SharePoint Online: Tips and Tricks for Improved Collaboration

SharePoint Online has established itself as an excellent platform for team collaboration, allowing you to share, organize, and streamline workflows. However, as with any tool, there are tips and tricks that can be used to enhance the collaboration experience and help you get the most out of SharePoint. In this blog, we'll explore some key ways to utilize SharePoint Online's capabilities to optimize your collaboration efforts.

1. Utilize SharePoint Lists and Libraries

SharePoint lists and libraries are powerful features that provide a structure for your team collaboration. With lists, you can create forms to input data and enable discussions to increase communication. SharePoint document libraries make it easier to store, organize, and manage your team documentation for collaboration. As a team, you can customize the columns in the library to help data input and retrieval. By using SharePoint lists and libraries effectively, your team can track all tasks and improve their efficiency.

2. Implement Workflow Streamlining

SharePoint Online also allows the creation of workflows to automate many processes to save a considerable amount of time. Teams can use the built-in forms to input data, responding approval workflows, and demand progress updates. Workflow automation is great for reducing manual processes, creating efficient workflows, removing the frustration of constant email follow-up, and keeping the team informed.

3. Improve Document Management with Version Control and Metadata

Managing documentation in the SharePoint library can help you properly organize document versions and track who has made changes and when. Document versioning in SharePoint Online ensures that everyone has access to the latest version of a file, contributing to collaboration efficiency. Using Metadata in addition to file properties helps team members search for a specific document easily.

4. Customize SharePoint Pages for Improved User Experience

Customizing SharePoint pages that will enable users to have a better experience and navigation. You can quickly create unique SharePoint pages that best fit your business needs. Additionally, you can add web parts to pages that supply live information like organization calendars, RSS feeds, or even YouTube videos with descriptions. When all of the information the team needs is on one page, communication, and productivity are enhanced.

5. Optimize SharePoint Search and Navigation

SharePoint has a powerful search function that makes it possible to quickly retrieve documents and data from even the most extensive libraries. You can create detailed search queries and search across multiple libraries in one search. Additionally, SharePoint navigation can be set up to be intuitive, allowing team members to quickly find what they are looking for, whether that be documents, pages, or lists.

6. Secure Collaboration with Access Control

SharePoint online ensures improved security for team collaboration. Access to SharePoint libraries and navigational areas can be controlled on a per-user level. You can also take complete control over who can access any team sites or company-wide information with centralized permissions.

7. Conduct Meetings and team collaboration with SharePoint Online

SharePoint Online offers features that support team collaboration efforts and conducting online meetings. Several teams have been using SharePoint Online pages to prepare to facilitate collaboration during their meetings. The pages enable them to share critical information with attendees before the meeting and receive feedback on the topics up for discussion. You also have the option to share your screen, as well as personal and team calendars. The integration of Teams simplifies hosting meetings and sharing information.

8. Integration with Microsoft Teams

With greater functionality in Teams and using SharePoint Online makes a perfect union for collaborative work. Teams enables users to start video meetings with team members, collaborate and share documents within the same platform. Also, Teams surfaces SharePoint functionality within its application making it easier to find and manage SharePoint content within Teams.

9. Best Practices for SharePoint Online Collaboration

As the main goal of leveraging SharePoint Online is to maximize collaboration, you should always have a strategy that would help to make your team work more efficiently. It’s essential to create clear and straightforward documentation covering factors such as the purpose of the SharePoint Site usage, specific guidelines, and best practices covering stakeholders and users of the platform.

Collaboration in SharePoint Online can be significantly enhanced by regularly reviewing site contributions, along with encouraging the use of the latest SharePoint Online features as they’re released. Also, it helps to have champions for SharePoint Online to ensure that everyone knows about and understands the benefits.

10. Success stories of SharePoint Online

There are numerous success stories from companies who have been able to leverage the platform to help improve collaboration. SharePoint has transformed their collaborations, and they have effectively managed projects and workflows within the platform.

In conclusion, SharePoint Online is a powerful collaboration tool when used to its full potential. By implementing the tips and tricks in this blog, team members can get the most out of SharePoint's features and improve communications, productivity and collaboration with each other. With SharePoint, teams can have improved document management, workflow streamlining, and rich customization can be added to keep the team happy and productive.