One of the most common uses of SharePoint is certainly the construction and management of corporate intranets, and in this regard, the Microsoft collaboration platform is one of the best solutions on the market. However, without a clear idea of where to put your hands or where to start, your intranet may struggle to take off or never leave the ground. Relying on a consulting service dedicated to the SharePoint intranet could be the right solution to obtain a digital infrastructure tailored to your company and be sure that your investment is not wasted. In this article, we will therefore see what services a specialized consultancy includes and we will discover who can help us in our process of designing and implementing an intranet worthy of the name.
Intranets are at the heart of every modern organization. Proper design and implementation are therefore fundamental objectives if you want to obtain a digital infrastructure capable of supporting the strategies and operational needs of your company.
Having the ability to access information, documents and tools is the basis for any office job now, so it is advisable not to take its proper development and daily use, as well as its adaptability, under the rug. Especially if we consider the evolution of the contemporary work landscape, increasingly oriented to remote and hybrid work.
For this reason, if you are lost in the sea of possibilities made available by SharePoint it would be better to rely on the advice of experienced professionals, so as to make the experience on your intranet as smooth and uncomplicated as possible.
So let's see how expert consultants can make the difference between a working intranet and a complete disaster.
First, however, let's do a brief review.
An intranet is a private network used within an organization, accessible only to its employees.
It works like an internal website that centralizes access to information, documents, and collaboration tools, making them securely available only to members of the organization.
Intranets are extremely flexible and scalable. They support a wide range of use cases and processes, offering value in multiple areas, including communication support, productivity, task completion, engagement and knowledge sharing.
Since its first appearance, almost twenty years ago, SharePoint has become synonymous with a corporate intranet for many companies.
And there is some truth in this now practically automatic association: the platform in fact provides its users with various tools and functionalities that can be used to create and manage an intranet.
Any examples?
We have features such as managing company documents and news, collaboration tools and internal/external communication for employees and team members engaged in common projects.
If you decide to build an intranet using SharePoint, you have three main options:
SharePoint intranets (and their homepages) are extremely flexible and companies can always build an intranet that reflects their particular needs thanks to the large number of features and web parts available in SharePoint.
Using SharePoint to create their corporate intranet has several advantages for anyone who decides to implement the Microsoft collaboration platform in their digital workplace.
Let's take a closer look at what these benefits are.
We created intranet.ai, which now has over 200 installations worldwide. It is the complete and customizable solution for digitizing the processes and communication of any company.
Our experts will help you:
Get in touch if you're considering an intranet project using SharePoint Online.
As we have seen, the situation can get complex rather quickly and getting lost in the sea of possibilities made available by SharePoint can be a rather common reality.
A shame, if we consider all the benefits listed above.
But all is not lost, because there are those who can help us on the adoption process.
A SharePoint consultant is a professional trained to teach companies the basics of document management and business communication through the correct use of the components that make up SharePoint Online sites, such as web parts, lists and document libraries.
In addition to providing advice and support to internal IT departments, these professionals are responsible for the architecture, design, development, maintenance, and migration of SharePoint-based sites.
In this way, they contribute in a concrete way to the construction of a digital work environment that is not only functional, but also intuitive and simple to use, modeled on the daily activities of users.
It is not uncommon for a solution such as the corporate intranet to be developed with significant investments, and then be overlooked by the users for whom it is intended. This often happens due to unclear navigation or the absence of useful tools to carry out activities in the new digital work environment.
A consulting service helps precisely to avoid these types of problems and to make your intranet the digital workplace that your company deserves and should use to bring its productivity to the top.
In addition, although SharePoint is a rather intuitive platform, there may be cases in which the customization of its components must go through the paths of programming and writing code.
Experienced consultants have the IT knowledge necessary to configure components such as libraries and web parts independently or to be able to communicate with the technicians of client companies.
Consequently, consulting could make the difference between experimenting with the potential of SharePoint and being able to express them without taking unnecessary risks.
Consulting begins with the design and architecture of the intranet, a crucial activity that starts from the analysis of business needs to arrive at the definition of a coherent, clear and easily navigable structure.
A content map is built based on the structure of the organization and a logical hierarchy of sites and subsites is created, in order to facilitate quick access to information.
Another fundamental aspect is graphic and functional customization.
SharePoint consultants adapt the intranet interface to the company's visual identity, developing tailor-made web parts and engaging layouts. This allows you to create functional home pages and dashboards, including company news, internal alerts, events and direct access to the most used tools.
On an operational level, SharePoint then makes it possible to simplify document management and automate workflows.
Consultants implement centralized, organized, and secure document collections, and design automated processes for approvals, requests, onboarding, and other recurring tasks. Thanks to granular permission management, you can control who can view, modify or share content.
A consulting service also helps to optimize internal communication, thanks to the configuration of communication sites that act as information hubs for departments or project groups.
The integration with Microsoft tools such as Teams, Outlook and Yammer promotes fluid, continuous and multichannel communication, with real-time notifications and updates that are always accessible.
Mobility is another key element.
Access to the intranet via a mobile app allows employees to remain operational even outside the office.
Consultants ensure that the user experience is fully responsive, making the platform securely accessible from any device and from any place, even in hybrid work or smart working environments.
From a security and compliance perspective, consultants support the company in correctly setting authorization levels and access policies.
Practices are adopted for data protection and compliance with current regulations, such as the GDPR or the NIS2 directives. In addition, all document activities and changes can be monitored through auditing and version control tools.
Staff training is an essential element for the success of any SharePoint project. Consultants provide personalized training courses, aimed at both end users and IT teams, accompanying the organization in the process of change. Educational materials, practical guides and video tutorials are produced to ensure that every employee can make the most of the platform.
Another critical area is migration from pre-existing systems.
Consultants plan and execute the transition from legacy platforms or local servers to SharePoint Online in a secure, orderly, and seamless manner. The migration includes data cleaning, content reorganization and testing to ensure the full functionality of the new environment.
Finally, the value of a consulting service is also measured in the post-implementation phase, thanks to continuous monitoring and progressive optimization interventions.
Consultants use analytical tools such as Power BI and Microsoft Viva to assess the level of adoption of the platform, collect feedback, and make targeted changes to further improve the intranet experience and effectiveness over time.
The SharePoint consultant profession has become very attractive in recent years, attracting an increasing number of people both because of their interest in Microsoft innovations and the promise of a competitive salary.
For companies, it has become more difficult to understand who to turn to in a market that is becoming saturated and where offers are expensive and limiting. Let's say 'limiting', because most consultants offer standard services.
The reason lies in the lack of strong technical know-how with which to model the platform, expanding its functionality with the addition of integrations and new components.
Some consultants may not have the experience to anticipate the friction between what SharePoint allows them to do and what needs to be inserted into a digital work environment to be of daily use.
The problem is rooted in a knowledge limited to the basic mechanisms of the platform, as well as in an experience that is too superficial to know how to get out of these patterns. But thankfully, the SharePoint consulting market is also evolving.
And Dev4Side, together with intranet.ai, is at the head of this evolution on the Italian and European scene.
With a portfolio of more than 200 successfully completed projects and the title of Microsoft Gold Partner, we have the skills to continue to improve our solution and solve the problems of each organization with which we have had the pleasure of collaborating.
In the last year alone, we have acquired more than 100 new customers and we have collaborations with international brands such as Ariston, Bulgari and BRT.
intranet.ai is our solution for an intelligent digital workspace, which offers a complete and easy-to-use SharePoint intranet to increase the productivity of your company with a minimum investment.
Our solution is operational within 24 hours of purchase.
We can help you customize the site with the contents and automations useful for your company and to train users in the management and use of their new intranet. The companies that chose us were able to adopt an already operational digital work environment, and then enrich it with functionalities built just for them.
Our job is to make that of others easier and we are ready to follow the growth of the intranet built together with customers even after the go-live, even months or years after the end of the collaboration.
We can support your company in promoting the functionality of the intranet with personalized communication campaigns, original information content and online training sessions, to involve colleagues in the launch of the portal and increase the adoption rate, and we help to measure its effectiveness and to spread its use among users.
We explain to the corporate audience how to use Microsoft tools and integrated services in the digital workplace, always based on the SharePoint Online intranet. We remain in constant contact to evaluate strategy changes and continue to refine the implemented solution.
The quality of the support we provide to each of our customers has been awarded by Software Advice with the Best Customer Support badge.
The “Best of” program helps companies find software providers with the highest ratings.
The intranet.ai team was thus recognized as the best in the Intranet Software category thanks to the excellent reviews obtained for:
You can therefore understand how intranet.ai cannot be reduced to a simple product, but it is a real continuous relationship with a team of professionals who want to give their customers not only the best intranet but also the best possible experience.
Your digital infrastructure must be based on solid and reliable tools, which adapt to the needs of your company and that are simple to use for your employees, and the intranet is no exception.
Therefore, relying on an expert consultancy service for your SharePoint intranet can really be the difference between a successful project and a black hole that can take away your time and resources.
So, if your goal is to obtain the best digital internal collaboration network on the market, SharePoint placed in the expert hands of professionals such as those of Dev4Side and intranet.ai may be the solution you were looking for to finally give your collaborators the right tools to do their best for their company.
A SharePoint intranet is an internal business portal, accessible only by authorized employees, that centralizes the management of documents, tools, news, and communications. It is based on the Microsoft SharePoint platform, and is designed to be highly customizable, scalable and perfectly integrated with Microsoft 365. The goal is to offer a secure, efficient and accessible digital environment from any device.
Using SharePoint to build your intranet significantly improves collaboration between employees, communication between teams and departments, and the management of business documents. It also allows you to access content and tools wherever you are, improving productivity and overall efficiency. The platform also guarantees high levels of security and is perfectly adapted to the company's visual identity and operational needs.
Professional advice helps companies navigate the many features offered by SharePoint, avoiding common errors in design, content management and platform customization. Thanks to the intervention of expert consultants, it is possible to build a coherent, intuitive intranet, graphically aligned with the corporate image and functional to the daily activities of users. In addition, the consultancy makes it possible to implement useful automations, simplify workflows and ensure proper management of security and permissions.
The service includes the analysis of business needs, the definition of the information architecture, the graphic and functional design of the platform, the development of customized components, the configuration of access permissions, the integration with other Microsoft tools, the migration of content from pre-existing systems and the training of users. After the launch, the consultants continue to follow the project with monitoring, optimization and continuous updates to ensure high adoption and an always satisfactory user experience.
Dev4Side, with the intranet.ai solution, offers complete and continuous consultancy, with more than 200 active projects and collaborations with companies such as Bulgari, Ariston and BRT. The solution can be activated within 24 hours of purchase and can be customized according to specific customer needs, including technical support, training, internal communication and measurement of effectiveness. The approach combines advanced technical skills, strategic capacity and attention to the involvement of end users.
Yes, especially if supported by competent advice. Although SharePoint is meant to be intuitive, its full customization and configuration may require specific technical knowledge. A consulting team allows the company to make the most of the potential of the platform without having to worry about the most complex aspects, offering ready-to-use solutions that are also flexible and scalable based on the evolution of the working environment.
intranet.ai is a ready-to-use solution based on SharePoint Online that allows you to activate a company intranet within 24 hours. Designed to offer a complete and intuitive experience, it allows you to centralize communications, documents and work tools in a modern, secure digital environment integrated with Microsoft 365. In addition to providing the technology, intranet.ai offers a personalized consulting service that accompanies the company in configuring content, training users, internal communication campaigns and monitoring adoption, ensuring constant support even after the initial launch.
The Modern Work team specializes in developing and integrating custom solutions across the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem. We design native applications for Microsoft and Azure platforms, and we implement business processes that maximize the return on investment in Microsoft 365.
