Sunday, May 12, 2024

Top 3 Examples of SharePoint Intranet Homepages

The following are the top three SharePoint Intranet homepages that can inspire ones own design:

  • Company-Wide Homepage:
    • Such a homepage serves as the central hub for an organization. It unites employees by providing essential information, news, events, and resources.
  • SharePoint Home Sites:
    • SharePoint home sites are communication sites specifically designed to serve as the top portal for an organization.
  • Custom Design and Look:
    • Modern SharePoint Intranets can use vibrant custom design and aesthetics.
    • Such designs can build consensus among managers.

Friday, May 10, 2024

3 Top Ways to Organize Links in SharePoint

The following are three ways to organize links in SharePoint:

Navigation Links:

In SharePoint Online’s modern experience, one can have up to three levels of navigation links (two levels of sub-links). For example, one can create a hierarchy such as:

Main Link

Sub-Link 1

Sub-Sub-Link 1.1

Sub-Sub-Link 1.2

Sub-Link 2

Sub-Sub-Link 2.1

Sub-Sub-Link 2.2

Featured Links on SharePoint Start Page:

From the app launcher, one can see the alphabetical list of all available Microsoft 365 apps.

Shareable Links in OneDrive and SharePoint:

A popular example is the Anyone links: Such links give access to the item to anyone who has the link.

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Top 3 SharePoint Mistakes

The following are the top three SharePoint mistakes and how to avoid them:

  • Neglecting to Implement a Governance Strategy:
    • What is governance? Governance encompasses policies, roles, responsibilities, and processes that dictate how an organization’s departments work together to achieve common goals.
    • Why is this important? A clear governance strategy leads to a successful roll-out and long-term usage of SharePoint. It contributes to adoption and change management, integrates business processes, and helps manage Microsoft 365 Groups.
    • Solution: Develop a solid governance strategy which aligns with the organization’s goals and ensures effective collaboration and content management.
  • Failing to Account for Change Management:
    • What is change management? It is the discipline which guides how ti prepare, equip, and support individuals to successfully adopt change.
    • Why is this important? A lack of change management leads to user resistance and hinders adoption.
    • Solution: Create a change management strategy which prepares users for the transition, provides training, and supports throughout the process.
  • Using Folders Instead of Metadata and Views:
    • What’s the mistake? Some organizations replicate their existing folder structure from file shares directly into SharePoint libraries. However, this approach doesn’t fully leverage SharePoint’s capabilities.
    • Why is this a problem? Folders can become unwieldy, making it hard to find and manage documents. Additionally, they don’t take advantage of metadata and views.
    • Solution: Embrace metadata and views.

Monday, May 6, 2024

Top 3 Branding Aspects to Consider in SharePoint Online

The following are the top three branding aspects in SharePoint Online:

  • Classic Experience vs. Modern Experience:
    • In classic SharePoint Online, default themes require significant customization. Additionally, they are not responsive across different devices.
    • Customizing classic sites involves using custom master pages or alternate CSS configurations. These can become problematic when SharePoint updates occur.
  • Modern Site Branding:
    • In a modern SharePoint Online experience, one can have more flexibility. Default site themes are responsive and therefore work on any device.
    • One can customize the site’s logo and colors to match a brand without writing code.
    • Additional branding can be achieved utilizing custom themes or site templates. Custom themes allow one to create additional color schemes, while site templates let one control customizations such as site navigation and default applications.
  • Branding Hub Sites:
    • When branding a SharePoint hub site, one can apply the site branding to any associated sites.

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Top 3 SharePoint Sizing & Scaling Aspects

The following are the top three image sizing and scaling in SharePoint modern pages:

  • Aspect Ratio:
    • Relationship between the width and height of an image. It’s usually expressed as two numbers, such as 16:9 or 4:3.
    • Images typically work best across layouts and devices when they have an aspect ratio of either 16:9 or 4:3.
  • Column Layouts:
    • SharePoint pages can have different column types and layouts, such as full-width columns, one column, two columns, three columns, and more.
    • Overall, images expected to fill the width of a column is that they should be at least as wide as the column in which they are placed.
      • Some width guidelines for different column layouts:
      • Full-width column: 1920 pixels
      • One column: 1204 pixels
      • Two columns: 586 pixels per column
      • Three columns: 380 pixels per column
      • One-third left column: 380 pixels for the left column; 792 pixels for the right column
  • Automatic Scaling:
    • Modern pages and web parts are fully responsive across devices. Automatic image scaling ensures a proper experience on mobile devices.
    • Images are resized and cropped automatically to display a result across various devices and layouts.

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

6 SharePoint Project Product Realization Keys

The following are six key SharePoint project product realization keys:

1) Define and execute production activities. 

2) Generate and manage requirements for all needs aspects. 

3) Utilize effectively the differences between verification testing and validation testing. 

4) Consider all customer, stakeholder and technical requirements. 

5) Analyze potential incompatibilities as early as possible. 

6) Understand and analyze test data for trends and anomalies.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

4 Key SharePoint Rationale Aspects for Project Information

The following are four SharePoint rationale aspects for project information:

1) Reason for the Requirement: Find out via research and communication, the reason for the requirement if not obvious
2) Document Assumptions: Sometimes, a requirement is written assuming the implementation of a technology program, as such, any assumption should be documented. 
3) Document Relationships: Relationships with the product's expected operations should be documented.
4) Document Design Constraints: Constraints imposed by the results from decisions made as the design, technology or requirements evolves should be documented.