3 Common Challenges of SharePoint for Enterprises

SharePoint is an enterprise content management software that was developed by Microsoft. It is a favorite among many business enterprises due to its scalability and easy adoption. For instance, the newest version of the software, SharePoint Server 2016, is compatible with earlier versions of Office software including Office 2007. Therefore, SharePoint is appropriate for use in a hybrid environment where a wide range of software work in cohorts to meet the operational needs of your business.

However, the scalability and accommodating nature of SharePoint appears to be its setback as well. Here are some of the challenges that users of SharePoint face.

Slow Speeds

SharePoint is very easy to use and comes with a lot of functional capabilities. More specifically, SharePoint incorporates capabilities such as carrying out searches on internal databases and the internet, content management, social networking, and collaboration. This means that users of SharePoint can download and install many applications and also create complex workflows that can process huge amounts of data. This is not necessarily a bad thing for your organization.

However, these complex operations mean that the speed at which commands are executed can be greatly slowed. Slow functionality can in turn greatly affect the productivity of your workforce. The extent of slowness to respond will further depend on the performance of your host computer and the internet connectivity that you are using. You can help by purchasing a more powerful computer as your server and also increasing the bandwidth of your internet connection.

Hard to Diagnose Problems

Due to the fact that SharePoint is easily customized by the various employees that may be using it, it is usually a nightmare detecting when glitches arise. An attempt to diagnose these problems by examining SQL clusters can be a daunting task due to the varied sequences arising from the numerous applications installed. It is like searching for a needle in a stack of hay. The chances of succeeding as pretty slim.

In the end, you may find that you cannot easily pinpoint the cause of a problem in the functionality of the software. This may result in denial-of-services, loss of time, and reduced productivity. You may also incur extra expenses hiring an expert to fix bugs in your system. To avoid such instances, there are a number of analytical tools that you can use together with SharePoint such as Riverbed. The use of analytics for Office 365 can also come in handy here.

SharePoint Sprawl

Another challenge that you’re likely to face as a SharePoint user is sprawl. This refers to an accumulation of sites that are rarely used or redundant within your system. Information held in sprawl is no longer useful to you anymore or can be outdated.

The problem with SharePoint sprawl is that it makes locating information within the system very difficult. This can have damaging ramifications, especially during legal cases. It also hampers the prudent management of information.

Conclusion

The fact that SharePoint software uses multiple applications at once can lead to compromised speeds. Therefore, the main reason why most users prefer using SharePoint Server is also one of its main challenges. Furthermore, this scalability also makes it very difficult for diagnosing problems whenever they occur. The I/O protocol can be so jumbled up that it’s very difficult to locate errors. This can hamper productivity and lead to denial-of-service. SharePoint sprawling where useless information is still held within the SharePoint platform is also a challenge that many users have to contend with. These challenges, however, can be overcome by educating employees and using other analytical tools and software appropriately.