SharePoint Tips to Boost Productivity in Microsoft 365

Computer screen with Microsoft SharePoint | Featured Image for Sharepoint Tips blog.

Just starting with Microsoft SharePoint or looking to boost your productivity with some SharePoint tips and tricks? Once cloud solutions began taking hold in offices across the country, businesses realised just how powerful working in the cloud could be. It unleashed a world of connectivity and automation, and anywhere access to data.

 

78% of surveyed Australian businesses said they experienced productivity improvements after adopting cloud solutions. 

 

One of the most popular cloud tools in the world is Microsoft 365. While many Brisbane companies use this as their cloud business solutions for the Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), the platform also includes several productivity and connectivity applications that can optimise multiple processes.

 

From OneDrive to Teams to SharePoint, there’s a lot of productivity power packed into Microsoft 365. One program in particular that’s particularly flexible to use several ways is SharePoint. 

SharePoint Tips to Encourage Better Workflows

SharePoint in Microsoft 365 is often misunderstood. People wonder, “Is it a file storage program?”, “Is it for hosting an internal webpage?”, “Is it for creating dynamic lists?”

 

The truth is that SharePoint can do all those things and more. Understanding all its benefits can help you get the most out of the application and build better workflows across several parts of your company.

 

Here are some SharePoint tips for making the most of SharePoint.

Use a Three-State Workflow to Track Tasks

SharePoint has many built-in workflows that allow you to save time and reduce dropped balls by automating processes.

 

One of these is called a three-state workflow, and it can be used for tracking project tasks to ensure they’re completed and eliminate the need for continual follow up.

 

The workflow uses Active, Ready for Review, and Complete as the three states. As soon as user marks one complete, the workflow will automatically alert the person responsible for the next step in the task and track progress.

Create a Self-Serve Document Flow

Someone in your HR department might be asked several times per month to email a list of company holidays or send the firm’s vacation form. Doing this repetitive file search and sending takes up valuable time and is inefficient.

 

SharePoint Communication sites are intranet sites that you set up for internal use only. They can create a self-serve environment for things like HR forms, marketing materials, and other corporate assets that make the entire document sharing process much more efficient. 

 

In this case, your HR department would just set up an HR-themed communication site in SharePoint and have all pertinent forms and information there that employees could access when they needed to.

Create Dynamic, Centrally Shared Lists

There are multiple lists that a company may use in the course of business. Lists of vendors, list of customers, and lists of potential leads are just a few of these.

 

Let’s look at lead lists that sales teams put together. Say that each person on the sales team is creating a list of leads on their computer, then all the lists have to be combined to upload into an email program. 

 

There are most likely going to be duplicates, different ways of entering data (QLD vs Queensland) and other discrepancies that will make creating a master list a nightmare for someone. 

 

SharePoint allows you to host dynamic lists that can be shared across departments or organisations. So, instead of everyone making their own list that then has to be integrated, they could all add to one dynamic list that is already set up for uniform data entry.

Give Departments a Secure Place to Share Data

SharePoint has group restrictions that allow you to create an internal SharePoint Team site that only people belonging to a specific department can access. 

 

This can allow teams to use their own webpage enabled site to host lists, share common website links, and interface securely online.

 

Team sites also connect to Teams, so the same department can chat on Teams while also accessing their SharePoint Team site interface – all of it protected from any unauthorised users. 

Make Collecting Feedback Much Simpler

Say you need feedback on a new marketing brochure. The typical route people take is to send it via email to everyone and ask their input. Then for a day or so, everyone on that email is receiving every reply – filling up their inboxes. 

 

Using SharePoint’s automated workflow for feedback collection can keep the process simple and much less cumbersome. 

 

Instead of receiving a flurry of emails, users send the feedback to SharePoint, which collects it nicely into a list for the person needing the feedback. No having to sort through multiple emails to copy/paste data into a document.

 

It can even automatically remind people who haven’t yet given their feedback, saving you from manual follow ups. 

Get Help Automating Processes & Boosting Productivity

Simple process automations can significantly improve your overall efficiency and make everyone’s lives easier. Let Connected Platforms help you put processes in place to simplify and streamline.

 

Would you like to learn more about some of the powerful SharePoint tips and tricks that you can implement to streamline your business processes? Contact our managed IT services Brisbane team for a free consultation today. Call (07) 3062 6932 or book a coffee meeting online.

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How to create secure passwords

How to create secure passwords

Weak passwords are one of the biggest security risks to your business.
Why?
Because cyber criminals are getting smarter than ever before. If they manage to crack just one password, they could gain access to your sensitive business data, financial information, or even gain control of your entire system.
Cyber criminals use automated tools to guess passwords, allowing them to try out millions of combinations in seconds. So, if you’re using something like “Password123” or “CompanyName2025”, you’re practically handing them the keys to your business.
A compromised password can lead to big issues, such as:
• Data breaches
• Financial losses
• Identity theft
• Reputation damage
But how do you create strong passwords without driving yourself (and your team) mad?
Think of your password like a secret recipe, where only you should know the ingredients. It should:
• Be at least 14 characters long (the longer, the better)
• Include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters
• Contain a few numbers and symbols (like @, $, %, or &)
• Not contain any common words or easily guessable information (like birthdays, names, or the word “password”)
Instead of using a single word, you could try a passphrase – a short, random sentence that only you would understand. For example, instead of “Sailing2025”, try something like “Coffee&CloudsAreGreat9!”. This is much harder to crack, yet still easy to remember.
You should also steer clear of these common mistakes:
• Using personal info (your name, birthday, business name, etc.)
• Reusing the same passwords across multiple accounts
• Using simple sequences (“123456” or “abcdef”)
• Storing passwords in an easily accessible place (like a sticky note on your desk)
If remembering unique passwords for every account sounds impossible, there is another option: Password managers. These generate strong passwords, store them securely and autofill them for you.
With a password manager, you only need to remember one strong master password for the manager app itself. The rest are encrypted and stored safely, reducing the risk of data breaches.
Even the strongest password isn’t foolproof, which is why multi-factor authentication (MFA) is also important. MFA requires a second form of verification, like a one-time code sent to your phone or generated from an authentication app.
If you have employees accessing your business systems, it’s a good idea to have a password policy in place to explain your rules and why they’re important. This should include:
• Unique passwords for each system and account
• Regular security training on password best practices
• Business-wide use of MFA for critical systems
• Scanning for compromised passwords regularly
By making password security a priority, you can reduce the chances of a cyber attack creating a nightmare for your business.
And if you need help making your business more secure, get in touch.

Beware these common ‘malvertising’ attacks

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Ever clicked an online ad and wondered afterwards if it was a scam?… most of us have – and cyber criminals want us to keep doing it. Here’s what to look out for to stop your business’s data (and profits) falling into the wrong hands…

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