At PlanAxion, we are motivated to exploit the full potential of the tools at our disposal. So we are planning lunchtime courses so that as many people as possible can participate. It is always much appreciated! With this in mind and in order to offer our team ways to simplify the work process, the last training we organized focused on managing lists and libraries in Sharepoint. This powerful collaborative tool is full of features and possibilities that everyone should know.

1 — The creation of libraries

Libraries consist of a collection of files of the same type. By default, document libraries can be created. But it is possible to add many others, such as collections of images or forms.

It's not just about attaching files without a prior strategy. A bit like municipal libraries, which we all know, Sharepoint offers to configure and customize the tool. Depending on what we want, we can add or remove columns that will help with our work. For a project, you can think of creating a “Seller” column to quickly be aware of the employee who is responsible for it. It is also possible to show columns that provide information on the type of files. In all cases, the user has the choice to select columns that already exist in the system or to create new ones.

For both types, you can make it mandatory to add information to the sections. It is at the time of importing a file that a window will open to allow us to fill in the important boxes. It forces us to have good discipline when we slide documents into the library with the aim of coming back to do a search a little later. By having added mandatory values, the columns will eventually allow you to facilitate your filters, but also your groupings (just think of the seller column, which could help us to classify the items according to the person responsible for the sale).

Quick tip: activate grid mode to quickly make changes to multiple files. You will thus avoid doing the same maneuver several times.

Sharepoint allows us to store work files for personal use, but its primary objective is to promote team collaboration by sharing documents. Moreover, on this subject, you must create a view and activate the public mode to make the files visible and allow your colleagues to modify them.

2 — Team work: document validation

When working as a team, many people can edit documents. Sharepoint therefore decided to create a validation mechanism, which also makes it possible to reduce email exchanges. To do this, you must first set up an approval request in the library. Then we can add an approver group that may have different roles. These people are the last in the process to review the document. They can accept it as it is, refuse it, put it on hold, or write a comment.

Until the file has been approved, it is in draft mode. This increases security and guarantees better quality in the delivery of documents. In fact, it also allows your team to ensure that the final version is the correct one.

3 — Lists: for a global view of administration and management

Sharepoint lists have the ability to help facilitate administration. We can integrate libraries, but also customizable columns that we can then use to filter all the information that is there.

For example, one could decide to create a list for the management of resources in the company or even for the resolution of technical problems. This last list could be composed of columns for the description of the problem, the date of addition, the date of addition, the status, the designated person, etc. Columns can also be used to manage loans, holidays, incidents, and expense allowances. The potential is great, but above all, limitless.

We wish we could have inspired you to use lists and libraries in Sharepoint differently! PlanAxion is always looking for short courses (lasting about one hour) that can be given to our team at lunchtime. Do you have ideas or do you offer training yourself? Contact us to discuss it!