- Günther Klee
- 05.07.2023
- Webbasierte Software
Table of contents
Top 5 use cases for Microsoft SharePoint
- Document management: SharePoint enables users to create, store and edit documents in a central location.
- Team collaboration: SharePoint provides teams with a platform for collaborating on projects, sharing information, and communicating effectively via team sites, shared calendars, task lists, discussion forums, etc.
- Intranet and employee portal: SharePoint can serve as a central hub for employees to access messages, announcements, guidelines, forms, etc. It also allows for design customizations to reflect the company's identity (corporate identity).
- Extranet, customer, and partner portal: SharePoint can be extended to enable secure collaboration with other companies. Controlled access to defined areas enables secure information and file sharing.
- Content management: SharePoint can be used to manage and publish content such as texts, documents, images, and videos. The system offers CMS functionality, but this is not as comprehensive as that offered by dedicated content management platforms.
Reasons for switching
Scope & diversity: strength and weakness at the same time? The extensive functionality of SharePoint is certainly one of the platform's main advantages. This diversity enables companies to adapt SharePoint to their specific requirements and cover a wide range of applications. However, SharePoint's many possibilities will also bring some complexity with it. The platform requires training and, above all, technical know-how to use it effectively. Employee training and/or the support of external experts is usually necessary to fully utilize the potential of SharePoint. Without planning, training and ongoing adaptation of the platform, SharePoint will not be able to play to its strengths.
Complex operation: The user interface of SharePoint is often criticized as complex and unintuitive - especially for occasional or non-technical users. Companies are therefore often looking for alternative software solutions that offer a more user-friendly and intuitive user experience, as such a platform is more likely to be accepted and used effectively.
Costly implementation: SharePoint licenses and the associated infrastructure costs can be considerable. Some companies find the SharePoint pricing model too expensive and are looking for cheaper alternatives, as they do not need the many functions of the platforms.
Need for customization and development: Setting up and customizing SharePoint is complex and requires specialized knowledge and experience. For organizations without skilled technical staff, it is difficult to customize the platform to their specific needs and integrate it with existing systems.
Search in SharePoint:SharePoint's search function is often cited as a weakness. Is it always? Not always, it depends on the circumstances: Companies need resources or expertise to optimize search settings, metadata, and relevance. Searching across multiple sites in SharePoint can be an additional challenge and require (complex) configurations or customizations. The search has limitations (at least in older versions) when interpreting queries in natural language or understanding synonyms/context. Users have to rely on specific keywords or advanced search techniques to improve search results.
Online or SaaS alternatives
Use Case - Intranet and Enterprise Portal: Sitecore XM Cloud
Sitecore XM Cloud – a component of the Sitecore Experience Platform – has many strengths that are very useful for building an intranet. It offers robust content management capabilities that enable content to be created, managed, and organized. Features such as content authoring, versioning and content personalization improve the user experience for intranet users. Sitecore XM Cloud includes powerful personalization features that deliver tailored content. In addition, content, navigation, and user interfaces can be personalized based on user roles, departments, etc. This can significantly improve engagement, adoption and thus productivity of the intranet. Intranets require strict security measures to protect sensitive company information. Sitecore XM Cloud provides appropriate access controls that enable granular permissions to be defined and access to specific content or functionality to be restricted. The platform also supports workflows and enables teams to work together very efficiently. Administrators can set up approval processes, task assignments and notifications, thus guiding the workflows for creating, reviewing, and publishing content in a controlled manner. Excellent integration capabilities also enable the intranet to be connected to other company systems and tools. It is important to note that setting up an intranet with Sitecore XM Cloud also requires customization and development effort. The platform offers a very good basis, but the specific design and implementation of the intranet requires expertise in Sitecore development.
Use Case - Team Collaboration: Confluence
Confluence from Atlassian is a popular collaboration platform and wiki tool that enables teams to create and share content. It provides a user-friendly interface for creating and organizing content. Features such as page creation, document editing, version control, commenting and task management promote effective collaboration and enable the creation of a central knowledge database and documentation of processes. A wide range of integrations with other popular tools and services enables teams to connect their workflows and increase productivity. Common examples are third-party tools such as Slack, Trello and Google Drive. The user-friendly interface (WYSIWYG editor, macros, customizable templates) promotes user acceptance during implementation.
Confluence has features that were created specifically for agile software development: agile boards, roadmaps, sprint planning, etc. and supports remote collaboration with features such as real-time editing, inline comments, and notifications.
Use Case - Extranet and Customer Portal: Contentful
When building an extranet with Contentful, content models are created and content structures are defined first, then the content can be managed within the CMS. The Contentful API is used to retrieve content from the extranet platform and display it via a front-end solution. User roles and permissionsare set up in the backend and determine who can access and manage content in the CMS. This feature is essential for building an extranet where access is to be restricted to certain users or user groups.
The system supports the localization of content and enables content to be managed in multiple languages. Contentful is designed to manage large amounts of content and traffic. It has a robust infrastructure and a global CDN (Content Delivery Network), to ensure high availability, performance, and scalability for your extranet. The integration options are numerous: authentication systems, e-commerce platforms, analytics tools and much more can be connected with little effort. Since Contentful is a headless CMS (here: explanation of headless CMS vs. traditional CMS), the presentation layer of the extranet is coupled separately with front-end technologies such as web frameworks or tools for developing mobile applications. This architecture provides more flexibility and control over the design and usability of the extranet.
Use case – document sharing and management: Doxis
Doxis is a document management system (DMS) that helps companies to efficiently manage, organize and secure their documents. It allows the creation of individual folder structures, metadata, and keywords to ensure a clear and efficient document storage. Important when, for example, invoices are stored in the DMS: Doxis allows the versioning of documents and offers revision-proof storage. Every change to a document is logged so that you can track its history. This is particularly important for companies that have to meet strict compliance requirements. Extensive security features enable you to control access to documents and protect confidential information. A powerful search function allows users to search for file names, metadata, content, or keywords. Doxis also supports the automation of document workflows: document release, approval or notification can be set up to optimize the process and improve collaboration. Doxis can be easily integrated with other systems, such as email programs, CRM systems, ERP systems, etc.
Use Case - Content Management: Kentico
Kentico is a Content management system (CMS) with a user-friendly interface for creating, editing, and managing content. It offers a flexible content structure that allows you to create custom content types and fields that exactly match your organization's specific requirements. Kentico supports multichannel delivery: content can be delivered through multiple channels – for example, websites, mobile applications, social media and email campaigns. It offers responsive design features that allow content to be adapted to different screen sizes and devices. In addition, Kentico offers a range of digital marketing tools: marketing automation, email marketing, lead scoring, A/B testing and personalization. These tools can be used to run targeted campaigns and analyze marketing performance. Kentico is highly customizable and offers robust API and integration options that enable seamless connection to third-party systems and tools. The CMS is designed to manage websites with high traffic and large amounts of content. Caching mechanisms, content delivery networks (CDNs) and performance optimization features ensure fast and reliable website performance.
Free or open-source alternatives
Use Case - Intranet and company portal: Umbraco CMS
Umbraco is a flexible, customizable system that offers all the important content management functions: content for the intranet can be created, organized, and managed quickly and easily. A major strength is the user-friendly interface, which enables the convenient creation and editing of content, version control, workflow management and content scheduling. Umbraco is highly customizable and offers extensive flexibility in terms of design, functionality, and integration. As a popular open-source CMS, there is a large developer community and a wide range of plugins, packages and custom development options that are constantly expanding the functionality of the platform. Documentation, forums and resources for troubleshooting and self-study are provided. Umbraco also offers professional support and consulting services (for a fee) if required.
Intranets often require granular user roles and permissions to control access to certain content and functionality. Umbraco allows you to define and manage user roles, assign permissions, and restrict access to certain areas or documents on the intranet. This ensures that sensitive information is only accessible to authorized personnel. Security is a high priorityfor Umbraco: authentication and authorization mechanisms, secure user sessions and continuous checks for security vulnerabilities ensure the security of information and documents on the intranet. The CMS can be connected to existing tools and databases. It offers APIs and web services for seamless integration with third-party applications, such as authentication systems, DMS or ERP systems. This enables data exchange and single sign-on (SSO), thus improving the overall productivity of the intranet.
Use Case - Team Collaboration: DokuWiki
DokuWiki is a popular open-source wiki platform known for its simplicity and ease of use. It provides a simple and intuitive editing interface that makes it easy for team members to create and update content. It uses a lightweight markup language that does not require complex HTML knowledge, making it accessible to users with different technical backgrounds. Users can easily format text, create headings, lists and tables, and add links. DokuWiki tracks changes made to pages and provides version control as well as version history. This allows team members to access previous versions, compare them, and revert to older versions if necessary. In addition, multiple users can work on the same page without the risk of losing information. granulare access control and customization options allow administrators to determine exactly who can view, edit, or delete content. DokuWiki also supports discussion threads, encouraging knowledge sharing. Team members can leave comments, ask questions, provide feedback, and participate in discussions directly on the wiki pages. They can also link relevant information, cross-reference pages, and create a connected knowledge network. DokuWiki is complemented by a robust ecosystem of extensions and plugins: task management, calendars, file uploads, syntax highlighting and much more can be added. DokuWiki also runs on “modest” hardware and does not require a database - which simplifies installation and maintenance. This makes it an excellent choice for teams with limited IT resources.
Use Case - Extranet and customer portal: Orchard Core CMS
Orchard Core is a modular and extensible open-source CMS that can be used to create and manage various types of content for an extranet. User management is used to create user accounts, define roles and permissions, and set up user authentication. Orchard Core is highly customizable and extensible, providing a framework for building customized solutions: custom modules, themes and templates allow you to meet your organization's specific requirements. Its modular architecture allows you to add or remove features as needed. Orchard Core offers built-in security measures such as cross-site scripting (XSS) protection, data encryption, and is constantly updated to close security vulnerabilities. It has granular access control for defining roles, permissions, and restrictions. It provides APIs for seamless integration with authentication systems, databases or DMS systems: the resulting easy data exchange and single sign-on (SSO) improve the overall productivity of the extranet. Orchard Core allows content to be created and managed in multiple languages, so that users can access the extranet in their preferred language. However, it is important to note that building an extranet with Orchard Core can require technical expertise and several days of development effort before it fully meets the organization's specific requirements.
Use Case - Document Sharing and Management: OpenKM
OpenKM is an open source DMS system that enables the sharing of documents, both internally and externally. It offers various sharing options, including email notifications, public links, and secure sharing for specific users or user groups. Users can control access rights, set permissions, and track document activity during the sharing process. A powerful version control feature allows users to effectively track and manage document versions. A full version history allows users to access previous versions, compare changes and revert to previous versions if necessary. Version control helps to ensure document integrity and supports collaboration by tracking changes made by different users. Access control allows an organization to define and enforce security at the document level. Administrators can assign specific access rights and permissions to individuals or groups, ensuring that only authorized users can view, edit, or share documents, helping to maintain data privacy. OpenKM includes a flexible workflow engine: this automates business processes by defining the sequence of tasks, approvals and notifications associated with document management. Users can create, modify, and monitor workflows to ensure efficient collaboration . A wealth of collaboration features facilitates collaboration: users can leave comments, notes, and discussions on documents, thus promoting communication and feedback. OpenKM allows users to check documents in and out - users can lock documents while they are being edited to avoid version conflicts. Metadata is assigned to the stored documents, and the powerful search function then allows users to perform an advanced search, full-text search, and metadata search, and to apply additional filter options.
Use Case - Content Management: DotNetNuke
DotNetNuke - also known as the DNN platform - is a popular content management system based on the Microsoft technology stack, utilizing the powerful features of ASP.NET and the Microsoft SQL Server database. This integration with Microsoft technologies makes it (similar to Sharepoint) a preferred choice for companies that already use Microsoft products and frameworks, as it ensures seamless integration and compatibility. DotNetNuke offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies the management of websites and the creation of content. The drag-and-drop functionality allows users to add, edit and manage website content without extensive technical knowledge. Customization and extension options are available, allowing developers to create custom modules, skins and themes that can also meet company-specific requirements. DotNetNuke has a vibrant and active community of developers and users. The community provides valuable resources such as documentation, forums, tutorials, and extensions to help users develop and maintain their websites. The CMS is known for its scalability and performance: it can manage large websites with high traffic volume and allows performance optimization. DotNetNuke naturally has the usual security functions for protecting websites and data – including user authentication, role-based access control, granular rights management, and security measures to protect sensitive information.
Switching from SharePoint – these are the first steps:
- First, you should analyze the current use cases of SharePoint in your company and consider the functionalities used for this purpose as well as the limitations of SharePoint. Identify pain points: the challenges and specific requirements of your organization that are not adequately met by SharePoint. These may include limitations in collaboration, document management, search capabilities, user interface, scalability, or integration with other systems. Document these requirements to create a basis for selecting an alternative software solution.
- Conduct interviews with stakeholders: Conversations with users, managers and IT staff help to gather their feedback and insights about SharePoint's limitations and their expectations for a new software solution. Discuss their specific needs, workflows, and preferences to ensure that the new system meets their requirements.
- Document use cases and functionalities: Define the use cases and functionalities that are crucial for your company in writing. Identify the essential functions – such as document management, team collaboration, workflows, version control, access control, search functions and connections to other systems – that your company will need in the new solution under all circumstances.
- Use the independent and unbiased to gain a new perspective on the use cases in your company and to get a comprehensive overview of the SharePoint alternatives available on the market.