Microsoft SharePoint may have been developed to help you manage
mountains of data, but the real strength of the product lies in its
flexibility and support for add-ons. There are hundreds of add-ons
available for pretty much every version of SharePoint, which enhance its
existing functions and even offer new ones, to help you manage data
better. Here are 6 types of tasks you may need to perform with
SharePoint, and 12 add-ins that can help you do them better in onpremise
and online versions of SharePoint.
Content Management
Controlling which of your team members get to see a particular document or list in SharePoint is essential for proper knowledge management. User permissions and access rights have to be carefully managed, and although SharePoint does have some pretty good document security features built in, a third party add-in is always good to have for sensitive data files. Here are a couple of add-ins to help you with this.
For on premise SharePoint:
Knowledge Management -
Developed by Bamboo Solutions, this SharePoint add-in lets you manage an entire knowledgebase for your entire organization. You can control which categories and documents require special permission to view, search for content usingfilters like AND/OR, and even export articles in PDF format for archiving. Some other noteworthy features of the app include the following:
For SharePoint Online:
Project Documentation (PD)-
Developed by Rahul Prabhune, PD makes document management easy in SharePoint Online. The add-in does not exchange data with any external service, making it extremely secure. It lets you manage user permissions on individual documents, projects and applications at a granular level. Apart from that, you are likely to find the following features useful as well.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Maintaining SharePoint lists with contact details of customers and keeping track of leads to nurture them are two of the biggest challenges faced by professionals in charge of CRM. Fortunately, SharePoint add-ins include quite a few CRM solutions, which can help take the stress off CRM tasks for you. Here are a couple of add-ins that you might want to try out.
For on premise SharePoint:
BPA CRM-
Developed by BPA Solutions, this enterprise grade CRM add-in features more than 30 enterprise components, letting you customize it just the way you want it. The add-in can be installed on premise, in private clouds, or even with Office 365. The notable features of the product include the following:
For SharePoint Online:
iGlobe CRM Office 365-
Developed by iGlobe, this CRM add-in for Microsoft SharePoint Online and Office 365 lets you keep track of customers' contact details and seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, ensuring problem-free integrated operation. The major features of the add-in include the following:
Visualization
SharePoint can store enormous amounts of data, but you need to visualize the data properly, in order to extract actionable insights from it. This is where SharePoint charting solutions come in handy. These enterprise grade add-ins let you build stunning charts that help you study your data to a much deeper level than you would ever be able to, from a table or SharePoint list/view. Here are a couple of add-ins that you should probably try out right now.
For on premise SharePoint:
Collabion Charts for SharePoint-
With the ability to support multiple data sources including SharePoint lists/views, SQL Server/Oracle databases, Microsoft Excel workbooks, and CSV files, CCSP lets you create detailed charts with just a few clicks. Noteworthy features of the add-in include the following:
Collabion also offers an enterprise grade charting add-in for SharePoint Online, which lets you build 25+ varieties of charts using SharePoint lists as data source. You can get it here.
For SharePoint Online:
Infowise Smart Chart Pro-
Designed to help you build interactive charts from SharePoint lists, Infowise lets you visualize data and get insights in a matter of minutes. The major features of this add-in includes the following.
Workflow & Process Management
Managing SharePoint workflows can be quite a Herculean task, especially when you have lots of workflows within a single site. Add to that the monitoring of workflows for errors, as well as stopping/starting workflows as and when necessary, and the entire task can seem quite maddening. That's where these add-ins come in.
For on premise SharePoint:
SharePoint Workflow Status Monitor -
Developed by Virto Software, this add-in displays names and statuses of all SharePoint workflows within a single SharePoint site, and gives you a significant level of control over the workflows as well. It is compatible with SharePoint 2007, 2010, and 2013. The major features of the add-in include the following:
For SharePoint Online:
Actionspace: Tasks-Projects-Workflows (SharePoint)-
Actionspace: Tasks-Projects-Workflows is a completely customizable add-in for SharePoint Online, which lets you instantly view project workflows, automate recurring ones, and efficiently manage teamwork on a daily basis, so that deadlines are never missed. Noteworthy features of the add-in include the following.
Sales & Marketing
Managing sales and marketing teams and keeping track of clients/leads is no easy task. There are a gazillion details to keep track of, and although SharePoint does provide some features to help you do that, having a powerful add-in is guaranteed to help you get the most out of SharePoint. This is where these add-ins can prove to be useful.
For on premise SharePoint:
SideKick365 xRM Ultimate-
Developed by SkyLite Systems, SideKick365 xRM Ultimate is a sales and marketing add-in for both on-prem and online installations of SharePoint. The app lets you create projects with their own tasks, contacts, and docs, and integrates seamlessly with Outlook, letting you save files or e-mails directly into projects. Other useful features of the app include the following:
For SharePoint Online:
SmartCloud Connect for bpm'online-
The app connects to Outlook 2013 (or later versions) and Office 365, to bring the powerful features of bpm'online to your mailbox and calendar, without requiring any assistance from admins, as long as you have an Outlook 2013 (or later) and a bpm'online account. The major features of the app include the following:
Communication
Proper communication between members of the team(s) is crucial for the success of a project. However, it is not always possible to maintain a uniform mode of communication across the organization. After all, some of the team members may find it easier to use e-mails, while others swear by real time chatting software like Skype. This is where communication apps for SharePoint come in handy.
For on premise SharePoint:
Project Zero-
A discussion forum with plenty of advanced features, Project Zero doesn't communicate with any external service and only asks for read permission to utilize basic information of your SharePoint site. It is completely isolated from the security point of view, and can be used in on premise SharePoint installations, as well as in Office 365 environments. The major features of the app include the following.
For SharePoint Online:
QuestionBox -
Developed by FILD.NET, this SharePoint and Office 365 app allows employees to send questions directly to the CEO, a member of the board, or a subject matter expert of the company. If 360-degree feedback is one of the major HR processes in your organization, then QuestionBox can be a real asset for you. The developers also have plans to build a version for on premise SharePoint installations in the near future.
Here's what you can do with the app.
SharePoint add-ins can greatly extend the functionalities of the core software, provided you choose the wisely. Be absolutely certain of what you need before you go hunting for SharePoint apps, for on premise or online installations.
Content Management
Controlling which of your team members get to see a particular document or list in SharePoint is essential for proper knowledge management. User permissions and access rights have to be carefully managed, and although SharePoint does have some pretty good document security features built in, a third party add-in is always good to have for sensitive data files. Here are a couple of add-ins to help you with this.
For on premise SharePoint:
Knowledge Management -
Developed by Bamboo Solutions, this SharePoint add-in lets you manage an entire knowledgebase for your entire organization. You can control which categories and documents require special permission to view, search for content usingfilters like AND/OR, and even export articles in PDF format for archiving. Some other noteworthy features of the app include the following:
- Assign expiration dates to individual articles, so that end users only see recent articles.
- Create and manage all articles in the knowledgebase from a central, secure location.
- End users can submit questions to administrators of the knowledgebase.
For SharePoint Online:
Project Documentation (PD)-
Developed by Rahul Prabhune, PD makes document management easy in SharePoint Online. The add-in does not exchange data with any external service, making it extremely secure. It lets you manage user permissions on individual documents, projects and applications at a granular level. Apart from that, you are likely to find the following features useful as well.
- Customize the user interface of the application to maintain the branding of your organization.
- Freeze/unfreeze a section of any document to make it read-only/editable respectively.
- Re-order projects and sections with drag and drop functionality.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Maintaining SharePoint lists with contact details of customers and keeping track of leads to nurture them are two of the biggest challenges faced by professionals in charge of CRM. Fortunately, SharePoint add-ins include quite a few CRM solutions, which can help take the stress off CRM tasks for you. Here are a couple of add-ins that you might want to try out.
For on premise SharePoint:
BPA CRM-
Developed by BPA Solutions, this enterprise grade CRM add-in features more than 30 enterprise components, letting you customize it just the way you want it. The add-in can be installed on premise, in private clouds, or even with Office 365. The notable features of the product include the following:
- You can install plenty of other third party add-ins and connect them to BPA CRM for additional functionalities.
- You can work in 15+ languages, which BPA CRM natively supports.
- Native integration with Microsoft Office means you can work with any file in the Office suite without having to grapple with compatibility issues.
For SharePoint Online:
iGlobe CRM Office 365-
Developed by iGlobe, this CRM add-in for Microsoft SharePoint Online and Office 365 lets you keep track of customers' contact details and seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, ensuring problem-free integrated operation. The major features of the add-in include the following:
- Generate reports in Microsoft Excel and Power BI.
- Install, configure and run within an hour.
- Connect additional third party apps to iGlobe CRM for additional functionalities.
Visualization
SharePoint can store enormous amounts of data, but you need to visualize the data properly, in order to extract actionable insights from it. This is where SharePoint charting solutions come in handy. These enterprise grade add-ins let you build stunning charts that help you study your data to a much deeper level than you would ever be able to, from a table or SharePoint list/view. Here are a couple of add-ins that you should probably try out right now.
For on premise SharePoint:
Collabion Charts for SharePoint-
With the ability to support multiple data sources including SharePoint lists/views, SQL Server/Oracle databases, Microsoft Excel workbooks, and CSV files, CCSP lets you create detailed charts with just a few clicks. Noteworthy features of the add-in include the following:
- Offers seamless compatibility with SharePoint 2010, 2013, and 2016.
- Supports 55+ types of charts, including line, bar, pie, scroll, and even specialized variants like Marimekko, and Waterfall.
- 100% codeless add-in, lets you build charts without writing a single line of code.
Collabion also offers an enterprise grade charting add-in for SharePoint Online, which lets you build 25+ varieties of charts using SharePoint lists as data source. You can get it here.
For SharePoint Online:
Infowise Smart Chart Pro-
Designed to help you build interactive charts from SharePoint lists, Infowise lets you visualize data and get insights in a matter of minutes. The major features of this add-in includes the following.
- Offers 30+ chart types to let you visualize data the right way.
- You have complete control over borders, background colors, and layouts.
- You can choose between 4 languages - English, German, French, and Spanish.
Workflow & Process Management
Managing SharePoint workflows can be quite a Herculean task, especially when you have lots of workflows within a single site. Add to that the monitoring of workflows for errors, as well as stopping/starting workflows as and when necessary, and the entire task can seem quite maddening. That's where these add-ins come in.
For on premise SharePoint:
SharePoint Workflow Status Monitor -
Developed by Virto Software, this add-in displays names and statuses of all SharePoint workflows within a single SharePoint site, and gives you a significant level of control over the workflows as well. It is compatible with SharePoint 2007, 2010, and 2013. The major features of the add-in include the following:
- Highlights workflows with errors in red, so that you can quickly spot them and resolve the errors.
- Offers two views - list and workflow details, and lets you quickly switch between them.
- Can support as many as 5000 workflows, ensuring high productivity.
For SharePoint Online:
Actionspace: Tasks-Projects-Workflows (SharePoint)-
Actionspace: Tasks-Projects-Workflows is a completely customizable add-in for SharePoint Online, which lets you instantly view project workflows, automate recurring ones, and efficiently manage teamwork on a daily basis, so that deadlines are never missed. Noteworthy features of the add-in include the following.
- Automated workflow templates let you build new workflows quickly.
- Interactive Gantt charts let you view project statuses at a glance.
- Synchronizes with SharePoint content automatically.
Sales & Marketing
Managing sales and marketing teams and keeping track of clients/leads is no easy task. There are a gazillion details to keep track of, and although SharePoint does provide some features to help you do that, having a powerful add-in is guaranteed to help you get the most out of SharePoint. This is where these add-ins can prove to be useful.
For on premise SharePoint:
SideKick365 xRM Ultimate-
Developed by SkyLite Systems, SideKick365 xRM Ultimate is a sales and marketing add-in for both on-prem and online installations of SharePoint. The app lets you create projects with their own tasks, contacts, and docs, and integrates seamlessly with Outlook, letting you save files or e-mails directly into projects. Other useful features of the app include the following:
- Supports granular level security on Projects, Opportunities, Accounts, and Contacts.
- You can create multiple teams, such as product/sales teams, region-wise groups, and can also support more than one company within the same instance.
- You can customize modules unlimited number of times.
For SharePoint Online:
SmartCloud Connect for bpm'online-
The app connects to Outlook 2013 (or later versions) and Office 365, to bring the powerful features of bpm'online to your mailbox and calendar, without requiring any assistance from admins, as long as you have an Outlook 2013 (or later) and a bpm'online account. The major features of the app include the following:
- Extract contacts, leads, planned tasks, associated accounts, and events from e-mails.
- Share events and e-mails (along with attachments) to CRM directly, with a single click.
- Link e-mails and calendar entries directly to any object present in bpm'online, including accounts, contacts, and leads.
Communication
Proper communication between members of the team(s) is crucial for the success of a project. However, it is not always possible to maintain a uniform mode of communication across the organization. After all, some of the team members may find it easier to use e-mails, while others swear by real time chatting software like Skype. This is where communication apps for SharePoint come in handy.
For on premise SharePoint:
Project Zero-
A discussion forum with plenty of advanced features, Project Zero doesn't communicate with any external service and only asks for read permission to utilize basic information of your SharePoint site. It is completely isolated from the security point of view, and can be used in on premise SharePoint installations, as well as in Office 365 environments. The major features of the app include the following.
- Customize the app with your branding to offer a continuous user interface to everyone.
- Comment on topics of discussions using preset perspectives like "Agree", "Differ", "Answer", "Question", and "Conclude". You can also reply on other people's comments.
- Create a new topic and start a discussion with it, or attach files for even better impact.
For SharePoint Online:
QuestionBox -
Developed by FILD.NET, this SharePoint and Office 365 app allows employees to send questions directly to the CEO, a member of the board, or a subject matter expert of the company. If 360-degree feedback is one of the major HR processes in your organization, then QuestionBox can be a real asset for you. The developers also have plans to build a version for on premise SharePoint installations in the near future.
Here's what you can do with the app.
- See all public and private questions in a list.
- Delete questions or mark them as private (feature available to administrators only).
- Change the status of private questions to public or vice versa, whenever necessary.
SharePoint add-ins can greatly extend the functionalities of the core software, provided you choose the wisely. Be absolutely certain of what you need before you go hunting for SharePoint apps, for on premise or online installations.
Debraj for over a decade has been to Sales, Account Management
and Channels. Now trying to learn different aspects of MS SharePoint. To
gather valuable insights from the Data to decisions is his passion.He
is active on various SharePoint communities. To know more click http://www.collabion.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Debraj_Banerjee/2325523
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