Sometimes it can be difficult to keep up with Microsoft 365 with its multiple tools, features and capabilities, as well as its continuous roadmap of improvements. That’s hard enough for administrators, but also for users too; one of the main roles of a digital workplace team is to be able to help users understand how they can use Microsoft 365 and get their heads around its different elements.
One of the biggest areas of confusion is the difference between SharePoint and OneDrive. Both can be used to share documents, and sometimes it can be hard to know what the difference is or when to use which tool based on different scenarios. Searching for documents across both SharePoint and OneDrive can also cause some confusion.
In this article we’re going to do a deep dive into the differences between SharePoint and OneDrive. We’ll explore what each is, we’ll look at the similarities and differences, and then which is the best system across different use cases. We’ll also look at the relationship between the two systems.
What is SharePoint?
SharePoint is a very mature collaboration and communication solution from Microsoft that can be used across a variety of different use cases, including building intranets and employee portals. Microsoft itself describes SharePoint as a platform that allows you to “share and manage content, knowledge, and applications to empower teamwork, quickly find information, and seamlessly collaborate across your organisation.”
SharePoint is highly flexible and feature-rich; it includes multiple different capabilities and components, including pages and document libraries. Every SharePoint page is made up of a series of different “web parts” – effectively the building blocks of SharePoint – that can be put together in ways that support communication as well as collaboration. There are many useful features in SharePoint including SharePoint Lists, support for video via Stream for SharePoint, and more.
SharePoint is also highly integrated with other key elements of Microsoft 365 including supporting document sharing on Microsoft Teams.
What is OneDrive?
OneDrive is a file storage system that is bundled as part of Microsoft 365. It can store Word, PowerPoint and Excel files, but also other file types too. Microsoft itself describes it as a “Microsoft cloud service that connects you to all your files” allowing access and sharing, including across different devices.
There are essentially two different types of OneDrive – one intended for personal use that you might use at home, and another for work or school. In this article we’re mainly going to focus on the version of OneDrive we might use at work.
What are the similarities and differences between SharePoint and OneDrive?
The main similarity between SharePoint and OneDrive – and often the point which causes confusion for users – is that they are both used for accessing and sharing files, principally Microsoft 365 files including Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents. You might access a file that is stored on OneDrive or SharePoint and then proceed to edit it, for example.
The underlying Microsoft technology that supports OneDrive and SharePoint is also the same – and both are using Microsoft’s servers to store the relevant data and files. And just to make things complicated, it is also possible to view SharePoint document libraries that you have the rights to access, within OneDrive.
What are the differences between SharePoint and OneDrive?
However, fundamentally SharePoint and OneDrive have different business uses and are different platforms. SharePoint is a much broader collaboration and communication solution than OneDrive and is principally used across organisations and teams. OneDrive is used only for file storage – you can’t build intranets with it
Secondly, OneDrive is essentially a personal document library for each individual user. Every Microsoft 365 user in your organisation will have their own OneDrive to store files. While overall Microsoft 365 administrators do have power to view somebody’s OneDrive, none of your colleagues can see what’s on your OneDrive, unless you choose to share an individual file or folder with them. OneDrive is essentially a personal file repository.
However, files on SharePoint are not personal to the user. Files in SharePoint libraries are meant to be shared with a wider audience, for example across a team, department or even entire organisation. These files might be accessed through an intranet, a communication site or through Microsoft Teams, ideally providing “one source of truth” for documents that need to be accessed by groups of people.
When should I use OneDrive rather than SharePoint?
Typically, OneDrive will be used for personal documents that are not intended to be shared with a wider audience – for example:
files that you are working on and are in draft, such as an early version of a presentation.
files that only you use, such as a spreadsheet to keep track of your expenses.
files that you have downloaded and want to keep on referring to, such as an analyst report or whitepaper
files that you want to keep for future personal reference, such as older useful documents that are no longer available in SharePoint.
OneDrive is also very useful when you want to share a document with another person, or just a handful of people, for example when:
you want to share a draft report or work-in-progress presentation for comment.
a confidential document that cannot be shared with a wider group.
you need to share a document with people outside your organisation (if this is permitted).
you just need to share a file that is only intended for a small number of people.
When should I use SharePoint rather than OneDrive?
On the other hand, SharePoint should be used when a document or file needs to be shared with a wider group, beyond just a few people. This could be a team, a working group, a community, department or even an entire organisation. It may also be a document or file that needs to be accessed on an ongoing basis, for example through your intranet.
Examples of the type of files that would be shared using SharePoint rather than OneDrive might include:
a policy that needs to be referred to, for example relating to travel.
a user guide to an application.
digital assets such as a presentation template.
working documents as part of a project that several people are working on.
any document that is accessed via the intranet, communication site or Microsoft Teams space.
SharePoint vs OneDrive: Issues for digital workplace teams to watch for
As already noted, there can be some confusion between SharePoint and OneDrive, and digital workplace teams need to be able to support users who have questions about it. Typically, you may also need to explain the difference in any communications relating to “which tool to use when”, which is often part of a Microsoft 365 roll-out or ongoing support site.
In particular, there can be issues where:
users don’t realise they are sharing a personal document in SharePoint to a wider group when it should actually be in OneDrive.
when users see personal OneDrive documents come up in a search and they believe a wider group of people can see this, when that is not the case.
when the link to documents shared in OneDrive expires, for example after a month.
when a person leaves an organisation and OneDrive files that have been shared wit.h a wider group of people are no longer accessible
when users are also accessing SharePoint folders via the OneDrive, and the differences are harder to convey.
SharePoint Vs OneDrive
SharePoint and OneDrive are both critical parts of Microsoft 365 that employees are likely to use each day. We hope this article has helped you understand the difference, or help you explain to users. Still confused about the difference or want help in explaining the difference to your employees? Then get in touch!
Find out more about using SharePoint for your organisation...
Request a call back with one of our SharePoint experts, for a free consultation about your business.
The introduction of ChatGPT has created both huge levels of excitement and concern about the power of generative AI and its potential to change the way we work. Generative AI will bring profound changes to the digital workplace and its future evolution. Digital workplace teams have an important contribution to make in helping organisations and employees get the very best out of the new technology, while navigating the risks.
A significant first step in bringing generative AI into the digital workplace will be the launch of Microsoft Copilot, a way for users to use ChatGPT within an array of Microsoft products to drive productivity. We’re set to hear a lot about Microsoft Copliot in the next few months. Even though it hasn’t really launched yet, there is a lot of anticipation. In this post we’re going to explore what Copilot is, the benefits it will bring, how it will navigate risk concerns and when it is going to be released.
What is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is basically an integration of ChatGPT with different Microsoft technologies, bringing the power of generative AI right into the tools and apps most of us use each day. It is an outcome resulting from Microsoft’s $10bn investment in Open.AI, the company behind the development of ChatGPT.
Specifically, Copilot will be embedded in an array of tools from Microsoft Word through to the Microsoft Power Platform. It will take advantage of the GPT-4 Large Language Model (LLM) but also the data inside Microsoft Graph. There will be an experience called “Business Chat” that allows users to achieve different tasks using natural language. The specific example Microsoft cite is being able to ask for an update on product strategy and then it generating a status update based on meetings, emails and chats.
Copilot will be launched across multiple places – Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Dynamics, Microsoft Viva, One Note, Outlook, the Power Platform and more. In May Microsoft also announced some specific examples of what Copilot will bring to a number of different Microsoft tools. This includes:
Copilot in Microsoft Whiteboard, allowing users to generate ideas, organise ideas into themes, summarise whiteboard content and even generate designs.
Copilot in PowerPoint, will automatically integrate the Dall-E image generator (Open.AI’s image generation tool) so users can create custom images for their PowerPoint slides.
Copilot in Outlook will offer sophisticated tips to improve writing emails.
Copilot in OneNote will help create plans and lists, and automatically organise notes for you.
Copilot in Viva Learning will allow users to create their own learning journeys that include suggested resources and even scheduling time in the diary.
Copilot is going to bring a range of benefits to employees and organisations with a Microsoft-powered digital workplace.
1.Productivity
Copilot aims to supercharge employee productivity by automating simpler tasks, helping generate some content, and providing insights to further drive productivity gains. Microsoft are positioning Copilot as a tool that will allow employees to speed through the kind of basic work such as drafting minutes of meetings that can be highly time-consuming and then refocus their time to more creative and valuable activities.
2.Generate content
Microsoft Copilot will help employees to generate content within an application itself – drafting an article within Word or a presentation within PowerPoint, for example. This not only saves time, but also can also support creativity.
3.Unlock insights
Copilot works with a customer’s own data within the Microsoft Graph. The combination of the GPT-4 LLM and Graph has the potential to be very powerful, unlocking insights from data and interactions, while also protecting privacy. These insights will help decision-making and even unearth trends that were previously hidden.
4.Lower barriers to adoption
As Microsoft Copilot will be powered by natural language requests it lowers the barriers to entry in using more of the sophisticated tools of Microsoft 365 such as the Power Platform. Copilot may enable organisations and employees to get more out of the tools they already use and increase adoption, while effectively upskilling employees.
5.Process improvement
Copilot will be used in different ways across different tools, for example in Microsoft Dynamics. We expect that it will lead to multiple specific process improvements across areas such as personal growth and development, customer service, internal communications, and more.
6.Things we haven’t realised yet
ChatGPT and generative AI are set to advance, and therefore so will Copilot. Change is likely to be rapid and exponential. It is possible that Copilot will be helping us in ways that we don’t know about yet.
What will be the risks of using Copilot?
Understandably there has been a lot of focus on the risks of using ChatGPT, particularly around data privacy, the protection of intellectual property and increased threats around Cybersecurity. Microsoft are certainly aware of the associated risks and are making sure Copilot navigates around at least some of these challenges.
Copilot will be embedded within Microsoft tools that already have multiple security, compliance and privacy features built in, so whatever privacy policies are implemented across your existing Microsoft tenant then they should also apply to Copilot.
It’s also important to note that data entered into Copilot stays within your Microsoft tenant; it is not being fed into the general GPT-4 LLM which is what often makes risk departments nervous about the use of ChatGPT. As Microsoft notes, Copilot only “generates answers anchored in your business content .”
Microsoft are also keen to stress that Copilot also respects existing tenant, group and individual data, using any existing permissioning model. Microsoft know how important this will be for Copilot’s success and widespread adoption so we’re confident they will have put the right guardrails in place.
Wider still, Microsoft says it is building Copilot along defined ethical guidelines, aligning with a wider set of defined AI principles.
When will Copilot be released?
Although Copilot was announced in March, at the time of writing this article there still isn’t a confirmed release date for Microsoft Copilot across applications such as the Microsoft Office suite, Teams, Outlook or the Power Platform. However things are moving forward; an early access program was announced in May, building on earlier testing with enterprises like Avanade.
We can expect more announcements and reveals in the coming weeks and months, but it seems very likely that that Copilot will be more widely available later in 2023.
How can Content Formula help?
We’re excited about the potential for Copilot, ChatGPT and generative AI, and the way this will transform the digital workplace. We’re already working with several clients on leveraging the power of Azure Open.AI services that will bring generative AI to your custom business processes.
If you’d like to discuss the upcoming Copilot release, using Azure Open.AI services or how generative AI will impact your wider digital workplace or Microsoft 365 strategy, then get in touch!
Find out more about using Microsoft 365 for your organisation...
Request a call back with one of our MS365 experts, for a free consultation about your business.
Business automation and process improvement are key reasons why organisations launch Microsoft 365 and create intranets. They want to reduce costs, save time, increase productivity, speed up end-to-end processes and remove frustration for users.
Microsoft 365 customers have an incredibly powerful platform from which to start automating business processes, both simple and complex. Using different combinations of features and capabilities, you can make a real difference to your digital workplace, organisational efficiency and employee experience. The opportunity for business automation extends to some of the products that work alongside Microsoft 365, such as LiveTiles intranet, LMS365 or the Xoralia policy management tool, mainly because they are based on 365 technologies like SharePoint and Power Automate.
It’s also worth noting that Microsoft’s continuing investment in the 365 platform and Microsoft Teams means new opportunities for automation are opening up. For example, the Microsoft Viva suite of apps is providing exciting opportunities to increase productivity and improve employee experience, while Power Virtual Agents allows every organisation to leverage the power of bots. In fact, when we first published this post, we included 19 opportunities, but we’ve since expanded this to 25.
Let’s look at some of the processes you can automate, based on what we’ve seen with clients and other organisations. Just to be clear, there is a lot you can potentially do these ideas are just for starters!
1 Updating key business policies
Many intranets have a central library of key business policies. It’s important that these are kept up to date; there may be regular reviews in place to ensure this happens. Automated reminders to content owners based on review dates introduce an automation layer to support an effective central policy library.
Potential tools to use: Xoralia policy management tool, SharePoint, Power Automate.
2 Monitoring mandatory reads
Sometimes, it’s important for employees to read particular content for compliance, regulatory or risk reasons: perhaps a new policy, an important update or a critical communication. Monitoring who has confirmed they have read the content can be a real administrative burden. Automating this process saves vast amounts of time and effort. This can involve sending targeted reminders based on Active Directory (AD) groups to those employees still to confirm the mandatory read, and producing real-time progress reports.
Potential tools to use: Xoralia policy management tool, SharePoint, Power Automate, Power BI, Azure Active Directory
3 Adding document metadata
Having the right metadata for documents helps with findability, but also gives users important information about the content; it may define displays in web environments, and support other outcomes such as targeting. Getting the right metadata on a document is something some organisations struggle with, especially if it all needs to be done manually.
Automation can really help add accurate document metadata. For example, if there is metadata associated with a project and a new document is added to the project workspace, the document may be able to inherit that metadata. There are also opportunities to use AI to suggest the right metadata to add through the SharePoint Syntex service.
Potential tools to use: Power Automate, SharePoint, SharePoint Syntex
4 Archiving content and data
Governance around the archiving and deletion of content and data is critical for keeping your digital workplace tidy, aligning to company retention policies and enhancing findability. Adding some automation to this process really helps so that documents, content and spaces are automatically archived based on different criteria (including review or approval from the content owner).
Potential tools to use: Power Automate, SharePoint
5 Updating employee profiles
The employee directory and profiles are a staple of the intranet environment, but the best ones always represent the one source of truth of HR data so that profiles are always accurate, and employees don’t have to complete information across two systems.
Updates to your HR system containing individual employee data should always be reflected in individual employee profiles. For example, an update to a job title in the HR system should also be displayed on the intranet, ideally in real-time.
Potential tools to use: LiveTiles Directory, Delve, Custom-built solution, Active Directory
6 Requests and approvals
This is perhaps the most common form of process improvement driven by intranets and Microsoft 365, using forms and workflow to deal with requests involving everything from booking travel, to organising annual leave, to requesting stationery, to ordering lunch for a client meeting. Usually, these requests need to go through an approval process. In many organisations, there will still be request and approval processes which are done using email or even paper that are just waiting to be automated. Increasingly, requests and approvals are being dealt with through chatbots that might be accessed through Microsoft Teams, or even through a mobile app for frontline staff.
Potential tools to use: Microsoft Forms, Power Automate, SharePoint, Power Virtual Agents, Microsoft Teams apps
7 IT and facilities performance monitoring
Performance monitoring of different systems is an obvious area to automate, using dashboards to provide reporting and notifications when things don’t look right, based on different rules. We’ve seen many examples of this, including the monitoring of load times on different web channels or servers, or reporting on the temperature of different parts of a building.
Potential tools to use: Power BI, LiveTiles Intelligence, SharePoint, Azure application insights
8 Microsoft 365 adoption reporting
Unsurprisingly, digital workplace teams are always interested in driving adoption of Microsoft 365 and its constituent tools. With so many tools and channels in operation, automated reporting of the use of different applications and channels via a customised dashboard is almost always of interest to teams. Increasingly, some of the behaviours of Microsoft 365 are being rolled into the new Viva Insights tool which focuses on collaboration, productivity and wellbeing, offering some organisation-wide analytics.
Potential tools to use: Power BI, Microsoft 365 out-of-the-box, Viva Insights
9 Logging support calls
There are already systems like ServiceNow which allow users to log issues and automatically raise tickets for IT, HR and other support services. The ability to raise tickets is usually a prerequisite for running any scalable helpdesk or support service, and integrating this automation into your intranet or Microsoft Teams can be helpful. Increasingly, support calls are also being logged through chatbots. More lightweight processes might not always warrant investment in a separate system. In these instances, using your intranet platform or Microsoft365 may make a lot of sense as an affordable system to log support calls, and automation can really add value.
Potential tools to use: Microsoft Forms, PowerApps, Power Automate, Power Virtual Agents, Microsoft Teams Apps
10 Centralising notifications from different systems
Information overload is still a real issue for many users, especially with an overwhelming email in-box. Many users find it hard to keep on top of all the automated notifications, alerts, approvals and actions needed across a number of disparate systems.
Having a focused activity stream, list of notifications or notification dashboard from systems in one place (universal inbox) that can allow users to organise all the things they need to do, and ensure approvals are made more speedily. Here, there are an increasing number of options to deliver this capability within Microsoft Teams, to frontline staff via a mobile app or through a chatbot facility where employees can complete simple transactions.
Potential tools to use: Power Automate, PowerApps, Microsoft Teams Apps, SharePoint, LiveTiles Everywhere, Power Virtual Agents
11 Financial reporting and monitoring
Financial reporting is an obvious use case for a dashboard which can have considerable value for senior management and finance departments, helping to drive accountability and support decision-making. However, dashboards with simplified financial and performance data such as sales can even be presented to users on the intranet homepage as a way of keeping everybody up to date. This form of automation almost always has value.
Potential tools to use: Power BI, SharePoint
12 Marketing automation
Marketing automation is on the wish-list of most marketing functions, but is not always put into operation. Marketing automation can be powerful in saving time and supporting your sales funnel. It can range from the simple (sending out an automatic email based on the completion of a website form) to the sophisticated (sending out a targeted message based on a range of user behaviour). Reporting on the success of your efforts is also automated.
Potential tools to use: PowerApps, Power Automate, Power BI, Microsoft Dynamics, Outlook
13 Tracking assets
IT departments often need to track and manage the assets which are given out to users, including devices, equipment, software licenses and more. It’s incredible how many teams still rely on spreadsheets and email for this exercise, even though there may be some workflow in place to issue devices for new employees. Automating this process allows you to use one source of truth for keeping track of your assets alongside stakeholder and user reporting. You can also potentially integrate this with the process for users requesting new assets, as well as the employee onboarding and offboarding process.
Potential tools to use: PowerApps, Power BI, Power Automate, Microsoft Forms, Power Virtual Agents
13 360 appraisals
360 appraisals tend to be a process-heavy exercise involving data input from different users, reporting, approval workflow, notifications and the need to store all the data in a core system of record. In other words, 360 appraisals are ripe for automation and improvement! Appraisals can be cumbersome and time-consuming, so anything which makes them easier for everybody is welcome.
Potential tools to use: Microsoft Forms, Power Automate, PowerApps, SharePoint
15 Document building
Building model documents based on different criteria is a theme often found in knowledge management. It’s of real interest in certain sectors, especially professional services, but also functions such as in-house legal teams. Being able to build automated documents like contracts and agreements based on different metadata (e.g. client name or document type) can help maintain document standards, as well as save huge amounts of time.
Often, the model document produced is a starting point which must still be completed and checked, but the process automation adds a lot of value.
Potential tools to use: PowerApps, SharePoint Workflows, Microsoft Office, Power Virtual Agents
16 Know Your Client
Know Your Client (KYC) is a standard process carried out by some companies as part of the due diligence and procurement process to onboard new clients, suppliers and vendors, and minimise risks involved. KYC may involve interrogating external databases with company information, and performing credit checks. The extent to which KYC processes can be automated varies, but there is usually scope for speeding up the process, such as using a chatbot to gather initial information or running the process through Teams if that is the system where most work gets done.
Potential tools to use: Virtual Power Agents, PowerApps, Power BI, Microsoft Forms, Power Automate, Microsoft Teams apps
17 Resource planning
Resource planning for projects, teams and initiatives can be challenging, particularly if relevant information is scattered around different systems. For example, you may want to view core information from your HR platform, timecard systems and details of expertise from people profiles to help you assemble the right team and check availability.
Automating reporting with data from various systems to help with resource planning and specific views to aid team selection can be very powerful, helping you to create the best teams while ensuring capacity. This can be extremely valuable for managers and frontline teams where shift work is involved, or for businesses with a lot of seasonal work or intense projects.
Potential tools to use: Power BI, Microsoft Planner, Power Automate, Microsoft Shifts
18 Project management
Project management is a broad activity which is key to the way many companies operate. Microsoft 365 can help with many aspects of project management, including providing the base for some automation. For example, some companies might choose to automatically create a collaboration space whenever a project is set up in their financial management system or equivalent, or choose to integrate real-time budgeting and financial or timecard information within their project space. This helps to embed collaboration and dashboards right into the project management processes, as well as drive efficiencies.
Potential tools to use: Microsoft Planner, Power BI, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Project, SharePoint Online, Outlook
19 Employee onboarding
Having a formal employee onboarding programme drives efficiencies and make new starters feel welcome, supporting better employee retention. With so many checklists and tasks to complete and information to provide, there are myriad processes which can be automated or semi-automated even before a new hire’s first day. Ensuring that employees fill in the necessary forms before they start and in their first few weeks (and ensuring this information goes to the right people and systems) is a great starting point. They might need to read a policy, take a course, review information on the intranet, complete their contact details, supply particular forms and more. Some organisations particularly with frontline employees choose to invest in a dedicated employee onboarding app for this.
Potential tools to use: PowerApps, LMS365, Xoralia policy management tool, Power Automate, SharePoint Online, LiveTiles content targeting, Power BI
20 Employee offboarding
Employee onboarding gets a lot of attention, but offboarding also involves multiple processes, including ensuring equipment is recovered and sent back, completing any necessary paperwork, making adjustments in different systems, carrying out an exit interview or even issuing an invitation to join the alumni programme. This is another process where automation can streamline interactions, workflows and reporting.
Potential tools to use: Power Automate, Microsoft Forms, Power BI
21 Collecting data from the field
Sometimes, field workers or mobile employees may need to file reports with data collected when they are out and about, such as engineers making site inspections. Ideally, data should be gathered and inputted directly into mobile devices. Automation can make sure this information appears automatically in documents, databases, dashboards and even workspaces.
Potential tools to use: PowerApps, Microsoft Forms, Teams Apps, Power Virtual Agents, SharePoint, Power BI
22 Learning and development administration
Learning and development is a critical part of employee and organisational life. However, it can take a lot of administration effort, particularly when enrolling employees onto mandatory training (which can occur annually), monitoring progress and completions and reporting sometimes even to external bodies – for compliance reasons. Automation makes a lot of sense in enrolment and tracking, especially when targeting different courses to different Microsoft AD groups. Although it’s early days, learning automation might also involve Viva Learning in the future as its capabilities evolve and develop.
Potential tools to use: LMS365, SharePoint, Power Automate, Power BI, Microsoft Viva Learning, Xoralia policy management tool, Azure Active Directory
23 Keeping groups and lists up to date
Group and list management is often a time-consuming activity and can incorporate multiple aspects of your digital workplace, including e-mail distribution, content targeting, personalisation, security and permissions, subscriptions, employee directories and more. Groups can be highly dynamic, based on joiners and leavers, internal moves and individual preferences. Ensuring your Azure Active Directory groups are fully up to date and mirroring your needs is key. Here, automation is a must, including synchronisation with your HR system of record, as well as facilitating elements such as default membership of different communities, enabling topic subscriptions on your intranet and more.
Potential tools to use: Azure Active Directory, Power Automate, SharePoint
24 Meetings
We spend so much of our time in meetings, yet very little automation outside of what happens when you use Outlook tends to be applied to meeting booking, even though this is an area where there are multiple opportunities to improve processes. Automation could be applied to booking equipment, creating a space, sourcing tools such as whiteboards (if for a virtual meeting), diary management, sending out reminders, constructing minutes, determining agendas, regulating the number of people in the office (due to COVID restrictions), gathering pre-meeting data and even organising travel arrangements.
Potential tools to use: Power Automate, Outlook, Microsoft Forms
25 Knowledge Management
Viva Topics is an intriguing new part of the Viva suite of employee experience apps that uses AI to automate the presentation of content and identification of experts on different topics, and presents this information to users. In a way, this represents the partial automation of knowledge management, and is an exciting prospect. However, it comes with a caveat: Viva Topics is not plug-and-play, and requires active and ongoing knowledge curation, plus a necessary level of content, to get value out of the tool.
Potential tools to use: Microsoft Viva Topics, SharePoint
Microsoft 365 is a productivity and automation platform
You can do so much with Microsoft 365, providing a digital workplace where you can drive automation, reporting and more. In fact, there’s so much to automate, it can be hard to know where to start! If you’d like to discuss using Microsoft 365 to automate key business processes across your digital workplace, then get in touch!
Find out more about our Microsoft process automation services...
Request a call back with one of our Microsoft 365 experts, for a free consultation about your business.
SharePoint lists are one of the most useful features in SharePoint and the wider Microsoft 365 digital workplace. They are a highly flexible and convenient way to store and display data and content, with a variety of different options relating to formatting, access and workflows; they’re also super-easy to use.
At Content Formula we are long term fans of lists and over the years we’ve used them many times across our projects. If you have a SharePoint intranet or environment, it’s extremely likely that you will use a SharePoint list somewhere along the way.
If you’re relatively new to SharePoint lists or don’t use them as much as you could do, this beginners guide to SharePoint lists is for you. In this long read we cover:
SharePoint lists have been a core feature of SharePoint for many years. Lists are essentially a way of storing and displaying data and content within SharePoint in a set of rows and columns, similar to a table or a spreadsheet. A list is a highly flexible way to both manage but also display structured information and content within SharePoint, with a variety of options relating to formatting, access rights and different types of content. You can also apply rules and workflow.
At the moment there are two separately branded lists from Microsoft – Microsoft lists and SharePoint lists; this can cause some confusion in the marketplace. Actually, these have the same features and user interface and can be considered the same – the only difference is that SharePoint lists sit within a SharePoint site while Microsoft Lists sit within a personal site, similar to OneDrive.
Microsoft introduced the “Microsoft lists” branding when it upgraded the list features in 2020 and wanted to emphasise that lists can also be deployed directly into Teams and be used standalone. However, since then the features within SharePoint lists and Microsoft lists are synchronised. Microsoft lists have their own dedicated web and mobile app. For a deeper dive on this topic, please read our article about the difference between Microsoft lists and SharePoint lists.
Lists are an excellent way to store and manage data in SharePoint, Teams and Microsoft 365 and have several benefits:
Highly flexible and scalable
Lists are highly flexible and scalable. They can be very small or very large with thousands of items. They can accommodate different types of content including text, images, videos, audio, documents, formulae and metadata. They can also have a wide variety of different formatting. You can also apply workflow to lists and control the access. This flexibility means that a SharePoint list can meet a wide variety of use cases and scenarios – it’s one of the key reasons SharePoint lists are so useful.
Granular levels of control
One of the most powerful elements of lists is the high level of granular control that you have over lists down to the row, column and even cell level, for example relating to both formatting but also access control. For example, you might have a number of people who are updating a list of first aiders throughout your organisation that is displayed on your intranet, but you want to ensure they can only update one column within the list. The granularity of control means you can protect the rest of the list and ensure other information doesn’t get overwritten, for example.
Easy to create and manage
Another major advantage of lists is that they’re super easy to create and manage; working with lists is not dissimilar to working with spreadsheets. Because of Microsoft’s generally “no code low code” approach to modern SharePoint, you do not need to involve the IT function. Lists are open to use by non-IT professionals, such as the intranet team or even local site owners.
One source of truth for data and content
When organisations use SharePoint for their intranet or as a trusted repository of information, they are often trying to ensure there is one source of truth for data. SharePoint lists support one source of truth by having various features to support the governance of data, including granular access control and integration with Power Automate to ensure information kept in a SharePoint list is updated in other systems, and vice-versa. Because the list can also be surfaced across different Microsoft 365 tools it also means that there only needs to be one instance of the list, again supporting one source of truth.
Ready-made templates and formatting
Lists come with a set of ready-made templates with nice formatting to cover different types of lists such as asset managers, content schedulers, budget trackers, issue trackers and many more. Many of these are provided by Microsoft, but there are also many others available on GitHub from the Microsoft community.
Deep integration with other Microsoft 365 tools
One of the reasons that lists are so powerful is their deep integration with other Microsoft 365 tools. You can use lists within Teams, for example. Integration with Microsoft Forms is also particularly useful as you can easily create a Form for people to add information too and then instantly populate a SharePoint list; this can be very handy when you want to guide users to enter certain types of information, with a Form doing the heavy lifting on the data entry.
Integration with Power Automate, Power Apps and the other tools within the Power Platform is also key meaning that workflows can be triggered when information is changed or added, and then be updated in another system, and vice-versa. For example, if somebody changed their name in the HR system of record, this could then be updated in a SharePoint list of first aiders that was kept on the intranet.
Often better than an Excel spreadsheet
Many teams use Excel to store and manage structured information, but actually a SharePoint list is usually a superior tool for managing information. Reasons that lists are frequently better than Excel spreadsheets include the ability to maintain control over certain areas of the list, better data integrity and deeper integration with Microsoft 365.
Microsoft keeps on investing
Like most of the tools across the Microsoft 365 suite, Microsoft keeps on investing in lists and making improvements. For example, there was a major “upgrade” in 2020. Lists is also a heavily utilised feature in SharePoint and will almost certainly be around for a long time yet, so you are effectively future-proofed using lists.
Three are a number of key features of SharePoint lists.
Cells, columns and rows
A SharePoint list is fundamentally a table that includes different cells set out in a rows and columns format. However, within a list the rows are known as list items. Within the columns you can define required different data types such as text, number, date / time and so on. A column can also define a look-up list of values; for example, all the locations within an organisation or the list of products your company offers to clients.
List views and formatting
It's possible to set different views to filter your list and use different formatting. This is now highly flexible so that you can create a range of formats to suit different use cases, reorder columns and even do things like pin items to the top of the list. There is even conditional formatting so that a list could change in appearance based on the item added, for example a status could be displayed as Red, Amber or Green depending on information being added.
Templates
As already noted, Microsoft has created a set of different templates which include asset manager, content scheduler, employee on-boarding, event itinerary, issues tracker, recruitment tracker, travel requests and work progress tracker. There are also community-driven templates available via GitHub.
Rules and workflows
You can also add various rules and workflows to your list, some of them through the integration with Power Automate. You can also control access to read and edit different areas of the list. The integration with a Microsoft Forms front end can also help to enforce different rules for content entry.
There are many different use cases for a SharePoint list, many of which are reflected in the templates available. SharePoint lists are excellent for scenarios where:
Information is often changed on a regular basis
Where a wider number of people may be inputting data
Where a wide number of people need to regularly refer to the data
Where the data needs to be displayed in more than one place
Where the data needs to be updated across different systems.
Here are a few popular use cases, but there are many others:
Using it as an events calendar to store on your intranet covering key dates and milestones, including holidays in different countries
An inventory list covering office equipment or technical equipment
Maintaining lists of people relating to roles such as fire wardens, mental first aiders, HR contacts for each location and so on
Maintaining a list of locations with related information about each office, such as address, opening hours, main contact etc.
Tracking a list of issues and their related status for a project
Maintaining a backlog of changes for a product or application – even your intranet!
Logging requests and feedback on a product or application and tracking their status
Keeping a log of different requests such as for a new phone and then allowing people to view the status for their request
A list of subscribers to different journals and information feeds
Maintaining a list of the required steps for a new starter during the employee on-boarding process
Providing the latest version of a user manual or documentation across a portfolio of products
Keeping a directory of apps in use throughout the enterprise
1. Navigate to the SharePoint site where the list is located.
2. Click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the page and select "Site contents" from the menu.
3. Locate the list you want to delete and hover over its name.
4. Click on the ellipsis (...) that appears and select "Delete" from the options.
5. Confirm the deletion by clicking "Delete" in the pop-up window.
Note: Be careful when deleting list, it will be permanently deleted and cannot be restored.
2. On the next screen, give your new app/list a name, then choose an Excel file. Click Import.
3. You will now notice an Excel file open up with a pop-up window where you need to select a range of cells to import. Once you choose the range of cells in the pop-up, click Import.
The table will now be imported to SharePoint. It will go ahead and create a custom list with proper column headers and values.
Need help with SharePoint list or Microsoft lists? Get in touch!
We hope this beginner’s guide has given you an overview of SharePoint lists, how they can be used and answered some key questions. We’ve been using SharePoint lists for years, so if you need any help then get in touch!
Find out more about using SharePoint lists for your organisation...
Request a call back with one of our SharePoint experts, for a free consultation about your business.
Lists are one of the most longstanding and useful elements of SharePoint and the now the wider Microsoft 365 environment. Lists have multiple uses, are extremely flexible and are an easy way to store and manage controlled data and content that is frequently updated and needs to be displayed to many people, for example through an intranet or on Microsoft Teams. Here at Content Formula we’re long-time fans of lists and we regularly use them in projects for our clients.
In recent years, Microsoft has given lists some love and invested in new capabilities, effectively giving hem a bit of an upgrade. This attention has been welcome, but it has resulted in what appears to be two version of lists – SharePoint lists and Microsoft lists. From time to time we get asked what the difference between the two is. Are they the same thing? And if not, what are the differences between them? In this post we’re going to explore the differences between SharePoint lists and Microsoft lists.
What is a SharePoint list?
Our comprehensive beginner’s guide to SharePoint lists takes a deep dive into SharePoint lists where we cover what they are, the main benefits, popular use cases, different elements and characteristics of a SharePoint list and how to carry out some of the basics, such as creating and deleting Lists. In the guide we define a SharePoint List as:
“a way of storing and displaying data and content within SharePoint in a set of rows and columns, similar to a table or a spreadsheet. A list is a highly flexible way to both manage but also display structured information and content within SharePoint, with a variety of options relating to formatting, access rights and different types of content.”
What is a Microsoft List?
Microsoft themselves define a Microsoft List as a “smart tracking app in Microsoft 365” that allows you to “work with anyone, anywhere” and where lists can be configured to “better organise events, issues, assets and more.” In this way Microsoft lists are strongly identified as part of Microsoft 365 rather than as part of SharePoint.
However, a Microsoft list is essentially the same piece of functionality as a SharePoint List. It has more or less exactly the same capabilities and user interface but is delivered and packaged as a standalone app while a SharePoint list is directly part of SharePoint.
SharePoint Lists vs Microsoft Lists
While this separate branding might be a bit confusing, there is some logic behind it. In 2020 Microsoft added some key functionality to lists, including the ability to integrate some social features, extending formatting options and creating a number of very useful templates. They also wanted to emphasize that lists can be deployed within Microsoft Teams and were not just confined to being deployed within SharePoint sites. This new version of lists was branded as Microsoft lists to differentiate it. However, since then, the functionality of SharePoint lists and Microsoft lists has been synchronised, so they now share the same features.
If they are the same thing, why are they different?
Not everybody uses SharePoint but lists are highly versatile and can be used in their own right, particularly within Microsoft Teams and in integrations with PowerApps and the Power Platform.
The differentiation in branding does help to emphasise their independent use outside SharePoint but also some of the new formatting and power that has been brought to lists.
When Microsoft lists were initially launched, they had more features than SharePoint lists, but they now share the same feature set. However, there are some differences in where lists are stored. Microsoft lists are stored in the same place as OneDrive files – on a personal site – while a SharePoint List will be on the individual SharePoint site that its kept on.
What does the list app do?
Another major difference is that Microsoft Lists has its own dedicated web app and mobile app, that is available via Google Play and the iOS app store. The app can present an aggregated view of lists and help you to manage them. Can you move SharePoint lists to Microsoft Lists and vice versa?
There is a facility to copy lists from one place to another that would allow a list in a SharePoint site to be created as a Microsoft lists, and vice versa. There is also a workaround in copying SharePoint list into Excel and then copying that back a Microsoft list – a process that also works the other way around. However, there have been some reports that formatting can get lost when carrying out both these processes.
Still confused about lists? Get in touch!
Microsoft branding can be a bit confusing at times with so many different apps and services, and even different names for what is essentially the same functionality. The good news is that the feature set in Microsoft lists and SharePoint Lists are essentially the same, meaning that you can deploy a list with confidence in a SharePoint site or within Teams, or use lists effectively as a standalone app. You can also integrate with PowerApps and Power Automate and also leverage a library of helpful templates for key use cases, helping lists to become a highly useful feature within the wider Microsoft 365 digital workplace.
As we’ve often said, at Content Formula we love lists! If you’re still confused about the difference between SharePoint lists and Microsoft lists, or want to know how you can better use lists in your intranet or digital workplace, then get in touch!
Find out more about using SharePoint lists for your organisation...
Request a call back with one of our SharePoint experts, for a free consultation about your business.
SharePoint lists and Microsoft lists are a wonderful way to manage and display information, for example in your intranet or within Microsoft Teams. Organisations that are keen to ensure there is one source of truth for their data and information can use lists together with Power Automate to help maintain the integrity of their data, so that when there is a change to one piece of data this is also reflected elsewhere.
Some organisations that use SQL Server to store and query their data, and also use SharePoint for communication and their intranet, are often keen to ensure that the data that is stored in SQL can also be surfaced in SharePoint lists.
A question that we occasionally get asked is what the best way to synchronise a SharePoint lists with SQL Server database, so information is updated in both systems. Other related questions include:
How do I import or export data from SQL Server to a SharePoint list?
Can I connect a SQL server to a SharePoint list?
While synchronisation and data import / exports are technically possible, these approaches have several disadvantages, and is a practice we do not recommend to our clients. In this post we’re going to explore the topic in more detail and suggest why there are better approaches.
What are SharePoint lists?
A SharePoint list (or Microsoft list) is a format for storing and displaying data and content within SharePoint in a set of rows and columns, similar to a table or a spreadsheet. Lists are a highly flexible way to both manage but also display structured information and content within SharePoint, as well as Teams and other part of Microsoft 365. For more detail on see our SharePoint Lists beginner’s guide.
What is SQL Server database?
SQL Server is a relational database management system that is frequently used by organisations to store, manage and query data used in core systems, reporting and business intelligence. It has been around for many years and is still a popular way of storing data in organisations, with SQL skills commonplace among IT professionals.
Why do organisations want to keep the data in lists and SQL synchronised?
It’s not surprising that organisations want to keep their data synchronised between SSL and SharePoint lists. Having one source of truth ensures that data is consistent wherever it appears, across core systems, dashboards, reports and communication channels like the intranet. Bringing data together from different sources is essential for decision making, management and leadership, as well as compliance, risk management and more.
It is essential that the integrity of data is maintained, and querying data dynamically has value. Commonly, digital workplace teams want to surface data and display information that managers and employees need to refer to, in popular channels like Teams, a SharePoint intranet or in SharePoint communication sites. Lists is a very useful format for visualising and displaying data.
Lists are also used to manage and update information too, and teams want to ensure that any information changed in a list is also updated in SQL too. With two-way synchronisation, teams can ensure there is one source of truth.
What are the challenges of synchronising lists and SQL Server?
If you are planning to go ahead and synchronise SharePoint lists and SQL Server, there are various pitfalls to be wary of.
1. You’re going to need to get IT involved
Synchronising lists and SQL is essentially a custom development and will come at a cost, as well as create technical debt which causes various problems down the line. There are connectors on the market, but these will need to be tested and again come with some risk. However you approach it, you will need to get a development resource involved in the synchronisation. If you haven’t got the expertise in-house, you’ll likely have to go external.
2. It needs ongoing maintenance and monitoring
Connectors and / or custom code will require ongoing maintenance and monitoring to make sure the synchronisation is taking place, and then to make any necessary fixes if a problem arises. Again, this results in ongoing costs and reliance on development resources.
3. You risk the integrity of your data
Perhaps the most significant issue with synchronising SharePoint lists and SQLs is that you are actually setting up two places for data to be stored. If the synchronisation fails, it means that you are risking the integrity of your data with two different versions.
If there is an issue and doesn’t get noticed straight away, it might take a lot of unpicking and effort to restore all the data to its correct state, There may also be potential consequence if employees are relying on out of date or incorrect data for decision-making and key processes.
4. SQL and lists are not the same thing
SQL is a relational database, but a SharePoint list is not a relational database. This can limit some of the information you can synchronise; if you are trying to synchronise you really do need to know what you’re doing or further risk your data integrity.
What are the alternatives?
In our view synchronising SQL and lists comes with associated risks, costs and ongoing effort. There are better alternatives.
Using Power BI
Sometimes teams want to visualise their data and content using a SharePoint list, because its an easy and flexible format. However, Power BI offers an alternative (and often superior) option for data visualisation and comes with a ready-made connector for SQL. Here, you can then set up your dashboard and report without undermining the “one source of truth” caused by syncing with lists, and also avoid the costs associated with a custom approach.
Using the Dataverse
The Dataverse is Microsoft’s solution for data storage that’s utilised across Microsoft 365 and the Power Platform. It’s an Azure-based relational database for storing data which can then be surfaced, updated and queried across different Microsoft applications, as well as non-Microsoft applications if required. It is bundled in with Power Apps subscriptions.
Using the Dataverse means your SharePoint list can easily utilise the data contained within it in a more effective and cheaper way thanks to seamless integration which means:
You don’t have actually have to involve developers; this can be carried out by Power Users all within a low code no code interface
No customisation and associated costs are required with everything covered in your PowerApps subscription
You don’t need ongoing maintenance and effort
You avoid the risk of creating conflicting data.
Overall, using the Dataverse rather than trying to sync a SharePoint list and SQL means lower risk, lower costs, less effort and avoids various other pitfalls.
Need advice on lists, SQL and the Dataverse? Get in touch!
Synchronising SharePoint lists or Microsoft lists and SQL Server has various pitfalls, and in our view there are better alternatives.
If you’d like to discuss lists, SQL, the Dataverse or how you manage and store your data across the digital workplace, then get in touch!
Find out more about using SharePoint lists for your organisation...
Request a call back with one of our SharePoint experts, for a free consultation about your business.
Please note: for the most up-to-date information about Power Apps and its latest features and functionality, please see:Micrcosoft Power Apps
Power Apps is yet another offering from Microsoft associated with the Office 365 suite of tools that delivers exciting opportunities to build custom apps, drive process automation and create efficiencies for businesses of all sizes. We often find ourselves in conversations with clients and organisations either curious about Power Apps or with business issues where Power Apps could make a real difference.
To give clients an overview of Power Apps and its possibilities, we’ve written this article to explain what Power Apps is and how you can use it in your business. This is part of our occasional blog series on the fundamentals of the individual parts of the Office 365 universe. You may also be interested in our posts on Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Graph, and Flow.
What is Power Apps?
Power Apps is a tool that allows you to create custom apps, leveraging many of the features of the Office 365 and Microsoft platform. Apps can be accessed via mobile devices or via the browser.
What sets Power Apps apart from other offerings is that while it can be used by developers, it can also be used by non-technical employees such as business analysts. This means that it is quite possible for a Power Apps power user to create a custom app. Just like its Microsoft cousin Flow, Power Apps is successfully bringing the power of process automation to a non-technical audience.
Having said that, realistically users will need to have some technical understanding, training and appreciation of the tools and data they are working with. There’s a long way to go before everyone is creating their own apps and realistically you may need to bring in developers to work on more complex functionality.
Microsoft defines Power Apps as a suite of apps, services, connectors and data platform that provides a rapid application development environment apps for your business needs. While you can add integrations with other applications, a key strength is its ability to build apps based on Office 365 and also Microsoft Dynamics 365. If you have a particular process that uses different parts of the Microsoft universe, for example SharePoint Online, Excel and Dynamics 365, then an app based on Power Apps has the potential to bring them all together for your users in one handy, convenient experience.
The beauty of building your own app is that you can also make sure it is completely wrapped around your organisations unique user needs and the way your employees work.
Features
Similar to Flow and other Office 365 automation tools, Power Apps comes with features and tools to help create apps that don’t require any coding. These include:
a library of sample apps that you can work from as a starting point and then customise
a library of over 200 connectors to integrate data and systems including those across the Office 365 universe
an easy drag and drop interface for the creation of apps
close integration with other Office 365 and Dynamics tools
good support structures, including an active Power Apps community.
Canvas and model-driven apps
There are two ways to develop Power Apps via the canvas approach or the model-driven approach. The canvas approach is a bit like working from a blank canvas where you connect data sources, add workflows and create interfaces for your app using the drag and drop interface, potentially relying on the library of standard connectors.
Leveraging the connected world of Office 365 allows you to even create canvas apps within other tools such as SharePoint as the starting point. Using the canvas approach also gives you complete control over an app you’re creating from scratch.
More recently, the model-driven approach for creating apps has been introduced. Originally a feature of Microsoft Dynamics, this approach leverages Microsoft’s Common Data Service which already has information on the various forms, data structures and business rules you have already defined, and then allows you to start building your app on top of this. In this way the structure and data lead the creation of the app, a very useful approach when you are relying on potentially complex underlying data for your app, for example stored in Microsoft Dynamics.
How can my organisation use Power Apps?
Power Apps can be used for multiple processes involving workflow, automation, data visualisation and reporting, collaboration and more. It could involve teams, field workers, your management team and even your customers. Use cases can range from the relatively simple to the highly complex. You can both be improving the basics or also be highly innovative. Power Apps can be experienced as a mobile app, a website or even within an Office 365 tool like Microsoft Teams.
An AI Builder capability allows Power Apps to tap into Microsoft’s AI and machine learning frameworks and develop smarter, more advanced apps. For example, Microsoft cite the ability for AI to analyse and categorise your customer feedback responses and then take particular actions, helping to bring marketing automation to the next level. They also quote a real example of how Power Apps injected with AI is helping workers in a manufacturing and distribution unit identify and track product items just by taking a photo. Additionally, there are opportunities to integrate blockchain (via Azure Blockchain Services) to develop even more specialist apps.
Microsoft has also announced Power Apps Portals, the ability to create websites aimed at external employees, in the same way as Power Apps. This feels significant to us, connecting customer actions on a website directly to internal and back-end processes, marketing automation and more. For example. if you set up a customer feedback portal using Power Apps Portals, you could create some pretty intriguing and powerful workflows and actions.
Should you leverage the power of Power Apps?
You should definitely leverage the power of Power Apps. We love working with Power Apps and our clients tell us they love the results. Were confident that you’ll love Power Apps too, creating compelling apps that will help simplify ways of working, drive customer service and more, potentially becoming more sophisticated as you expand capabilities with AI and website integrations later down the line.
If you’d like to discuss with us how you can use Power Apps to help your business then get in touch!
What intranet design works best for you?
Hopefully, we’ve given you some ideas for intranet designs and some of the factors to consider when designing your homepage. What one works best for you? If you’d like to talk to us about intranet homepages and intranet design, then why not get in touch?
Find out more about our Power Apps services for your organisation...
Request a call back with one of our Power Apps experts, for a free consultation about your business.
Microsoft Viva – the employee experience platform launched by Microsoft in 2021 – has been receiving huge levels of interest from intranet, digital workplace and internal comms teams since its release. As adoption continues to rise, we decided to hold a webinar about placing Microsoft Viva at the centre of your digital workplace to deliver a more seamless digital employee experience.
In the session, which you can watch in full below, Content Formula’s Alex Yeomans, John Scott and Joe Perry explored issues including:
What Microsoft Viva does
The ins and outs of the Viva apps
How to use Viva Connections to integrate with other systems
What else you should consider when implementing Viva.
In this post, we’re going to explore some of the key takeaways from what proved to be a highly valuable deep dive into Microsoft Viva.
What is Microsoft Viva?
Microsoft Viva is a collection of apps that are generally viewed through Microsoft Teams, although some features of Viva Connections can be embedded as web parts into SharePoint. The apps focus on four different areas of employee experience:
Viva Connections: A gateway to internal communications and company resources
Viva Insights: Personalised analytics and related insights for individuals, managers and leaders that support well-being, collaboration, productivity and more
Viva Learning: A learning hub that aggregates learning resources from a variety of different systems and sources
Viva Topics: A knowledge discovery platform that uses AI to source resources and experts on different topics.
Here, we share some of the insights from the webinar.
1 Most people are in the early stages of their Viva journey
At the beginning of the webinar, the panel emphasised that Microsoft Viva is very new. Unsurprisingly, a quick poll of the participants revealed that most people are at a very early stage of their Viva journey, either experimenting or still investigating how it can be used. Even though Viva has been around for over a year, it is still evolving, and has only evolved to deliver value relatively recently as more integrations have emerged. The team expects this to accelerate as more and more organisations adopt Microsoft Viva this year and in future, and as Microsoft continues to invest in the platform.
2 Viva Learning helps to deliver learning in the flow of work… but it’s not an LMS
All too often, learning content is hidden away in different systems and repositories, such as a Learning Management System (LMS), a SharePoint library or a third-party solution. This means valuable content is often missed, and learning systems are poorly adopted. Viva Learning helps remedy this by delivering a discovery platform for learning content, surfacing resources from multiple places including your LMS, SharePoint and more right into Microsoft Teams, where people often spend their working day.
The solution leverages AI to recommend relevant course content to users based on the Office Graph, and managers can assign learning and colleagues recommend courses while a personalised dashboard facilitates easier access. Learning content also appears in Microsoft Search.
It is worth noting that Viva Learning is not an LMS; there isn’t any core functionality that you might find in a system like LMS365 such as e-learning, certification, employee attestation, learning journeys and sophisticated reporting. Organisations will need to have an LMS like LMS365 and subscriptions with learning providers to get the best out of the app, with Viva Learning principally acting as an aggregator.
3 Viva Topics is supporting knowledge management
Viva Topics is another app which helps to support knowledge management, using AI to bring together wiki-like pages on different topics and surfacing relevant resources, including SharePoint files and lists of recognised experts. For example, Content Formula is working with a house-building firm on implementing Viva Topics, and they have a topic page dedicated to loft installations, with a list of valuable AI-driven resources that can also be curated by a subject matter expert approving the AI suggestions. New relevant topic pages are suggested by AI, but can also be created manually to cover things like clients, projects, services and places.
Viva Topics pages are represented by cards that can be referenced in a Teams discussion and also appear in search.
4 Viva Insights delivers personal analytics and insights while acting like a virtual assistant
Viva Insights provides a personal dashboard of analytics about work habits, shining a light on wellbeing, productivity and collaboration. These are derived from Microsoft Graph and your interactions with Office 365, revealing things such as your overall working hours, time spent in meetings, focus time and more.
Viva Insights also uses AI to monitor your interactions across Teams, Yammer and Outlook and make suggestions about the need to follow up on meetings and emails, for example. This is already delivered in the Viva-branded emails that most of us receive, and is like a “virtual assistant” nudging you to follow up on actions. If you pay for an upgrade, managers can see analytics and insights based on their team’s actions, such as their overall time spent in meetings.
5 Viva Connections brings your intranet into Teams
Microsoft 365 is a complex and broad platform that contains multiple tools and channels. Viva Connections is a connector that consolidates content and information from some of these sources and displays them in Teams, although it can also be surfaced in SharePoint.
One way Viva Connections is commonly used is as a way to effectively view your SharePoint intranet through Teams, meaning users don’t have to leave the Teams environment to see intranet communications and content. In the webinar, we saw an example of how Entain’s intranet is viewed through Viva Connections; in organisations where Teams has high usage, this is a great way to facilitate easier intranet access.
6 The Viva Connections dashboard helps users complete tasks across the digital workplace
One of the most valuable features in the entire Viva platform is the Viva Connections Dashboard. This helps you create a dashboard of personalised cards from other Microsoft tools, non-Microsoft apps and third-party websites to provide information, updates and nudges which help users complete tasks and keep on top of their work. It can be viewed through Microsoft Teams or within a SharePoint page – usually the intranet homepage or equivalent. This can help make Connections and your intranet not just a communications hub, but a comprehensive digital workplace tool too.
In the webinar, there was a demo of the dashboard that showed the kind of information it can display, including:
How much annual leave remains
The current valuation of a pension
Live data from share prices
The travel status of buses or trains
A map of how to get somewhere
A view of upcoming meetings
A display of praise received through Yammer.
The dashboard can also provide access to tasks including check-ins for office visits and manager approvals for travel expenses.
Joe explained that each card is personalised, and can be targeted to different groups. One of the great things about the dashboard is that it leverages a low-code, no-code approach, making it easy for administrators to create and preview new cards. They can also utilise out-of-the-box integrations with enterprise systems like Workday and ServiceNow to deliver cards for high-value use cases like requesting time off or raising helpdesk tickets.
7 There are several elements to consider when deploying Microsoft Viva Connections
Finally, the team ran through some of the key factors that digital workplace teams need to consider before deploying Viva Connections:
A SharePoint home site and SharePoint global navigation are required to launch Viva Connections
Third-party integrations add value, and Microsoft has more coming soon
Multi-lingual dashboards have been released – attractive for larger, global organisations
If you’re launching Viva Connections, you can now add a custom name and logo in the navigation to align with your intranet branding
Viva Connections is free, but the full functionality of the other apps comes at an additional cost.
Want to know more about Microsoft Viva? Get in touch!
We’re working with several clients on Viva-related projects. If you’re considering deploying Microsoft Viva and have any questions, then get in touch!
One of the pleasures of working with SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and the Microsoft 365 platform in general is the continual investment Microsoft drives to improve the platform, introducing new tools and features. For example, in 2021, we welcomed the Microsoft Viva suite. Sometimes, these changes are modest but have powerful potential, such as extending the formatting options for SharePoint lists. However, it can be difficult and even overwhelming for admins and IT teams to try and keep up with all the changes.
In 2022, we’re expecting another very active year for Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and 365. It’s also going to be a big year for Microsoft Viva. In this post, we’re going to cover some of the changes we’re most looking forward to here at Content Formula, but really, we’re only scratching the surface of what’s coming.
The full detailed Microsoft 365 roadmap contains over 500 items in development at the time of writing, plus over 250 more being rolled out. The Book of News summary of main announcements from November 2021’s Ignite conference is a good place to start, showing a very active roadmap ahead. Of course, there will also be some surprises that haven’t been announced, or things that have been promised but haven’t yet appeared.
Here’s our pick of the 2022 Microsoft roadmap so far.
Additions and enhancements to Microsoft Viva
The Microsoft Viva suite of apps was a high-profile launch in 2021, and is getting huge interest from digital workplace, intranet, HR and internal communications teams. We think Microsoft will continue to push Viva hard in 2022, making it an increasingly accepted part of the digital workplace landscape.
Microsoft has announced a slew of changes that will continue to enhance Viva’s value. One of these will be a whole new Viva module related to OKRs (Objective and Key Results) emerging from Microsoft’s acquisition of ally.io, an OKR software vendor. The reporting within Viva Insights will continue to expand, with new areas covering management behaviours and meeting habits, the latter being an area where businesses still exhibit bad practices.
The power of Viva Topics is going to be extended, covering Outlook and Yammer communities while also trialling an intriguing Q&A concierge service which routes queries to relevant subject-matter experts; this will help expertise location and knowledge-sharing. The power of SharePoint Syntex can also be leveraged to build topics. The library of out-of-the-box connectors for different enterprise systems across all the Viva apps will continue to expand, with some significant additions Workday and DocuSign, in particular, launching in early 2022.
Microsoft Teams goes from strength to strength
The success of Microsoft Teams has been remarkable, and is an integral part of the digital workplace for many organisations. Microsoft continue to add to it, and the 2022 roadmap should see another round of enhancements, many of which cement Teams as the all-in-one communication system for employees.
One of the most far-reaching of these enhancements is further development of Microsoft Teams Connect – the feature that enables external collaboration. It will be easier to schedule meetings in a Teams channel that is shared across multiple organisations and individuals, providing a welcome addition to enable projects involving third parties and contractors. Chat will also be extended to allow individuals to use Teams with anyone outside a work network for personal calls while still sticking to organisational security policies, thus extending Teams popularity.
There are also some enhancements to Teams analytics in the pipeline. A new device-specific analytics board will be of particular interest to organisations who have rolled out the Teams mobile app, while a board that provides data and analytics per physical workspace will be useful in co-ordinating hybrid working or improving adoption in specific locations.
Other improvements and additions include:
The ability to join BlueJeans and GoToMeeting calls from a Teams Room, joining existing support for Zoom and Cicso
More support to use Teams as part of a hotdesking solution
More apps for Teams being added by partners
Some improvements to chat, including the ability for a user to send memo reminders to themselves on a chat thread
An improved design for the Teams app store
A new virtual green room for Teams events
A slew of improvements for event organisers, including better Q&A, having multiple moderators and more.
Microsoft Mesh for Teams
Support for augmented and virtual reality has been steadily improving in the background, although outside some online events, specific learning sessions and niche scenarios, these 3D experiences are yet to really seize the imagination of organisations or digital workplace teams.
Despite this, large tech providers are staking a lot of future investment on AR, VR and 3D experiences, particularly for remove events, meetings and collaboration. Facebook has changed its name to Meta and shared their plans for an immersive AR / VR world called the Metaverse, which is painted a little like Second Life on steroids. Microsoft’s response is to continue to roll out Mesh – its mixed reality framework – that is now being extended to Microsoft Teams.
The introduction of Mesh in Teams allows participants to meet in 3D scenarios as avatars that display their reactions. Microsoft says this means users can maintain their presence in meetings without turning on cameras, and interact socially in more informal spaces for those much-discussed water cooler moments. The adoption and utilisation of these features in 2022 is going to be fascinating to watch, partly because we genuinely don’t know if they will take off or not.
More power for the Power Platform
Along with hybrid, low-code and no-code have been the digital workplace phrases of the year, and that looks set to continue in 2022. Microsoft are investing in a round of improvements to the Power Platform.
Some of these are designed to help organisations leverage the apps and workflow of the Power Platform more easily within the Teams experience, particularly Power Virtual Agents, to bring bots more directly into channels or target them to specific security groups. A Power BI app for Teams is also now available.
A new capability called process mining within Power Automate generates analytics and process maps across processes and workflows, aiming to provide insights on the success of processes, analysing the time spent on steps and where there are bottlenecks. We think this forensic approach will be of interest to many teams, and support continual improvement.
There are a range of other smaller improvements, too numerous to go into in-depth here, which include some interesting developments to drive citizen development. For example, within Power Virtual Agents, bot developers will be able to have conversations inside the bot authoring experience – a simple feature which could allow citizen developers to seek advice or collaborate with IT experts and their peers. This ability to collaborate and comment is being extended across the other Power Platform apps too, with notes and feedback similar to commenting in Office. Again, we see this helping to drive citizen development or offer support in cases where central IT resources are seeking input from business process owners or teams.
Upgrades to Microsoft Stream
Video is now a popular medium in many organisations, complementing internal communications, leadership communications, learning and even employee blogging (logging). Previously, Microsoft Stream the video sharing platform within the 365 platform has made it easy to embed videos within SharePoint intranets or communication sites, but the actual Stream user experience has been more of a separate app experience.
Now, Microsoft Stream is being rebranded as Microsoft Steam classic, and Stream built on SharePoint is being introduced. Video and audio files will be stored in the same way that other files are stored in SharePoint, making it even easier to integrate Stream right across the 365 suite. It also means that video and audio files will align to other SharePoint governance put in place for content services, covering permissions, compliance and more. This will bring video more efficiently into the overall 365 experience, including within a SharePoint intranet, and remove any associated barriers around video sharing and podcasting.
SharePoint Syntex additions
One of the roadmap areas we’re most excited about is an expansion of SharePoint Syntex – the AI feature that can be applied to content in various imaginative ways. In the next generation of Syntex, there is better support for using the software to construct Microsoft office documents so you can build model documents, for example, with different data and sections based on information from other elements. For example, you could automatically build standard NDA or contract documents based on information generated from your CRM system, with some variation dependent on who the contract concerns, as may be the case for UK- or US-based businesses.
We can see great value in high-volume documents areas such as contract management, invoicing or procurement processes. Used in conjunction with other parts of the Microsoft 365 suite, there are certainly some intriguing combinations that could transform inefficient processes. The ability to leverage Syntex for document searching using Syntex-generated metadata is also being extended.
Get in touch!
The new year is going to be another big one for Microsoft 365, Teams and Viva. We’re excited for all that is to come! If you’d like to discuss your strategy and plans for 2022, then get in touch!
A mobile intranet is a critical part of the digital communications ecosystem of any organisation. It is especially important for any company that has a significant deskless frontline workforce. For employees with no easy access to a computer during the working day, and sometimes no corporate digital identity, a mobile intranet app available on a personal device can become their major channel for digital communication, as well as the most efficient. The mobile intranet connects employees who work in factories, shops and out in the field, or who are on the go with their employers and each other.
Successfully delivering a mobile intranet is not always straightforward, and some organisations end up with low adoption and low value. Many of the necessary prerequisites for the success of a standard browser-based intranet, such as governance and the right operating model, also need to be in place for the mobile equivalent. However, there are specific approaches to consider for a mobile intranet too.
In this post, we’re going to explore seven secrets for a successful mobile intranet implementation and launch.
1 Focus on the right features for a frontline or mobile workforce
Intranets have multiple purposes and support a wide variety of organisational processes. Mature platforms and integrations mean there has been a blurring between intranets, digital workplaces, collaboration platforms and employee experience platforms. Generally, a mobile intranet may feature slimmed down versions of the capabilities of a desktop intranet, although it might include similar access to all the content included.
When you select what to include on your mobile intranet, always ensure tools and content are suited to the needs of your frontline workforce, and capabilities that are useful for work on-the-go are featured. Previously, we looked at eight must-have features of a mobile intranet, all of which are relevant to frontline staff, including:
Ability to remove barriers to access for all, including your frontline employees
Strong news delivery
Social collaboration and community tools
Content and reference pages
Employee directory
Event calendar and registration
Integrations that make sense for on-the-go employees or solve frontline use cases
Easy administration and robust analytics.
2 Go for a mobile app over responsive design
SharePoint Online and in-a-box intranet software such as LiveTiles are now responsive, ensuring they are optimised for viewing through a mobile device. While this is good news for mobile intranets, it is rarely a good standalone approach. To drive adoption and value, you need to have a mobile intranet app that will:
Deliver a controlled user experience for your intranet
Make it easier to take advantage of the native features of a mobile device
Allow for better governance, and meet security and compliance needs that won’t compromise your user experience.
Most intranet software will have its own dedicated mobile application, such as the SharePoint app. Intranets are increasingly being viewed through Microsoft Teams, and your Teams app could actually become your mobile intranet app too. A mobile intranet that is only delivered through responsive design is unlikely to get good adoption.
3 Make your mobile intranet available on personal devices to reach frontline staff
A major use case for a mobile intranet is to reach your frontline employees. In many companies, frontline employees do not have access to a desk, a corporate owned-device or even a digital identity. To make a mobile intranet work for this population, it must be available on personal devices, both Android and iOS. This is the only way to realistically achieve good adoption with this demographic; kiosks, shared terminals or home access will not work so well.
Some organisations get nervous about doing this due to security concerns, but also because they don’t want to intrude on employees time outside of work. In countries like the US where some sections of the workforce are on the clock employees, and Germany where workers councils are deeply involved in decision-making, there may need to be more careful consideration. However, there are many examples where a mobile intranet available on personal devices has proved valuable and popular with frontline employees, and has been highly successful in delivering organisational benefits.
4 Take advantage of native device features
Mobile devices have a range of native features that we are all accustomed to using when interacting with apps in our non-working lives. A mobile intranet app can take advantage of these features to boost effectivity, including push notifications, the ability to upload photos, voice detection and even GPS detection. In particular, push notifications can prove essential for important alerts, although they should be used sparingly. The ability to submit photos can also be useful for creating specific intranet apps focused either on engagement or transactional processes, such as reporting on-site issues that are best illustrated by a photo. Intranet chatbots also work well on a mobile device.
5 Focus on an easy onboarding and authentication experience
If you are launching a mobile intranet app, you must make it easy for users to load it onto their device and authenticate into it. If this process has numerous difficult steps to go through, it can be a barrier to adoption and a major headache for the intranet team.
For users of corporate mobile devices, this is usually in your control, and there will be a standard way to distribute apps. For employees adding an app to their personal device, it gets more complicated. Most intranet software providers will have convenient ways to do this – often through the Google Play or iOS app store – with a relatively straightforward way to authorise and authenticate the device and person. When launching your mobile app, make sure this process is as smooth and simple as possible.
6 Always get compliance and security teams involved early
Compliance and security constraints can scupper the success of a mobile intranet, negatively impacting the user experience. For example, if a mobile intranet requires VPN access, or a user has to type in a long password each time they enter the intranet, it is going to be difficult to drive adoption. Mobile intranets and apps can make compliance teams and senior executives nervous, particularly when they are accessible on a personal device.
Security, regulatory and compliance needs must be met, and can impact what is on your intranet. By engaging early with compliance and security teams, you can usually achieve the best possible experience for your mobile intranet.
There is actually a lot of middle ground that can allow you to deliver an excellent mobile intranet experience that meets all your regulatory and security requirements with very little compromise on the UX. This is often achieved by removing a small amount of content or a particular feature from your mobile intranet that is difficult from a compliance point of view, leaving the other 95% of your intranet still delivering value. Ensuring MDM approaches and app governance is in place and adding the right Terms & Conditions when employees sign-up can also make a big difference here, ticking the boxes for legal and compliance functions.
7 Consider content and links in the mobile experience
Even if you have a beautiful, responsive mobile app or an adaptive design, the success of your mobile intranet is dependent on having the right content. Most intranet content is not designed to be read on a mobile, resulting in long text and endless scrolling, or the use of imagery which is hard to view or read on a mobile. (There are lots of issues with posting images featuring text on your intranet don’t do it!)
It’s not always easy to achieve, but make sure to consider content from the mobile point of view. Generally, taking a mobile-first approach to content for example, with more concise text broken up into shorter areas with indicative subject headings is actually good for the desktop view too. If you have a policy, for example, a clear, short summary with the salient points will be welcomed both by your mobile intranet users and those with desktop access.
Most intranets now act as a convenient gateway to the wider digital workplace. Providing links to other systems is very useful, but you may need to provide a different view on the mobile intranet as you might need to link to different apps or not link to systems that are unavailable or not optimised for mobile devices.
Making your intranet mobile
Making your intranet mobile is essential, particularly if you have a frontline workforce. Use these tips for a successful implementation. If you want to discuss your mobile intranet, why not get in touch!
We use cookies to give you the best experience on our site. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find more about the cookies, please see our Cookie notice.
Services
SharePoint Products
©Microsoft 
©Microsoft
SharePoint
Office 365
Teams
Yammer
Azure
Power Automate
PowerApps
Power BI
LiveTiles
LMS365
