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Why stop specific development in SharePoint and adopt an add-in solution?

Guirec Loison
August 7, 2024
5 minutes
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Jint Intranet Specifications — guide to designing an effective intranet on Microsoft 365
Intranet specifications. Simple. Effective.
Download our free template

For organizations leveraging SharePoint as their primary collaborative platform, the choice between using “out of the box” SharePoint features or custom development often becomes a critical decision.  

While SharePoint is a powerful productivity and collaboration tool, it presents certain functional and UX/UI limitations. Therefore, custom development has traditionally been an avenue for organizations seeking solutions for specific needs. However, the allure of customization often comes with inherent challenges. Firstly, custom solutions tend to be time-consuming and resource intensive. The development process, including planning, implementation, and testing, can significantly extend project timelines, delaying the deployment of crucial functionalities, and incur higher initial costs.

Moreover, custom development introduces complexities in maintenance and updates. As SharePoint and associated Microsoft tools undergo frequent updates and improvements, custom solutions may require continuous adjustments to remain compatible and functional. This perpetual need for maintenance can strain resources and disrupt operations. Additionally, ongoing maintenance and updates contribute to increased long-term expenses.

Advantages of an add-in solution

In contrast, add-in solutions are designed with pre-built functionalities aligned with Microsoft's ecosystem. These solutions seamlessly integrate with SharePoint, leveraging the platform's capabilities while eliminating the need for extensive development cycles. This not only accelerates the deployment of essential features but also ensures compatibility and scalability within the SharePoint environment.

In addition to the seamless integration, add-in solutions also offer a more cost-effective approach. It’s that inherent cost of custom development that is delegated to third-party software editors who typically operate on subscription-based models, allowing organizations to access a suite of functionalities without hefty upfront costs. This predictable pricing structure, coupled with the time saved on development and maintenance, presents a compelling financial case for adopting add-in solutions.

Why choose Jint

An add-in solution like Jint is thus designed to adapt seamlessly to Microsoft's updates. The solution undergoes continuous enhancement and optimization, ensuring compatibility with the latest SharePoint versions and functionalities. By leveraging these add-ins, organizations can effortlessly stay up to date with evolving technology landscapes without dedicating excessive resources to maintenance.  

A critical aspect that sets Jint apart is its focus on facilitating natural integrations within the Microsoft ecosystem. It aligns seamlessly with SharePoint but also with other Microsoft tools, leveraging the inherent synergies between these platforms, in addition to its ever-evolving products and their consistent new features. This results in a user-friendly experience where functionalities complement each other, fostering a cohesive and efficient digital working environment.

In conclusion, while custom development might seem enticing for tailored solutions, the practical advantages of adopting add-in solutions like Jint for SharePoint projects are undeniable. Accelerated deployment, seamless compatibility with Microsoft updates, cost-effectiveness, and natural integrations within the ecosystem make add-ins the superior choice for organizations aiming to optimize their SharePoint experience. By embracing Jint, businesses can unlock the true potential of SharePoint while harnessing the power of Microsoft's suite of tools for enhanced productivity and collaboration.

Jint Intranet Specifications — guide to designing an effective intranet on Microsoft 365
Intranet specifications. Simple. Effective.
Download our free template
Author
Guirec Loison - Country Director of Jint Canada
Guirec Loison
Category
Digital Transformation
Published date
August 7, 2024
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What is a Microsoft SharePoint intranet?

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A Microsoft SharePoint intranet is an internal digital platform that centralizes information, documents, communication and collaboration within an organization, in a secure environment integrated with Microsoft 365. It is built on SharePoint Online, accessible from any browser or via mobile apps, and integrates natively with Teams, Outlook, OneDrive and the Power Platform. A SharePoint intranet enables organizations to publish news, manage document libraries, structure knowledge, facilitate team collaboration and provide employees with a personalized digital home base — all within their existing Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Solutions like Jint extend these capabilities with a modern branded UX, 60+ ready-to-activate features and advanced editorial workflows.

What are the key features of a SharePoint intranet?

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Key features include: advanced document management (libraries up to 30 million files, unlimited versioning, metadata), news publishing with audience targeting (SharePoint News + Entra ID groups), collaborative spaces (Team Sites, Hub Sites), information search boosted by Microsoft Search and Copilot, fine-grained rights management, and Microsoft 365 integration (Teams, Outlook, Power Automate). Jint adds 60+ ready-to-activate features: personal Dashboard, visual employee directory, newsletter studio, social media aggregator, editorial workflows and engagement analytics.

How does Jint enhance SharePoint intranets?

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Jint transforms SharePoint into a modern, engaging intranet by layering intuitive design, governance tools, and ready-to-use templates. It makes SharePoint more user-friendly while maximizing your existing Microsoft 365 investment.

How do you get started with SharePoint for your company intranet?

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Getting started with SharePoint for an intranet means first defining your information architecture—what content you need, who owns it, and how it should be organized. Begin with a Home site and a small number of Communication sites for major departments or topics, rather than trying to migrate everything at once. Engage a pilot group of key content owners early, train them on basic page editing, and build momentum before expanding to the full organization.

What are the hidden capabilities of SharePoint most organizations don't use?

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Most organizations use SharePoint for basic document storage and miss its more powerful capabilities: audience-targeted pages that show different content to different user groups, Power Automate workflows triggered by document events, SharePoint Syntex (now Premium) for automatic content classification, and hub sites for connecting related site collections under unified navigation and search. The SharePoint look book offers ready-made templates for departmental intranets, project sites, and communication hubs that significantly reduce build time. These features dramatically expand what's possible without any custom development.

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