In our previous blog, The Best Solutions Met with SharePoint, we discussed SharePoint capabilities and how SharePoint is useful in developing cost-effective and faster solutions. But SharePoint is not always the best solution for every requirement. There are times when SharePoint capabilities seem limited and further customization is needed.
When we come to the task of extending the functioning of the SharePoint platform through customization, we will face several crucial factors that should be taken into account to ensure that the modifications are able to match and back organizational plans effectively.
User Requirements and Experience
Customization can play a fundamental role in overcoming the missing components that SharePoint provides out-of-the-box and the organization's exclusive requirements. Improving user experience means customizing interfaces, processes, and functionality to fit specific business operations or habits that SharePoint might not cover in its default features.
This method provides a better user experience, and enhances user adoption and satisfaction, as the platform becomes more user-friendly and designed to fit into the user's daily routines. The difficulty of efficient task performance will make the necessity for custom options obvious when users repeatedly complain that they cannot perform their roles efficiently using the boxed features.
Adding Functionality for Performance
The direct effect of SharePoint on the performance of the employees cannot be underestimated. SharePoint tailoring, for instance, to add specific functionality (like advanced data analytics tools, enhanced document management systems, or integrated communication features) can add a lot to productivity and efficiency.
This deficiency is particularly pronounced in the areas where complex tasks become the bottleneck positions because of the substandard SharePoint environment. These features allow the system to streamline operations, reduce human involvement in everyday routine processes, and, as a result, equalize operations performance across departments.
When Standard Features Are Insufficient
There are instances where SharePoint’s standard features may be inadequate for handling specific business processes or challenges. This could be due to the scale of operations, specialized industry requirements, or unique security concerns that necessitate higher levels of customization.
In such cases, extending SharePoint through customization becomes beneficial and necessary to maintain operational continuity, ensure compliance with industry standards, or protect sensitive information against security threats.
Here we would like to share some case studies where we achieved the best solutions by customizing SharePoint.
# Case 1: Enhancing a Project Management System with Image Uploads and Previews
At the beginning of a project management system, a client started the implementation of SharePoint's native checklist function to enhance procedural operations. But, what they found out was that they had to come up with more functions that help to maintain user interaction and effectiveness. We therefore did a customized SharePoint set-up that allowed for direct image uploads into the system and displayed image thumbnails.
We managed to extend these features further by, for example, opening an image in the new window when double-clicking or zooming in on it. This was something that SharePoint didn’t support by default. In order to address these needs, custom modules were crafted and joined to SharePoint, which improved the platform functionalities and the user-friendliness of the system in the management of projects.
# Case 2: Integrating Ratings and Comments on a SharePoint Discussion Board
AllianceTek was appointed to build a SharePoint-based website that incorporated a discussion board, allowing its users to post comments, rate discussions, and moderate discussions. For example, while ratings and comments are natively supported in the SharePoint platform, their use together is not possible within the same interface.
Furthermore, the customer insisted on quantitative ratings which could be shown as numeric values, which was another feature the SharePoint basic offerings failed to provide. For these particular purposes a tailored solution is to be implemented and utilized, allowing users to rate and comment simultaneously. With those improvements, we've created a more enjoyable and unifying environment on our discussion board.
# Case 3: Expanding Business Intelligence Capabilities Across Multiple SharePoint Sites
A company operating several subdividing SharePoint sites with a single site collection found itself in a difficult position when it came to a collection of BI reports. The already existing SharePoint ability to store data inside site boundaries was not powerful enough to provide BI aggregation reports that combine data of sites.
AllianceTek fixed that problem by developing a custom reporting tool that could extract data from all site collections. Furthermore, this allowed the organization to obtain a fairly complete picture of its operations at the cross-section of departments, enabling an objective form of decision-making and strategic planning.
# Case 4: Customizing SharePoint Workflows to Support Complex Business Processes
Standard SharePoint workflows have the ability to carry out activities ranging from approvals to task generation and notifications. But they usually do not go deeper into customization and more specific business needs. In order to illustrate, the client had to change the flows so that the system can accommodate different states of employees, such as early leave and full day leave, which must be added to the system as well as conditioning the fields to be displayed or hidden when the needed scenario requires that.
A custom SharePoint leave approval workflow was implemented to cover all of these requests and had the feature of sending the leave assignment to the designated approver, alongside a link to the form housed in SharePoint for simple approval or denial. The customization of the leave management process decreased errors and allowed the company to achieve its desired outcome.
# Case 5: Meeting Complex, Specific Security Requirements with SharePoint
While SharePoint gives a comprehensive architecture of document management with successful unified access and rights, there are particular security features that do not fit in the standard capabilities of the platform. In case organizations encounter any special security concerns, then it becomes necessary that changes in SharePoint solutions are made to facilitate those specific needs.
It may require the installation of custom coding extensions and implementing new security procedures that can make these tasks quite complex and expensive, but this is what is demanded to ensure that SharePoint fits perfectly with the organization's hardcore security requirements. For example, an organization might require additional strong encryption for files that contain confidential data, or more intricate access controls that go over what a typical IT department has available.
These SharePoint features can be customized to prevent illegal use and make sure that confidential internal documents are only accessible at the highest security level. This procedure involves a thorough assessment of the present security system framework with an aim of making the integrated solutions custom to address the identified shortcomings or vulnerabilities.
In this case, although SharePoint’s default document management system is quite a solid system, the organization's particular level of complexity and specificity in the security system must be addressed through custom solutions.
Such strategies involved the creation and execution of custom security devices and systems meant to guarantee the security and safety of the company's data. Such extended functionalities not only secure the SharePoint environment but also give the organization an extra layer of confidence that its vital information is being safely monitored and organization is compliant with industry regulations or corporate policies.
Our Conclusion
Our experience with SharePoint has led us to this conclusion: When you need a fast solution and requirements are as simple as collaboration with basic CMS, reporting, or workflows, SharePoint is cost-effective and allows for faster development and simpler deployment, provided minor customization is involved.
However, SharePoint is not recommended when the needs are highly complex and require plenty of customization efforts that outweigh SharePoint’s inherent advantages.
Why did you choose to use or not use SharePoint to meet a technical challenge? How useful did you find SharePoint in meeting the requirements? Let us know your experiences in the comments below.
Call us at 484-892-5713 or Contact Us today to know more details about when is it worth extending SharePoint’s capabilities with customization?
