Running a local cleaning service means juggling a lot of information. From client records to compliance certificates, keeping track of the paperwork involved can become very chaotic. Many companies are turning to Microsoft SharePoint as a potential solution. But they are all making one big mistake: they are not using it correctly.
The truth is, you cannot hope to truly organise your data without implementing SharePoint best practices. It is not simply a second OneDrive. Leveraged properly, it can be so much more.
What Makes SharePoint so Popular for Cleaning Services?
While those outside the industry may not know this, anyone running a cleaning service understands that there is a surprising amount of data involved. Companies in this field need a reliable way to store work orders, safety certificates, client contracts, training materials, and inspection reports. Modern companies are shifting many of these files to digital spaces, to reduce space and ensure redundancy.
Without a proper document management system, problems quickly arise. Important files can be lost, deleted, or overwritten. This leads to mistakes being made, jobs being pushed back or cancelled, and staff getting confused. The long-term consequences of this can be devastating: clients cancel and go elsewhere, searching for a more reliable service and damaging your bottom line in the process.
It’s this problem causing local cleaning services to adopt document management systems such as SharePoint. Using this software, your business can:
- Locate documents faster
- Organise multiple versions of the same file
- Keep sensitive information secure
- Streamline tasks such as onboarding and compliance management
Over time, this significantly improves efficiency, accuracy, and security.
How Cleaning Services Use SharePoint to Work Smarter
There is a reason SharePoint has become one of the more popular options for companies taking this road, despite there being so many available. It provides a number of powerful benefits:
- File Sharing: Easily share files between staff members and clients, no matter how far apart they are.
- Job Scheduling and Rosters: Track upcoming jobs, assign staff, and share schedules instantly so that everyone understands where they need to be.
- Staff Onboarding and Training: Store training videos, cleaning checklists, and safety procedures in a centralised location, where they can be easily accessed by new hires and veteran staff alike.
- Client Management: Keep customer contact details, service history, and preferences in one place for quick reference.
- Supply Tracking: Maintain an up-to-date record of cleaning supplies and stock levels, so your team never runs out of essentials.
- Photo Storage: Upload and share before-and-after photos from job sites to show progress, prove work quality, and build trust.
- Security and Compliance: Secure sensitive data against cyber-attacks using unique permissions and access controls.
When used well, SharePoint can provide unprecedented levels of efficiency and productivity. And that, unfortunately, is often the sticking point.
Where It All Goes Wrong: Common SharePoint Mistakes
While the advantages of SharePoint are enormous, few businesses are actually experiencing all of them. Microsoft products are a bit more complex than one might expect at first glance, and mistakes are all too easy to make. Left unchecked, these can hinder the effectiveness of SharePoint, or even make it actively harmful.
- Folder Structure: Files are stored in random and inconsistent locations, often without clear labels. This undermines the entire purpose of using SharePoint in the first place: document organisation.
- Configurations: Like all Microsoft solutions, SharePoint requires a decent amount of configuration to set up properly. Unfortunately, this is often neglected, compromising security and leaving most of its best features unused.
- Updates: The best folder organisation in the world will not save you if documents are not being updated on time. Outdated schedules, client details, or training materials lead to expensive mistakes.
- Access: Access control is an admittedly difficult balance to strike. Too much access leads to vulnerabilities and cyber-attacks. However, many staff work in the field and need to view important documents remotely, often from mobile devices. If they can’t, then their ability to do their job is hindered. Many companies swing too far in either direction.
- Overcomplication: While some businesses forget that most of SharePoint’s features exist, others overcomplicate it entirely. Pointless customisation and unnecessary features overwhelm staff, making it impossible to track documents effectively.
The easiest way to avoid these issues is by implementing SharePoint best practices, and ensuring they are followed at all times.
SharePoint Best Practices: Folder Structure
When using SharePoint, folder structure is everything. Think of a traditional filing cabinet. If documents were simply inserted at random, or using a counterintuitive system, no one would ever be able to find anything. It would be no better than stacking the files on a desk. Digital file management works in much the same way.
Follow these SharePoint best practices for folder structure to prevent issues:
Intuitive Organisation
Your filing system should make sense to everyone, whether they are familiar with your company or not. Veteran employees might understand that client contracts are stored under “Docs 1” because of a quirk in the way your folders were originally set up, but new hires will have no idea. Relying on your team to explain this over and over wastes valuable time.
Instead, it is far easier – and less frustrating – to store information in an intuitive location that anyone can figure out. Client contracts, for example, should probably be stored under Client Documents > Contracts, or similar.
The Journey
Folders should always be organised in a manner that leads users from broader concepts to smaller, more clearly defined sections. For instance, returning to client contracts for a moment, the entire journey a user takes might look like this:
Documents > Client Documents > Contracts > ClientName
This structure works because it takes the same natural line of thought as the human brain. The employee is looking for a specific client document, of this nature, for this specific client. They are starting with a general concept (a client document), and then narrowing their scope as they search. This path makes sense to a person searching for that particular file.
The Number of Files
The total number of files your staff are wrestling with also matters. Too many folders, and it will be almost impossible to find anything. Too few, and you are forced to use incredibly vague and confusing terminology. The easiest way to avoid these issues is by mentally categorising each document before setting up your folders. Where does it feel natural to group files together? If you combine two categories into one, will that become confusing, or do they fit well enough that it’s easy to figure out?
Managing Access: SharePoint Document Library Permissions Best Practices
One of SharePoint’s strongest advantages is its security capabilities. And your most important tool here is document library permissions. These are how you will control access to sensitive files, preventing accidental and malicious breaches.
Follow these SharePoint document library permissions best practices:
Use Groups, Not Individuals
Assign permissions to security groups, rather than individual team members. Job roles are dynamic, and you don’t want to have to reassign permissions every single time an employee is moved around. Create role-based groups such as “Cleaning Staff” or “Managers”, and assign permissions to these. When a staff member switches to a new role (and thus a new group), their access level will change with them.
Apply Permissions at the Folder Level
Avoid breaking permission inheritance too far down the path, unless absolutely necessary. This adds complexity, which can quickly lead to confusion over who has access to what. Keep permissions at an earlier point in the chain, where possible.
Avoid Granting Unnecessary Permissions
Always grant the lowest level of access needed. Not everyone needs the ability to edit every document. Microsoft provides “View-Only” access for a reason – use it. Administrative access in particular should be heavily restricted.
While this level of control may seem harsh, it is extremely important. First, it prevents accidents. A well-meaning staff member may unintentionally delete, move, or edit an important file if they have full access. Second, accounts can be hacked and breached. The fewer staff who have admin privileges, the less you need to worry in this scenario.
Regularly Review Access
Implement a quarterly review process to check who currently has access, and to what. This gives you an opportunity to adjust groups based on role changes, remove ex-employees, and confirm that everyone has the permissions they need to complete their tasks. Down the road, this process will prevent many issues (such as a staff member being locked out of a necessary document) that could otherwise cause a massive headache.
SharePoint Content Types Best Practices
Content types are reusable collections used for a variety of things: templates, metadata, and workflows are just a few examples. This underutilised feature allows for easy, centralised settings management. SharePoint content types best practices include:
Leverage Custom Content Types
While SharePoint provides a variety of default content types, you are also free to create your own. These require a little more work, but provide the additional flexibility you need to manage the unique documents your company uses. You might, for example, create a client contract content type and assign a template to it. Now, each time a new contract needs to be created, they need only select the correct content type and edit the template.
Publish When Necessary
Sometimes, you may want to use the same content types across multiple team sites, or site collections. This helps ensure consistency across the entire business. By default, content types are only applied at the site level – but using a Managed Metadata service, you can publish them to any location needed.
Use Document IDs
Each file uploaded to SharePoint can be given a unique document ID, which follows it for its entire life. This makes it significantly easier to track documents, particularly as they move across folders and sites. Ensure that these are enabled on each site your company uses, and remember to use them.
SharePoint Document Management Best Practices
In addition to everything listed above, it is essential to maintain good document hygiene. Some important SharePoint document management best practices include:
Retention Policies
Define how long each type of document can be kept for. Set up automatic archiving or deletion after this timeframe is over, to ensure that policy is followed. Remember to consider backups, as well.
Alerts and Workflows
Set alerts to be notified of changes within important documents (or entire libraries). This allows you to track versions, as well as its movement across different folders.
Clean-Ups
As tedious as it is, periodic housekeeping is crucial. Schedule regular sessions to delete unused templates and files, merge redundant documents, and fix organisational issues.
User Training & Governance
The strongest document management practices will still fall apart if staff don’t know how to apply them. Remember to back up your policies and configurations with regular training that covers:
- Storage locations
- Access permissions
- Document sharing
- The proper procedure for editing, deleting, and moving a file
- How to use SharePoint’s features effectively
Include a set of written instructions placed in an accessible location, and provide additional support where needed. Understand that staff may experience issues using SharePoint, especially when first getting used to the platform.
FAQs
How Often Should I Review Permissions?
At minimum, permissions should be reviewed quarterly or after a major shift has occurred within your company (for example, layoffs or an acquisition).
Can I Change My SharePoint Folder Structure as the Business Grows?
Absolutely. If you discover that an old system no longer suits your growing needs, it’s always possible to make adjustments. Just remember to keep your new folder structure intuitive and organised.
Do I Need to Worry About Metadata, if I Already Have Folders?
Unfortunately, yes. While folders organise content hierarchically, metadata allows search, filters, and automated workflows. The good news is that you can use content types to automatically apply it.
What if I Still Can’t Keep Up With SharePoint?
If you find it difficult to maintain SharePoint best practices despite your best efforts, a managed service provider (MSP) or Microsoft consultant can help. They can either advise you on the best strategy moving forward, or even take over SharePoint management entirely.
Leave SharePoint Best Practices to the Experts
SharePoint can be complex, but it’s not impossible to leverage correctly. All you need is a clear strategy that focuses on implementing best practices, and the right support to see your team through. While there is some setup and maintenance required, it’s well worth the effort to know that your staff can focus on delivering spotless service instead of searching for documents.
Are you a Sydney-based cleaning service struggling with SharePoint? Platform 24 is here to help, with expert insights that help you make the most of everything it can offer. If you need help making SharePoint work for you, get in touch with an expert. No sales pitch, we promise – just an honest conversation about how we can help.
