Microsoft SharePoint offers your business unprecedented efficiency, collaboration, and productivity – if you know how to use it correctly. Unfortunately, this is the part where many organisations stumble and fall. Despite the popularity of Microsoft’s various cloud-based solutions, there often isn’t enough information available on how to leverage them effectively. This results in confusion and underutilisation, which can completely undermine the benefits provided.
If you find yourself in this position, sometimes the best way out is asking for help. An expert SharePoint consultant, with the knowledge and experience to help you make the most of this powerful productivity platform, can be exactly what you need.
But why? Do SharePoint consultants really offer that many benefits? And are they worth the cost?
The Challenges: Why So Many Businesses are Turning to Third-Party Services
While Microsoft designs all of their solutions with a user-friendly experience in mind, that doesn’t erase every challenge. Businesses using SharePoint can experience a number of difficulties, such as:
Complex Setup and Configuration
SharePoint can be overwhelming for those with less experience. It often requires careful, specialised configurations in order to properly address company needs. Poor setup can reduce its positive impact, hinder business processes, and potentially even create security risks.
Resistance
Employees are often reluctant to accept new technologies, especially those they don’t understand well. A lack of training and support can lead to resistance, holding your business back.
Poor Management
Just like any other platform, SharePoint needs to be managed and maintained. But without the right knowledge, this can be almost impossible. Poor (or no) management can result in confusion, frustration, and inefficiency.
Integration Difficulties
SharePoint is built to work alongside other Microsoft productivity solutions, and may be difficult to integrate into other parts of your IT infrastructure. Left unchecked, this can lead to data silos and disconnected systems.
Wasted Money
Many businesses end up treating SharePoint as little more than additional data storage, as they don’t properly understand its capabilities. This reduces it to a waste of money, instead of the useful tool it’s designed to be.
Recognising When You Need Help
It can be difficult to recognise when you have reached your limit. Business and IT leaders often fall into the trap of thinking they can do it all themselves, and put off asking for external assistance until it’s too late. By that time, their IT infrastructure is completely out of control, and recovery takes much longer.
Here are some telltale signs you might need an external SharePoint expert:
- Your team regularly has difficulty locating files, or determining which version is the most recent.
- File sharing and document collaboration are stressful activities.
- You’re not seeing the cost savings or additional productivity you expected from SharePoint.
- You struggle to use the features provided, or aren’t sure how they work.
- You’re constantly troubleshooting issues.
These warning signs may indicate that your current approach isn’t working. If you see them, it is better to ask for help early, rather than waiting until the problem becomes much worse.
The Benefits of Hiring a SharePoint Consultant
A Strategy That Actually Works
SharePoint experts develop an effective strategy to help you get the most out of the software, and often provide long-term guidance.
Customised Solutions for Your Biggest Challenges
A good IT consultant will recognise that every business is unique. They create tailored solutions designed to address the specific challenges you’re facing, ensuring that SharePoint works exactly as you need it to.
Smoother Day-to-Day Collaboration
Expert support helps break down silos, enabling seamless collaboration between employees. SharePoint consultants ensure that it integrates with other parts of the IT infrastructure as it should, and that files remain accessible to all staff.
Comprehensive Training and Support
Even the best system will fall apart without user buy-in. Third-party experts deliver training, documentation, and support to help your team navigate the platform with confidence.
Stronger Security and Compliance
An expert can help make sure best practices are followed and that security controls are consistently implemented, reducing your risk of cyber-attacks and compliance audits.
Ongoing Support and Maintenance
Businesses aren’t static. Over time, your SharePoint needs will likely change. A consultant can provide you with ongoing support, updates and maintenance to help you meet the future without worrying about whether your needs will be addressed.
Finding the Best SharePoint Consultants in Sydney: What You Should Look For
Are you looking for a Sydney-based consultant who can show you how to use SharePoint effectively? Use these criteria to guide your decision:
- Proven Expertise: Look for a consultant who specialises in Microsoft solutions such as SharePoint. Experience in your industry is also an excellent sign.
- A Strong Portfolio: Ask for case studies or examples of past projects. Verify their track record in providing positive outcomes for clients.
- Clear Communication: Choose a SharePoint expert who can explain technical concepts in plain English. This not only helps you understand your IT better, it also proves that they actually understand the topic. They should also answer queries quickly and with full transparency.
- A Tailored Approach: Your chosen consultant shouldn’t attempt to fit your business into pre-built solutions or strategies. Instead, they should work with you to develop a plan that takes your unique needs into account.
- Suitable Service Plans: Look for transparent pricing, clear deliverables, and scalable packages. Your services should match your current needs and be able to adapt as you grow.
Expert Support That Makes SharePoint Work for You
SharePoint is more than a library to store documents in. With the right configurations and support, it can completely transform collaboration, data management, and workflows. A skilled consultant can help you truly harness this powerful tool, guiding you through setup, training, and long-term maintenance to ensure success.
As leading SharePoint consultants in Sydney, Platform 24 has the expertise to streamline your Microsoft environment. We take the time to understand your business, and figure out where SharePoint can help address gaps. If you’re looking for an expert who can teach you how to use SharePoint for the greatest positive impact, and provide ongoing support, explore our services today.
