8 Worst Mistakes SharePoint Rookies Should Watch Out For
Want to do better document management, and process simplification? You can do all this through business process/workflow automation and, structure-based steering, unified dashboards using SharePoint. SharePoint gives easy access to information to organizations of all sizes. Microsoft recommends best practices for using SharePoint; you can find them here.
Anyone can use Sharepoint, but using it properly, and keeping a long-term goal in place, can help scale SharePoint to handle companies’ growth. Some critical mistakes can create huge problems in the future. We have picked up 8 mistakes SharePoint rookies make and what you can do to avoid them.
Overloading Folder
One of the organizations’ most prominent mistakes is copying and pasting their existing folder from their file share straight into SharePoint. This is very detrimental to future developments of solutions with the tool. If taken care of properly, it can help the functionality of SharePoint search.
How to Avoid-
We can use solid taxonomy and metadata to avoid this problem. We can create a custom column for organizing documents into folders. We can add metadata and content types to the libraries. A simple PowerShell script links documents to a newly formed content type and permanently deletes obsolete folders.
Don’t Know How to Fit Microsoft SharePoint into the Business
Many rookies believe that SharePoint is easy to execute and a prepared-to-go solution. Many organizations fail to use SharePoint effectively because they cannot define what it is and does. We need to recognize the unique business needs for the proper SharePoint implementation.
How to Avoid-
To avoid this, we must plan the precise goals of executing this modern workplace solution. Planning goals that fit our business needs will boost developments, ROIs, and receptions.
Absence of Training and IT Resources
Lack of training leads to the failure of SharePoint, and tech-rookies don’t use it properly. Organizations referred to the lack of IT resources as the ultimate reason for the absence of advance toward full deployment. Some resources include data administration, storage, infrastructure, and security.
How to Avoid-
We can hire IT professionals to configure, construct, and maintain SharePoint for our business needs. In training, you will instruct rookies on how to use the new SharePoint framework to conduct the whole process smoothly. Adequate resources and training will help rookies perform well with SharePoint to assist the business in escalating.
Failing to Enforce a Governance Strategy
Having resources is not enough if your organization does not have a proper governance strategy. By developing a governance strategy, we can make a significant step toward a successful rollout for our business and sustained use of SharePoint.
Sadly, we see businesses without a defined governance approach, which is a huge problem.
How to Avoid-
To achieve shared goals, we must form strategies to integrate the organization’s business divisions and IT teams. We need to change management strategies and contribute to the successful adoption of SharePoint.
Considering SharePoint as a Sole Operating Tool Within Microsoft 365
SharePoint does not only work as a sole operating solution after the release of Microsoft 365 Groups and Microsoft Teams. It also plays an integral role in the communication and collaboration system of Microsoft 365. So, many companies failed to properly understand the diversity of operating tools within Microsoft 365.
How to Avoid-
We need to understand the recent function and association of SharePoint with Microsoft 365, to avoid configuration mistakes and a decline in the adoption rate.
Negligence of Customizable Attributes
Customizable features of SharePoint are typically ignored or utilized incorrectly by organizations. Sometimes rookies showcase the features of SharePoint rather than target the customer leading to failure in using the resources available in SharePoint. SharePoint’s ability to integrate with external frameworks further complicates its use, especially if its purpose is unclear.
How to Avoid-
We need to utilize the customizable features of SharePoint to address their issues and boost adoption rates flawlessly. Its customizable features will break the chain of using custom solutions rather than introducing out-of-the-box ones.
Utilizing SharePoint Designer in a Production Setting
SharePoint Designer lets less experienced SharePoint users and tech-savvy business rookies easy access. We can change the centrally deployed and sustained files (e.g., page layouts, master pages, forms, pages) kept in a site’s library.
We can also create copies of those files in the database of SharePoint. Changing or upgrading deployed and maintained files are impossible without manual fixes, provided we know who altered which files and where.
How to Avoid-
To avoid this, we should restrict access to things like SharePoint designer totally for everyone. We need to enforce the best methods when deploying code. We must always write code in a development setting and execute a controlled and reproducible deployment strategy.
Neglecting Condition of the AD data
Organizations make the worst mistake of not organizing and updating their Active Directory (AD) data. It is crucial to correct it because personalization and targeting are based on AD profiles. It may only be feasible to fully leverage the personalization capacities of your intranet if your AD is in good shape.
How to Avoid-
To avoid this, we must run a comprehensive clean-up AD drill to eliminate inaccuracies and fill the voids. Setting governance procedures or even applying AI technologies can significantly enhance and maintain clean AD data once it has been cleaned.
Conclusion
You should consider Neologix as a SharePoint Development Partner if you don’t have internal SharePoint resources. Please get in touch with us to know how we can help you.
The flexibility of SharePoint allows for many productive things, like centralizing access to giant corporations’ data and applications. But, there is also scope for many mistakes for SharePoint rookies if not appropriately handled. Minor errors in SharePoint implementation will result in wasting time troubleshooting issues and corrupted files.
We must focus on more than one solution to avoid common SharePoint mistakes. However, we can employ best practices, policies, and suitable tools to minimize the risks involved in SharePoint implementations.
Implementing and deploying SharePoint can be challenging with the scope of mistakes, but with Neologix, we can help you plan, organize, and take advantage of the tool flawlessly.
