantees security. It has authority over who can view and modify documents. Additionally, it keeps track of document updates so that the most recent version is always accessible. It also automates processes like notifications and approval workflows.
Happy Reading!