SharePoint Online: What is SharePoint, and how to use it for your intranet

Integration between SharePoint intranet and Microsoft Teams through intranet.ai push notifications

 

But one integration that should not be underestimated is with Microsoft Power Platform. In fact, integration with tools such as Power Automate, Power Apps and Power BI enables companies to automate workflows, create custom applications and analyze business data in real time. Additional functionalities, then, transform SharePoint into an ideal platform for digitizing internal processes.

Finally, SharePoint stands out for its countless customization possibilities and great flexibility. Organizations can adapt the user interface, as well as create layouts and themes to enhance brand identity. In addition, they can build pages with custom-developed web parts, thanks to which features can be made available to users that go beyond the SharePoint standard and adapt corporate sites to the actual needs of the organization.

In terms of scalability, SharePoint grows with the company. This means that regardless of the size or complexity of the organization, the platform can handle an increase in data and users without sacrificing performance.

With this overview, we wanted to clarify what SharePoint by Microsoft 365 is and why it should become the heart of the corporate digital workplace. Its document management capabilities, process automation possibilities, and native integration with other Microsoft platforms make it an essential tool for digitizing and innovating internal processes.

What is SharePoint Online and differences with the On-Premise version

SharePoint Online is the cloud version of the Microsoft 365 platform of the same name. Unlike the On-Premise version, where IT infrastructure must be managed locally, SharePoint Online leverages the cloud to ensure automatic updates, especially in terms of security, and offers immediate scalability.

As a result, companies no longer have to worry about maintaining physical servers or complex infrastructure, which is generally time-consuming and costly. Instead, this responsibility falls to Microsoft, which takes care of all technical aspects, from system updates to security patches, thus enabling more efficient management of corporate resources.

Another significant benefit of the cloud concerns accessibility.

SharePoint Online allows companies to access their data from anywhere in the world, as long as there is an Internet connection. This is an important feature when we think about the increasing prevalence of remote working and the need for workers to be able to access company documents, manage projects and collaborate in real time with colleagues, regardless of their geographical location.

Data accessibility is, however, not only limited to remote access, but also expands to integration capabilities with other Microsoft 365 cloud applications, such as Teams and OneDrive. This integration enables the creation of an interconnected digital environment where documents, business processes, and internal communication flow are all integrated into one system.

What is SharePoint used for: real-world use cases for businesses

As we have seen, SharePoint is not just software: it is a versatile platform that enables businesses to digitize internal processes, improve collaboration, and manage information in an integrated and secure way. But how can SharePoint translate into concrete value? Let's look at it briefly below, before delving into the main functionalities, exploring some of the most popular use cases in the enterprise.

 

Document Management and Content Management System

From a simple document in the archive, SharePoint is able to achieve much more: multiple versions, secure sharing and change controls transform document management into a structured process where nothing is left to chance.

Think of a large company that has to manage thousands of documents every day. SharePoint can enable the creation of a system that not only allows files to be archived through the use of customized, search-indexed information (this information is metadata), but also allows individual versions of documents to be tracked and retrieved, when desired, from a history that automatically updates after each change.

Flexibility, rapid information retrieval, and security are the main features SharePoint offers for enterprise document and content management.

 

Document Management by intranet.ai for SharePoint Online

Corporate intranet

Let us now imagine a company, with hundreds of workers scattered in different locations or working remotely. How to ensure that everyone is always aligned with the company's strategies and goals?

SharePoint makes it possible to create the intranet-the digital hub where people in a company can access all the information, resources, and services they need to perform their tasks and collaborate with colleagues.

The intranet is the place tailor-made for an organization to make internal processes and communication easier and more immediate. Based on SharePoint, the intranet can fulfill its full potential and become the heart of the corporate digital workplace where it centralizes document management, promotes real-time collaboration, and enhances knowledge sharing.

Each user can easily access the documents most relevant to his or her activities, services offered to workers and the latest company news, while maintaining business continuity regardless of work location. In addition, the ability to customize sites and content based on the team, department, work location, or even the individual user's browsing language allows targeted information to be provided to reduce irrelevant communication overload.

 

Customized SharePoint Intranet with intranet.ai

Engagement with Yammer (now Viva Engage)

Today, more than ever, companies need tools that encourage interaction and active participation. While Microsoft Yammer once filled this role, today it is Viva Engage that enables corporate social networking.

With Viva Engage, people belonging to the same organization have the opportunity to share ideas, discuss projects and initiatives, participate in polls, and create communities focused on topics relevant to the company and its activities.

SharePoint, on the other hand, serves as a centralized platform for content management and structured collaboration on documents. Integration with Viva Engage creates an ecosystem that combines enterprise knowledge management with more engaging communication. For example, discussions and updates from Viva Engage can be hosted on the SharePoint intranet, creating a unified space where formal communications and spontaneous community contributions coexist.

A SharePoint page can include the feed that shows ongoing conversations on Viva Engage in real time, allowing users to participate without leaving the intranet environment.

 

Organizing events

SharePoint can be used in conjunction with Microsoft Stream to manage and promote live streaming corporate events.

Indeed, integration with Stream allows companies to schedule live broadcasts of events such as global meetings, trainings, or new product introductions, with one major advantage: the ability to centralize event-related activities.

SharePoint sites are the ideal space where to manage event promotion, disseminate updates and collect feedback in real time, via Microsoft Forms. This reduces the need to switch between applications and simplifies both organization and participation in corporate events, while remaining within an environment familiar to all users.

 

Project management

SharePoint can also become a central base of operations where deadlines can be tracked, tasks assigned, and documents shared with colleagues in the same project, team, or department.

To create such a base of operations, integration with Microsoft Planner is essential. Planner is Microsoft 365's project management application that allows project tasks to be divided into precise tasks to be assigned to team members along with their deadlines and priorities.

Within SharePoint, each team member can view assigned tasks through a "bulletin board" interface. This allows monitoring of task progress and individual workload, keeping everything centralized in a single platform. In addition, information for individual tasks is automatically synchronized between the two platforms, making it easy for managers to track the progress of company projects and intervene promptly if problems arise.

 

Compliance management and governance

SharePoint is a central platform for managing content and information, supporting companies in adhering to increasingly stringent security policies.

With advanced features such as auditing and retention policies, you can accurately monitor the use of corporate documents, tracking key information such as who accesses content, what changes are made and when.

Retention policies can also be customized so that you can be sure that documents are retained for the time required by regulations and securely disposed of once they have exceeded the set time limits.

 

Internal skills development

SharePoint's intranet can serve as a hub for corporate training, hosting in one easily accessible place all the educational resources made available to workers to improve their skills.

By creating dedicated in-depth pages, it is possible to highlight corporate training offerings, provide quick links to resources outside the intranet and offer a detailed overview of available courses. But that's not all.

Intranet pages could be enhanced with short and engaging training content, such as video pills on Microsoft 365, and be used to promote customized training courses from external providers or generated from our Microlearning platform.

 

 

Create Customized Training Courses with intranet.ai Microlearning

Business intelligence and advanced reporting

SharePoint sites not only host project activities or content for internal training, but can also display dashboards created within enterprise Power BI reports.

All companies need to make quick, data-driven decisions. Having a Power BI dashboard integrated into a page on a SharePoint site dedicated to a particular department provides instant access to up-to-date data and relevant performance indicators. Members of a department can thus track the progress of their activities in real time, promptly identifying areas for improvement and any issues.

Integration between Power BI and SharePoint also enables custom filters to be applied, with dynamic views that adapt to the needs of the team or individual users. For example, managers can access summary reports on sales or business productivity, while team members can analyze specific details related to their tasks.

 

Enterprise resource management

Finally, SharePoint can be used to manage corporate resources, whether equipment, software licenses or digital assets.

Through the creation of customized lists, it is possible to keep track of each asset, its use in the company and related events such as expiration, renewal or maintenance needs. By integrating automation flows, on the other hand, it is possible to automate processes such as booking requests or approval for the purchase of new resources. Specifically, using Power Automate, flows can be set up that can notify managers when a license for an enterprise software is about to expire, along with the information needed for its renewal.

7 SharePoint Online features you need to know about

Document collection in gallery version

History of changes to documents

 

At this point, it is time to talk about another aspect that makes SharePoint the ideal document management system, which is metadata.

Metadata is information about content that is used to categorize it and that can be filtered to organize and search for files faster and easier than with traditional folders.

They are similar to social media tags, to wit, since they give clues about the type of content to which they link.

But where is metadata found in document collections, and how is it used?

Very simple: metadata are the sets of values that characterize the columns in a collection.

For each file placed in a document collection, SharePoint provides default columns and metadata, such as file version, author/author, creation and last modification date, and numeric ID.

In addition, columns with custom value sets can be added, although these are simply an extension of the standard sets. For example, in the column tagged "date", you might enter the expiration date of one of your project documents.

To use another example, you could enter in the column with value "user" the name of the people in charge of approving the file or who are involved in its creation and updating.

In short, the limit is your imagination, and this system will allow you to organize all your documents by specific information, then find them quickly by filtering the collections.

2) Lists

After looking at Microsoft SharePoint's capabilities as a document management system together, let's expand the topic with lists.

Document collections, in fact, are special examples of SharePoint lists, which deserve their own separate space because of the crucial role they play in business processes.

The only difference that really separates document collections from lists is the fact that the former serve to organize files, while the latter contain text values such as the names of contacts useful for a project.

In this way, simple lists make it possible to create any master file, from contracts for suppliers to devices given to staff.

Metadata also serve an organizational function here, classifying each piece of information. For example, they can be used to organize and filter lists by the amount of a contract, signatories, employees possessing a company phone or pc, and much more.

Another important function of lists is to be able to accommodate the information contained in Excel master files, making it accessible to users with the same levels of authorization as we have seen for document collections.

In this way, they can work in real-time and simultaneously on the same file, going beyond the collaboration limitations of Excel.

Another advantage of importing Excel tables to SharePoint is that you can edit multiple items simultaneously with the Quick Edit feature (which you find by clicking on "Quick Edit" in the command bar of each list).

In addition, you will be able to have access to the edit history to compare different versions of the file or restore one that predates an update.

Again as in the case of document collections, you will also be able to view the box, user, date, and time subject of the change in the master lists.

Finally, documents and files return, but this time in the form of attachments to make your lists containing contacts, announcements, tasks, surveys, and procedures even more detailed.

3) Content creation (with high communicative impact)

Let us now proceed to one of SharePoint's most beloved features for businesses: content management, or rather, all the products of internal communication activities.

In fact, SharePoint is not only a powerful tool for storing documents, but it is also an excellent platform for creating, disseminating and targeting different types of corporate news and announcements.

This is possible because of its ability to create corporate intranet and extranet sites, which are the main meeting point between employees and an organization's business partners, such as suppliers and investors.

Within these portals, companies can build branded pages to communicate their identity and culture or create thematic areas, such as those dedicated to events or welfare conventions.

Another possibility is to give each department its own space where they can put people in direct contact, without background noise or distractions from other departments.

In this case, we are talking about SharePoint's ability to create subsites, i.e., sites with their own ad-hoc content that, however, depend on the overall corporate portal.

With subsites, it is therefore possible to build portals dedicated to specific departments or even specific locations. As a result, a dislocated organization has the opportunity to broadcast communications at both a general and particular level, while also using the native language of each of its locations to create even more accessible and engaging content.

However, if creating a departmental site is a hassle to manage the entire internal communication flow, SharePoint allows you to create small showcases where you can display only certain announcements.

We are talking about corporate blogs, which are nothing more than exhibitors of digital newsletters designed and published for specific user groups. These showcases can easily be placed on any page of your sites, so you can highlight communications from your IT and HR departments, to name just a few.

Corporate blog within the intranet sharepoint

 

All of this is possible because of the high flexibility of the platform, which will allow you to define and structure not only the content of pages and news, but also the entire site navigation from the users' point of view.

You can then experiment with usability and accessibility factors to provide your audience with the best possible experience, motivating them to adopt the intranet (in the case of employees) as a support for their daily work activities.

The SharePoint intranet can also provide multimedia content such as video courses, tutorials or even podcast series that talk about the most relevant topics revolving around your corporate reality in a matter of minutes.

These categories of content are especially advisable for all those organizations that want to increase user engagement, as well as their interest in keeping up to date with the latest corporate happenings.

Multimedia content to be inserted in the pages of sharepoint sites

In fact, short videos and audio can become a pleasant companion for all employees' coffee breaks, especially when accompanied by ad-hoc forums on SharePoint, Teams, or Yammer (now Viva Engage) to ignite discussions related to the day's topics.

Finally, integration with Microsoft Stream extends the platform's communication abilities, allowing companies to organize live streaming events and webinars directly from their sites.

In this case, a related good practice is to create a page dedicated to a new event within the intranet, with the goal of providing users with full details about the topics that will be covered, speakers, and date and time of the event.

With Forms, you can include a participation form on the page, which will be used both to send the access link to subscribers and to obtain useful statistics regarding the participation rate. In addition, you can also create a questionnaire, so you can collect all the necessary data to evaluate the success of your initiative.

4) Mobile support

Let's cut to the chase: every SharePoint page or site is responsive.

This means that all enterprise portals and content created with the Microsoft 365 tool are capable of adapting to any type of mobile device.

But that's not all.

In fact, with the SharePoint Online app you can interact with sites and files, downloading and editing them directly from your smartphone or tablet.

In addition, you can receive alerts so that you will be notified as soon as a new post or document is uploaded to the intranet. By clicking on the notification, you will go directly into the content and can start communicating or collaborating with your teams on the go.

One last thing to say about this: because of the strong integration SharePoint has with all the Microsoft 365 tools, you can interact with files on your corporate sites from the Teams and OneDrive* apps as well.

*The OneDrive app will only allow you to view and edit document files on SharePoint.

5) Full-text research

To help users find useful information and answers to their questions, the SharePoint intranet offers a modern content indexing system. The search functionality is designed to plumb all areas of the site, including documents, pages, directories and libraries, ensuring that any archived information is easily retrievable.

In intranet.ai, we have enhanced the search capabilities in SharePoint to offer Advanced Search in our intranet solution.

Advanced Search is capable of indexing any file type (even PDF), as long as it contains a text layer. This means that SharePoint reports as search results for a given keyword, all content that has that word in its title, body of text or in the metadata that has been assigned to the document.

In addition, it is possible to retrieve content beyond the boundaries of SharePoint sites, pages and lists by extending the search into theintegrated Microsoft 365 environment.

In this way, users can not only get relevant results in seconds, but also, and more importantly, find files that are present in Microsoft applications in the corporate digital workplace.

6) Permission management

SharePoint is able to provide maximum security in the management of enterprise content. This is made possible by a hierarchical system of permissions, which are divided into multiple levels and can be assigned to individual users or entire work groups. These can be created within SharePoint sites or directly in Microsoft 365.

Creating groups to assign permissions saves significant time by granting a large number of users the same set of permissions at once.

Interestingly, each SharePoint site automatically includes certain security groups, each of which has its own set of permissions. For example, a team site includes the groups:

• Owners, withpermission type "Full Control."
• Members, with the permission type "Edit."
• Visitors, who have only "Read" permission.

In the case of communication sites, however, the groups that are created by defaultinclude those just listed and the following:

• Approval Managers, with the "Approve" permission set.
• Designers, with the permission sets "Design" and "Restricted Access."
• Hierarchy managers, with the permission type "Hierarchy management."
• Readers, with the "Restricted Read" or "Restricted Access" permission sets.

For a more in-depth look at the different levels of permissions, refer to the table in the first item in this list regarding file and document management in SharePoint.

Going further, a company is able to modify the security groups on a site so as to customize the management of the information flowing through it.

To do so, simply follow these steps:

1. Access the settings in the team or communication site.
2. Openthe "Permissions" page.
3. Click on "Create Group."
4. Under "Owner," specify the name of the user who will manage the group.
5. Under "Group Settings," enter the name of theusers capable of editing and/or viewing group memberships.
6. Under "Assign Group Permissions to Site," select the type of permission to be given to the group you are creating.
7. Select "Create."

7) Integrations

Here we come to the last feature and, perhaps, also the most complex one to summarize in a few lines of presentation. But we'll try anyway.

Arguably, what makes the Microsoft 365 tool-based digital work environment so popular in the enterprise context is the deep integration that ties the functionality of one application to that of the others in the suite. SharePoint is no exception.

In fact, the platform is able to extend the functionality of its sites by integrating with all Microsoft 365 tools, such as OneDrive and Teams, as well as with Microsoft Power Platform applications, Microsoft Viva and others.

In the case of Power Platform components, special mention should be made of:

• Power Apps, which enables the creation of custom applications.
• Power Automate, which allows you to build automation flows.
• Power BI, with which you can get dashboards and reports based on data in SharePoint.

It is worth noting that these tools can be used without having much programming knowledge. On the contrary, they are designed specifically for users who wish to digitize their activities in low-code mode.

The result of combining these applications is a virtual space with infinite potential, capable of optimizing any business process from a SharePoint site such as the intranet.

For example, think of repetitive tasks such as requesting time off or approving a new document: thanks to the integration between SharePoint, Power Automate and Microsoft Teams, it is possible to create an automated workflow capable of completing the entire process, from sending the request to filing it, without any user intervention.

In terms of intranet engagement, the integration with Yammer (now Viva Engage) is a turning point. In fact, it is possible to insert a new or existing conversation within any SharePoint site or page via the dedicated community web part of Viva Engage.

In this way, a company will be able to combine the interaction features typical of social media with the content management features unique to a SharePoint site.

These are just a few examples of integration, but the possibilities are truly endless. Any company can customize the Microsoft 365 ecosystem to suit its needs, taking advantage of the flexibility and interoperability among the suite's applications.

With SharePoint at the heart of this architecture, not only does it simplify content management, it opens the door to a tailored digital transformation that can evolve with the business.

FAQ for SharePoint Online:
What is SharePoint and how do you use it for your intranet?

What is SharePoint used for?

SharePoint is used for a variety of purposes, including document management, content collaboration, intranet and extranet creation, business process automation, and team collaboration. It serves as a centralized platform for organizing, sharing, and accessing information within organizations, improving communication, productivity, and efficiency.

What is the difference between OneDrive and SharePoint?

OneDrive is a personal cloud storage service provided by Microsoft, primarily used for storing and sharing individual files and documents. SharePoint, on the other hand, is a collaboration platform that offers advanced features for team collaboration, document management, intranet/extranet creation, and business process automation. While both services allow file storage and sharing, SharePoint is designed for broader organizational use, while OneDrive is more focused on individual file storage.

What are the basic functions of SharePoint?

The basic functions of SharePoint include document management, content collaboration, site creation, permission management, version control, search capabilities, workflow automation, and integration with other Microsoft 365 services. These functions enable organizations to create, share, and manage content, streamline business processes, and facilitate collaboration among teams.

Is SharePoint a software or tool?

SharePoint is both a software platform and a collaboration tool. It is a web-based platform developed by Microsoft that provides organizations with a wide range of features and capabilities for content management, collaboration, and business process automation. Users access SharePoint through web browsers or dedicated apps to create sites, store and share documents, collaborate with team members, and manage business processes.

What is a SharePoint intranet?

A SharePoint intranet is an internal website or portal built using SharePoint that serves as a centralized hub for communication, collaboration, and information sharing within an organization. It typically includes features such as news and announcements, document libraries, team sites, social collaboration tools, and custom applications tailored to the organization's needs. SharePoint intranets help improve employee engagement, streamline communication, and enhance productivity.

What is the difference between extranet and intranet in SharePoint?

An intranet in SharePoint is an internal website or portal used by an organization's employees to communicate, collaborate, and access information within the organization. It is typically accessible only to authorized users within the organization's network.

An extranet in SharePoint, on the other hand, is an extended intranet that allows authorized external users, such as partners, customers, or suppliers, to access specific resources or collaborate with internal users. Extranets are used to facilitate communication and collaboration between an organization and its external stakeholders while maintaining security and control over access to sensitive information.

Why not to use SharePoint for intranet?

While SharePoint offers robust features for building intranets, there may be reasons why it may not be suitable for every organization's intranet needs. Some potential reasons include:

• Complexity: SharePoint can be complex to set up and customize, requiring technical expertise.
• Cost: SharePoint may require additional licensing and infrastructure costs for larger deployments.
• Resource constraints: Organizations with limited IT resources may find it challenging to maintain and support SharePoint intranets.
• Alternative solutions: Depending on specific requirements, organizations may find other intranet solutions that better suit their needs in terms of simplicity, cost-effectiveness, or specific features.

What is SharePoint used for?

SharePoint is used for a variety of purposes within organizations, including:

• Document management: Storing, organizing, and sharing documents and files.
• Collaboration: Facilitating teamwork and communication among employees.
• Intranet and extranet creation: Building internal and external websites for information sharing and collaboration.
• Business process automation: Streamlining workflows and automating routine tasks.
• Content management: Managing digital content, such as web pages, documents, and multimedia.
• Knowledge management: Capturing, organizing, and sharing knowledge and expertise within the organization.
• Project management: Tracking projects, tasks, and milestones.
• Compliance and governance: Ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements and organizational policies.
• Social collaboration: Engaging employees through social features, such as discussion forums and enterprise social networks.