Xoralia drives user engagement and compliance…
The platform’s user attestation functionality has been particularly impactful, leading to a remarkable increase from ~50% to 86% in user attestation within a matter of weeks.
Rian Stuart, IT Manager, Twinstream
In today’s fast-paced business world, effective management of controlled documents such as policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, quality manuals, and regulatory documents is more crucial than ever. The challenge lies not only in creating these documents and keeping them up to date, but also in ensuring that they are readily accessible, understood, and implemented by all employees. This is especially critical in highly regulated industries, where compliance is not just a guideline but a mandate. The pain points in managing controlled documents are significant – they can often be hard to locate, difficult to track, and challenging to enforce, leading to substantial risks for the company.
Pushing out mandatory policies and tracking reads is perhaps the most requested feature in policy management. But before we delve deeper, let’s address other common issues that organisations face with policy management and how tools like SharePoint and Microsoft 365 can help.
Having a single, reliable source for key policies, procedures, forms, and other important documents is vital. Employees and managers need to access information like the staff handbook, IT usage policy, holiday request process, and social media guidelines confidently, knowing that these are accurate and up-to-date.
Most organisations provide access to policies via their intranet, but all too often these are scattered across different department sites and are hard to find, do not get updated with the very latest version, are not read even if they are mandatory, and are not trusted by employees who then request a copy or rely on a version on their own file network or inbox, that may not be up to date.
Many organisations still rely on outdated policy management methods, which can severely hamper their operations. Paper-based processes, while straightforward, are incredibly limited in scope and efficiency. They do not support the dynamic nature of policy updates and make it challenging to disseminate changes swiftly across the organisation.
Similarly, the use of shared drives and spreadsheet applications like Excel, though common, introduces significant challenges. These methods lack the necessary controls for document security, version management, and audit trails, making it difficult to ensure that everyone is accessing the most current policy information. As a result, organisations often face compliance risks and operational inefficiencies.
Email, another frequently used tool in policy management, often leads to cluttered, unmanageable communication threads. While email is essential for day-to-day communications, using it to manage policy updates and acknowledgments can create gaps in information flow and compliance tracking. Important policy communications can easily get lost in an employee’s inbox or become buried under other emails, leading to a lack of accountability and oversight.
These widespread issues with traditional policy management methods, combined with the challenges of using intranets effectively, highlight the need for a more integrated, efficient approach. Modern software solutions offer automation, centralisation, and enhanced reporting, addressing these pain points and transforming policy management into a more streamlined and accountable process.
10 reasons why SharePoint is the best platform for policy and procedure management
If your organisation is using Microsoft 365 or SharePoint on-premises, then it makes sense to leverage the power of SharePoint to help better manage your policy documents. It offers a number of features right out of the box that solve a number of policy management issues.
1 SharePoint is likely to be your existing and secure document management solution
These days, the majority of organisations use SharePoint or SharePoint Online. Microsoft’s updates to the platform in the last few years – hugely improving it’s ease of use and speed – have made it the go-to choice. This very likely means that it is a familiar tool for most people who create and manage documents and files in your organisation. Documents can be easily shared, collaborated on and there is also effective version control, meaning that you can avoid issues such as duplication and ensure there is one source of truth; this is a critical factor in manging your policies. Leveraging SharePoint for policy management also means that your existing users will be already familiar with the system in place used for managing documents. Of course, SharePoint will also be fully secured and backed up by Microsoft – providing peace of mind.
2 You can automate and track the policy lifecycle with Power Automate
Lifecycle management is absolutely key to successful policy management. For example, you need to make sure that policies have owners who regularly review the documents they are responsible for. SharePoint is excellent from this perspective and you can leverage its integration with Active Directory as well as Power Automate to create clear ownership, notifications and workflow to ensure polices are kept up to date and also create views that show admins the status of policies.
3 SharePoint provides a complete audit trail across versions
As well as lifecycle management you can also get a complete audit trail of updates to your document across current and previous versions, showing when and who made changes. This transparency is important for minimising risks, underpinning accountability, and even for external auditing purposes.
4 SharePoint provides a central place for controlled document access
It is critical to provide easy and centralised access to policies for your employees. As most organisations already use SharePoint for their intranet, project sites or communication sites, it is quick and easy to integrate a policy document library into the channels that employees already have access to.
5 You can integrate it into your search
Policies also need to be findable and discoverable. Again, most organisations are leaning in on SharePoint or Microsoft search options to allow employees to find what they need. Using SharePoint for policy management means that these documents will be included in your main search, perhaps through the intranet, ideally through a dedicated search which is restricted to show search results only from your policy library. And now with CoPilot, Microsoft’s AI offering, it’s even possible to include policy knowledge and content into AI outputs.
6 It can integrate with your wider Microsoft 365 ecosystem
If you are on Microsoft 365 you will likely be using a wide variety of different collaboration and communication tools such as Office Online (Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc.), CoPilot (AI), Viva Engage (previously Yammer), Microsoft Teams, Outlook and SharePoint team sites. The obvious integration between a SharePoint-based policy library and the rest of the Microsoft 365 platform means its easy to embed and share key policies from the library in the places where every day work happens. This not only creates efficiencies but also helps raise awareness of policy and SOP documents
7 You can track usage and get data
Using SharePoint for policy management means it is also possible to track usage and get data on different policies, for example numbers of views or when they were last updated. By leveraging integrations with Active Directory and PowerBI you can also start to create reports and track critical data such as whether a mandatory document is being read and by whom.
8 SharePoint scales with your organisation, from small businesses to large enterprises
Whether your organisation has 50 or 50,000 employees, SharePoint is built to scale. From small businesses to large enterprises, SharePoint’s robust infrastructure ensures that your policy management processes remain efficient and reliable as your organisation grows. This scalability means that SharePoint can handle the increasing complexity and volume of your documents, making it a future-proof solution for policy management at any size.
9 Customisable permissions and access controls
One of SharePoint’s key strengths is its ability to provide granular control over document permissions. You can customise who can view, edit, or manage each policy document, ensuring that sensitive information is only accessible to the right individuals. This is particularly important in highly regulated industries where safeguarding data and controlling access is a top priority. With SharePoint, you can easily manage permissions and avoid unauthorised access, reducing security risks.
10 Built-in compliance with industry standards
SharePoint is fully compliant with industry standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. This built-in compliance ensures that your organisation adheres to necessary regulations without needing to implement additional tools or processes. By managing your policies on SharePoint, you can simplify audits and reduce the risk of non-compliance, giving you peace of mind that your processes meet the highest standards.
Introducing… Xoralia policy management software for SharePoint
After exploring the 10 reasons why SharePoint is the ideal platform for policy management, it’s evident that SharePoint provides a powerful foundation for managing documents and policies. However, while SharePoint delivers robust features, many organisations find they need additional functionality to fully streamline policy management and compliance processes.
This is where Xoralia Policy Management Software steps in. Built on top of SharePoint and Microsoft 365, Xoralia enhances SharePoint’s capabilities by adding specialised features designed specifically for managing policies. The table below highlights the differences between using Pure SharePoint for policy management and using Xoralia alongside SharePoint:
| Features | Pure SharePoint for Policy Management | Xoralia on SharePoint |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Setup | Requires manual configuration and workflows for policy management. | Quick setup with built-in workflows and features specifically for policy management. |
| User Interface | Standard SharePoint interface, not optimised for policies. | User-friendly, accessibly-built interface tailored for delivering policy management across all devices. |
| Policy Lifecycle Management | Requires custom workflows for policy updates, reviews, and reminders. | Automated policy lifecycle with reminders for reviews, expirations, and mandatory reads. |
| Employee Attestation | Custom workflows needed for tracking employee acknowledgment of policies. | Track and manage employee attestations for mandatory policy reads via Microsoft Groups, with automated email and MS Teams reminders. |
| Reporting and Analytics | Basic reporting; more advanced features require Power BI or additional tools. | Advanced, built-in reporting on policy adherence, reading status, and compliance tracking. |
| Search and Targeting | Requires manual tagging for effective search and targeting. | Intelligent search using AI, supporting tagging, filtering, and audience targeting based on roles or locations. |
| Ongoing Support | Support mainly through Microsoft’s general channels or internal IT resources. | Dedicated support with customer success teams and priority assistance tailored to policy management needs. |
| Evergreen Software | Updates depend on SharePoint’s release cycle, with no specific focus on policy management improvements. | Continuous updates and new policy management features ensure the software evolves with changing business and regulatory requirements. |
As you can see, Xoralia is built to simplify and extend the policy management features available in SharePoint, enabling organisations to get even more value from their existing Microsoft 365 infrastructure. From automating the policy lifecycle to providing advanced analytics, Xoralia offers a complete solution for organisations that need a more streamlined, compliance-focused approach to policy management.
In a nutshell, Xoralia policy management software works in the following six simple steps. Find out more about each step and Xoralia policy lifecycle management here.
Document creation and updates
Review and approvals
Version control
Audience targeting and notification
Mandatory reads, attestation and quizzes
Dashboards, tracking and reporting
Policy management software for SharePoint
Xoralia is an intelligent and easy-to-use policy management software for SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Office 365.
Main features
1 Centralised policy library
Xoralia provides a single, searchable library for all policies. With AI functionality, employees can ask the system questions, such as policy details on dress code or expenses. It’s designed for easy use by all employees, even those on the frontline.
2 Mobile app for frontline workers
To make life even more convenient for frontline workers such as factory workers, field workers etc, we have built a Xoralia mobile app for iOS and Android. This means they can have access to all the latest policies whilst on the move. No need for a computer or a Microsoft 365 licence!
3 Policy targeting and mandatory reads
Xoralia allows you to target specific policies to relevant employees, require mandatory reads, and even include a test to ensure understanding. All interactions are tracked in the system.
4 Automated document lifecycle
It’s best practice for all controlled documents to go through a pre-determined lifecycle. The document lifecycle goes from creation through to publishing and distribution. And when a policy has been live for say, one year, it’s time to check it to see that it is up to date with the latest legal and process changes.
5 Email and Teams Notifications
In order to help people keep on top of their tasks, whether they are mandatory reads or document approvals before go-live, Xoralia sends out notifications. Users can receive these through email or on Teams (or both!). And if a notification is missed and a task remains incomplete, Xoralia sends reminders. It can even escalate to line managers if a task is left undone for too long.
6 Dashboards and reporting
Xoralia provides comprehensive dashboards for document owners and compliance managers to easily track policy status. Document owners can check if their policies are being read by the intended audience through the ‘read report,’ while compliance managers can monitor if document updates are being carried out on schedule. For line managers, personalised dashboards display their team’s mandatory reads and task completion, ensuring accountability.
With a variety of reporting options, Xoralia ensures that all users—from document owners to managers—have access to the information they need to maintain compliance and track progress.
7 Audit-friendly
Modern organisations need to be able to prove the robustness of their policy regime and protocols. Auditors can ask for all sorts of information and Xoralia is there to help, giving you confidence that if there is an audit, you have all the necessary information at your fingertips, whether it’s a report or a marked up policy version.
8 Integrate with your intranet
Xoralia has been built for companies that use Microsoft 365. A key feature is the ability to integrate Xoralia into your intranet pages. Xoralia comes with multiple SharePoint webparts that you can drop onto your intranet pages, where you want them. Each webpart is configurable and displays dynamic information personalised to the individual intranet user.
Customer case study
Gama Aviation provides global business aviation services and support to individuals, corporations and government agencies. The global workforce require access to one source of truth for technical documents, polices and procedures. Building on the SharePoint intranet already introduced by Content Formula, Gama Aviation chose to upgrade their existing policy library to Xoralia to take advantage of the improved UI, mandatory reads capability and decentralised policy management.
Content Formula worked closely with Gama Aviation’s IT function to enable them to carry out most of the implementation themselves. The new policy library is now accessed through the intranet and is widely used across the organisation.
Xoralia has been a key part of our regulatory process approved by the aviation authority in one of the countries where we operate. We’re very pleased with it.
SharePoint is made for policy management
When it comes to managing your policies and ensuring your employees can find and access them, SharePoint is a strong option.
If you’d like more information about using SharePoint for policy management or about Xoralia policy management software, and would like a product demo then get in touch!
Book a live demo
Find out more about Xoralia policy management software
During the demo, we’ll walk you through Xoralia’s various features and functionality, providing plenty of time for you to ask our experts questions along the way.
