The modern business uses the latest technology to create a workspace that is creative and dynamic in nature. Employees are working differently now, we’re online more and more people are working remotely than we’ve seen before. The traditional idea of working in an office is slowly becoming outdated and with new ways of working, we need products and services that will encourage connectivity and collaboration even while not being in the same physical space.
A normal thing we are seeing now is businesses looking for guidance from an IT Support Company on how to better adopt a hybrid workspace while still keeping up productivity and a sense of community even from home. One of the most popular products from Microsoft that is recommended for this purpose is SharePoint.
Microsoft SharePoint has been a part of the Microsoft Office suite since 2001 and has been an integral part of many businesses since. But SharePoint is now not just an on-premise platform but has been moving towards a cloud-based future with SharePoint Online with Microsoft 365.
SharePoint Online is now a built-in cloud document management system and team collaboration centre that is included in a Microsoft 365 subscription. Team members who are given access can find documents and information and collaborate on shared files anywhere as long as they have a secure internet connection.
SharePoint can be overwhelming and confusing so we spoke to TechQuarters, who are trusted IT support based in London, to help break down the 3 key features that make up the structure of the platform. These features include SharePoint sites, SharePoint pages and SharePoint web parts.
SharePoint sites
SharePoint sites are essentially the boxes to organize and store information. They are created automatically when a new group is created in Microsoft 365 Groups or a team is created in Microsoft Teams.
Each site holds lists and document libraries but there can be multiple sites that make up a collection for the superior site. Each team has its own site collection which is the feature that makes document sharing and collaboration so easy.
There can be plenty of these team sites, each with its own dedicated projects which can be overwhelming but ensures there’s no confusion for each specific purpose of each site collection.
Sites can also be dedicated to only communication where specific members like managers can post announcements, content or plans moving forward.
SharePoint pages
SharePoint pages are essentially the display page for the content. Each site can house multiple pages and is made up of navigation pages and destination pages. Navigation pages are a jumping point for users to find different categories and information.
Destination pages on the other hand contain the bulk of the content that a team will look for. Within the SharePoint site that is automatically created there will be a homepage that can include things like links that point to multiple destination pages.
SharePoint web parts
Web parts are the final building block that makes up the structure of SharePoint. These web parts act as applications for teams to store certain types of content. Think of web parts like the apps that sit on each page of a smartphone’s homepage. Each has a dedicated purpose like storing contacts or your images.
Microsoft created dedicated web parts for certain purposes for teams like document libraries, calendars for events, links, announcements and more which all can be found on the SharePoint Store.
If you’re looking for Office 365 Solutions to project management and collaboration then SharePoint is considered the ultimate platform for that. It is so integrated into Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 that it has become an obvious choice for businesses that are already reliant on Microsoft products and services. The whole platform was made for real-time collaboration, superior data management and efficient project management. If integrated it will become the businesses day to day central hub and will grow and change as the business does.
