Wondering what ‘SharePoint’ is? It’s a Microsoft collaboration and document management solution that has proved highly popular with businesses across the globe. In fact, studies have shown that a whooping 80% of Fortune 500 companies used SharePoint, so it’s clearly popular within the industry.
Of course, not every business uses SharePoint in the same way, it can be used to deal with all kinds of tasks. This includes: for cloud-based document sharing, a collaborative website, document, or calendar creator, a content management system, and as a business intelligence platform. What businesses love about SharePoint is the fact that is can be customised to fit each individual company.
However, while SharePoint is a popular and highly effective tool, it’s not the only option. There are, in fact, various other, just as effective alternatives to SharePoint that businesses can use. Thinking about using a SharePoint alternative? Here are seven things to look for when it comes to finding the right service:
1. A less complex service
While SharePoint was designed to make working across an entire company easier, it can take a large amount of time and effort to set it up to actually do that. Aside from the initial set up, this kind of software also requires regular maintenance and upkeep. Plus, if you want to add additional sections on further down the line, this can also take a lot of work. Whereas, if you opt to use a different service, you may be able to find a simpler running system.
2. Look for a more accommodating option
One of the issues with SharePoint is that it’s not that accommodating. The fact is that SharePoint tends to work well for collaborative documents, for instance, but now as well for other things, such as reports. To get it to work as functionally as you require it to, it may take a lot of time of money. So when you are looking for an alternative, it’s a good idea to try and find a solution that is more accomodating.
3. A more affordable option
Cost is another problem that many users have with SharePoint - it’s not a service that comes cheap. SharePoint doesn’t offer an ‘out of the box’ option, it has to be configured fully, which can be time-consuming and costly. It’s not just the initial configuration, but also the updates that it requires. Financially, it can end up being seriously expensive. That’s why when it comes to looking at alternatives to SharePoint, it pays to look at more affordable options.
4. Similar features
Obviously, it you’re a fan of SharePoint and how it works, you are going to want/need a similar solution that offers a range of similar services, and potentially more. So it’s a good idea to read reviews of the services on offer, so that you are able to determine which one will give you the ideal option for your business’s needs.
5. Easy to integrate
If you are going to be able to effectively utilise this software, you need to ensure that it’s easy to integrate into the systems and processes that you already have in place. While not all SharePoint alternatives offer this option, many do - so it’s just a case of taking the time to determine which ones can give you what you need.
6. Made for teams
If your business has a team of people running it, which it most likely does, you are going to want to find a solution that is made for teams. As in, you want to find a SharePoint alternative that has been designed to be a perfect fit for teams to use because it allows everything that everyone needs to have access, to be stored in one easily accessible yet secure place.
7. A solution that grows
Naturally, you want and expect your business to grow. So it’s a good idea to opt for a SharePoint alternative that offers you this. Don’t rush into selecting an option, take your time considering the ones available to you, and select the one that is able to offer a solution that will grow with your brand.
While SharePoint is a tool that has proven to be highly valuable to businesses of all shapes and sizes in a range of sectors, it’s by no means perfect. That’s why you may want to take the time to consider the other options available to you, so that you are able to select an alternative that is a perfect fit for yours’ and your business’s specific needs.