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SharePoint is a powerful collaboration and document management platform that can help businesses of all sizes work more efficiently and effectively. However, maximizing the return on investment (ROI) from SharePoint can be challenging, especially for organizations that are new to the platform. This is where a SharePoint consultant can be a valuable asset. In this article, we'll explore how a SharePoint consultant can help you get the most out of your SharePoint investment.

1) Assessing Your Needs

The first step in maximizing your SharePoint investment is to assess your organization's needs and goals. SharePoint is a flexible platform that can be customized to fit a wide range of business needs, but not all features and tools will be relevant to every organization. A SharePoint consultant can work with you to identify which SharePoint features and tools will be most useful for your business.

For example, if you're primarily using SharePoint for document management, a consultant may recommend implementing workflows to automate document approval processes or setting up content types and metadata to help users find documents more easily. On the other hand, if you're using SharePoint for team collaboration, a consultant may recommend implementing team sites or creating custom web parts to display relevant information on your team's home page.

2) Customizing SharePoint

Once you've identified which SharePoint features and tools will be most useful for your business, the next step is to customize SharePoint to fit your specific needs. SharePoint is a highly customizable platform, but this customization requires a deep understanding of the platform's architecture and capabilities. A SharePoint consultant can help you customize SharePoint to fit your specific business needs.

For example, if you need to track project progress, a consultant can help you create a custom project management dashboard that displays key metrics such as project status, budget, and timeline. If you need to automate a specific business process, such as employee onboarding, a consultant can help you create a custom workflow that automates the process and ensures that all required tasks are completed on time.

3) Migrating and Upgrading

SharePoint If you're new to SharePoint or are looking to upgrade your existing SharePoint environment, a consultant can help you plan and execute the transition smoothly. SharePoint migrations and upgrades can be complex and time-consuming, but a consultant can help ensure that the process goes smoothly and that you don't experience any unexpected downtime.

A SharePoint consultant can help you plan your migration or upgrade by identifying potential risks and issues, creating a detailed project plan, and coordinating with your IT team to ensure that all necessary preparations are made. They can also assist with data migration, testing, and user training to ensure that your team is fully prepared for the transition.

4) Training and Support

One of the keys to maximizing your SharePoint investment is ensuring that your team knows how to use the platform effectively. SharePoint is a complex platform with many features and tools, and it can be challenging for users to navigate and understand all of its capabilities. A SharePoint consultant can provide training and support to your team to ensure that they know how to use SharePoint to its fullest potential.

Training can range from basic user training, such as how to create a document library or upload a file, to more advanced developer training, such as how to create custom web parts or workflows. A SharePoint consultant can also provide ongoing support to your team, answering questions and providing guidance as needed.

5) Security and Compliance

SharePoint is a powerful platform that can store sensitive business information, so ensuring that your SharePoint environment is secure and compliant with industry standards and regulations is critical. A SharePoint consultant can help you implement security best practices, configure permissions, and set up data loss prevention policies to ensure that your data is secure and compliant.

For example, a consultant can help you configure permissions so that only authorized users can access sensitive documents or implement multi-factor authentication to ensure that user accounts are secure. A consultant can also help you set up data loss prevention policies to prevent sensitive data.