SharePoint Document Management System is a versatile platform for large, medium and small businesses to streamline their operations. It is an ideal choice for every organization to manage, share and collaborate through the document system. It is also a cost effective option and easily integrated through any other systems within the organization. The version control, and security options available in SharePoint DMS makes it a more comprehensive, organized, and secure solution for organizations of every size.
What is a SharePoint Document Management System?
A document management system helps organizations to manage the documents’ lifecycle, how they are created, shared, reviewed, published and retained for future use in an organization. A good DMS should be flexible, secure, structured and centrally controlled to efficiently manage the documents as needed. Sharepoint DMS is a versatile collaboration hub with Teams in Office 365 and is the world’s leading content services platform. It is the best platform for sharing knowledge, processing data, and automating workflows. When integrated with a robust ERP system like SAP, it becomes an end-to-end system to enhance efficiencies and collaboration. Let’s see the unique advantages of SharePoint DMS.
Why is SharePoint DMS versatile?
Collaboration – SharePoint DMS is accessible from anywhere using mobile, and web. Users can simplify their workflows and automate a few approval processes within SharePoint. You can create a document, provide access controls, edit it on the go, review and share it with needed users within the organization. It also has edition controls to track changes across the organization and enhance collaboration.
Security – SharePoint is considered the best for document management for legal services organizations, so you can vouch for the security features here. It has access controls to restrict users to view and edit the documents. Users can configure permissions to view, share or review documents, files, lists, and applications accordingly.
Centralized management – SharePoint has the most effective way of centralized management. Approved users can update the software control features, app configurations, security configurations, and any restores and recoveries too.
Metadata – The most important feature for a good DMS. This is about the more detailed information about your files and how you can tag them to the cross-functions, business units and the different users. Though you may have to define various metadata fields and document information, it becomes easy to locate the files more efficiently than ever before.
Document sharing – Within Sharepoint, you can save the documents to a document library. Different users can access the file, update it, create workflows and enable permissions. And you will not have multiple versions of the file, but only a single document in SharePoint.
Customizations – More than 60% of the businesses customize SharePoint DMS as per their business needs. It is important to have that adaptability for varied organization needs. In case you need any additional protection layers, SharePoint is compatible to avail that option.
How do we integrate SAP processes into SharePoint?
We understand that there are multiple scenarios where we can set up SharePoint Online to interact with SAP ERP systems. Let us see a few of them here to understand the synergy.
Transfer data from SharePoint Library to SAP system
Imagine you have multiple documents in SharePoint to be consolidated to your SAP systems. You can create a Power Automate workflow to automatically set up validation rules to integrate the data to SAP as needed. Alternatively, you can also develop a custom connector if you have specific rules around integrating the data with the SAP system. But the integration is seamless unlike any other DMS as you have multiple solutions from Microsoft to address different needs.
Customize SharePoint application
Many SAP application scenarios, like master data queries and modifications, can be realized with SharePoint data. But, if you need a customized solution, you can use a SharePoint online app or leverage from a bunch of third-party services to integrate with SAP systems.
Leveraging Power Platform to create SAP data from SharePoint
In most cases, data required to process invoices or purchase orders will be entered in SharePoint lists. Data like order number, delivery date, quantity, and material number can be accessed from SharePoint lists. How can we make this seamless? With Power Automate workflows and custom connectors you can create automated processes to transfer the data to SAP and enable access to processes like invoice processes, purchase order management and many more.
A few Best Practices
Establish a well-defined structure to organize documents
To improve searchability in SharePoint DMS, metadata and tagging play a vital role. Users should create an organized and well-defined hierarchy of libraries, folders and subfolders too. Implementing consistent naming conventions and meta-tagging throughout the documents will enhance their searchability and categorization when needed. Establishing standard processes to all the users and providing them with appropriate training as and when the users change will help to consistently enhance the benefits from SharePoint DMS.
Enable permissions and security
SharePoint provides best-in-class security controls to enable access to the users and the documents as per the necessitated actions from the users. Organizations must regularly review the access permissions and controls to align with changing business needs. As cybersecurity risks are constantly challenging organizations, it is vital to update the security protocols for SharePoint DMS.
Implement version control
SharePoint DMS offers the best versioning capabilities to track the changes that users make and record any changes. You can maintain a comprehensive history of document changes and edits and the people who have made the changes by enabling version control.
Consistently review and update documents
Any DMS will not stay relevant for a long time if we do not keep a tab on the documents in the system. Outdated documents can be removed and any changes needed should be made consistently to keep up with the organization needs.
Leverage Microsoft solutions to create workflows
Microsoft offers comprehensive solutions to automate and collaborate for multiple organizational needs. For example, you can leverage Power Automate to create a flow and automate any processes to update information, review and share the documents as per the set rules. You can also use Power BI and Power Apps to simplify the processes and enhance decision making. Microsoft offers end-to-end solutions to manage digital transformation needs.
Though we have discussed the benefits of SharePoint DMS, your organization may have customized needs. Please reach out to our experts to learn how we can seamlessly integrate SharePoint DMS with SAP.
