In April of this year, SharePoint 2013 officially entered End-Of-Life, meaning extended support came to a halt. For organisations still using SharePoint 2013, there are still options available to ensure your solution works as intended for years to come. We list the options for those that are looking to secure their data and continue using SharePoint.

Upgrade
The most straightforward option is to upgrade to a newer version of SharePoint. With SharePoint Online (cloud-based) and SharePoint 2019 (on-prem) you can secure your sensitive data and information while enjoying new benefits, bug fixes, and support for several years. SharePoint 2016 is also available, though mainstream support has ended and extended support will only last until 2026.

Data migration
Plan and execute the migration of your data from SharePoint 2013 to the new version or SharePoint Online. This may involve using migration tools and scripts to ensure a smooth transition.

Rebuild or reconfigure customisations
If you have customisations, workflows, or third-party applications integrated with SharePoint 2013, you may need to rebuild or reconfigure them to work with the new version. Be prepared for potential incompatibilities and changes in the platform.

Training
Ensure that your team is trained and familiar with the new SharePoint environment. There could be changes in the user interface and additional features to learn, so training can help users adapt quickly.

Backup and compliance
Ensure that you have backups of your data before migration. Also, consider compliance requirements and make sure they are met in the new SharePoint environment.

Keep security in mind
As SharePoint 2013 is no longer supported, it’s essential to maintain security by isolating it from the public internet, using firewalls, and applying security best practices to reduce risks until you decide the best course of action.

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace landscape, collaboration, information management, and seamless communication are essential for productivity and success. SharePoint, Microsoft’s powerful collaboration platform, plays a pivotal role in modern workplaces by providing a versatile set of tools and capabilities that empower organisations to adapt to the demands of the digital age. In this article, we’ll delve into the multifaceted role of SharePoint in shaping and enhancing modern workplaces.

Centralised Document Management

SharePoint serves as a centralised hub for document management, enabling organisations to store, organise, and share documents efficiently. With version control, document co-authoring, and robust search functionality, SharePoint simplifies document collaboration and retrieval, reducing the time spent searching for information and minimising version control headaches.

Collaboration Hub

Modern workplaces thrive on collaboration, and SharePoint is designed with this in mind. It facilitates team collaboration through features like SharePoint Team Sites, where teams can create dedicated spaces to share documents, communicate, and collaborate on projects. SharePoint also integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams, further enhancing real-time collaboration.

Intranet and Employee Portals

SharePoint provides the foundation for building intranets and employee portals. These platforms serve as a central destination for employees to access news, announcements, company policies, and essential resources. They can also foster a sense of community and belonging within the organisation.

Workflow Automation

Automation is a hallmark of modern workplaces, streamlining repetitive tasks and improving efficiency. SharePoint’s workflow capabilities allow organisations to automate processes, such as approval workflows, document routing, and task management, reducing manual effort and minimising errors.

Business Intelligence

Data-driven decision-making is crucial in modern workplaces, and SharePoint offers Business Intelligence (BI) features that enable organisations to visualise data, create dashboards, and gain insights. With Power BI integration, SharePoint users can generate reports and charts that inform strategic choices.

Mobile Accessibility

With the rise of remote work and the need for flexibility, mobile accessibility is vital. SharePoint ensures that users can access documents, collaborate with colleagues, and stay informed about company updates through mobile apps and responsive web interfaces.

Compliance and Security

Modern workplaces must navigate a complex landscape of data compliance and security. SharePoint offers features like data loss prevention (DLP), eDiscovery, and compliance center capabilities to help organisations meet regulatory requirements and protect sensitive information.

Customisation and Extensibility

Every organisation is unique, and SharePoint recognises this by providing extensive customisation options. Modern workplaces can tailor SharePoint to their specific needs through custom web parts, apps, and integrations with third-party tools.

Integration with Microsoft 365

SharePoint seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft 365 applications, such as Microsoft Teams, OneDrive for Business, and Outlook. This integration creates a cohesive digital workplace ecosystem, streamlining communication and collaboration across the organisation.

SharePoint has evolved to become an indispensable component of modern workplaces, providing a versatile platform for collaboration, document management, automation, and much more. Its ability to adapt to the changing needs of organisations and its commitment to enhancing productivity and efficiency make it an integral part of the digital workplace. As businesses continue to evolve, SharePoint will likely continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the way we work in the modern world.

As a platform for enterprise users and global organisations to use as their core intranet system, SharePoint’s security capabilities are extremely robust. However, as with any system, these security parameters need to be properly set up and optimised or it risks being compromised.

Microsoft has implemented numerous security features within SharePoint and continually updates security features to meet the demands of modern enterprise security. We take a look at some SharePoint security best practices to be aware of and implement.

As with all Microsoft solutions, SharePoint has several security levels to protect users. These levels include security protection for applications, data, access, data centers and networks. Within SharePoint, an automated anti-virus feature is present to scan and check files within a site for viruses and malicious software.

Avoid human error

Mitigate the risk of security breaches by tackling potential human error. Ensure your users are familiar with security best practices by encouraging a few simple steps:
Use a strong password – Passwords should not be easily guessed and it is recommended to use a long, complex password to ensure accounts are not quickly brute-forced by password crackers.
Back up regularly – Users should be reminded to save data whenever possible to avoid losing it from unexpected circumstances.
Avoid using public devices and networks – Unsecure networks may have malicious attackers waiting to steal data, the same goes for public devices that can be unwittingly accessed.
Personal devices – Bring Your Own Device is not uncommon in modern working environments which means a security risk in using personal devices. Users must be aware of the risks and ensure their devices are protected from security risks.

User groups

User groups can be set up within SharePoint to bring together teams and collaborators within a project. Administrators then assign member types and access privileges. Users groups are a good way of managing permissions within a group of users.

Assign administrators

An administrator is identified as the user responsible for overseeing the activities within a group. This user will be able to moderate the content being shared in the group adding an extra layer of security. With higher privilege rights, this user will be a trusted individual.

Avoid low-level permissions

In contrast to group and member privileges, users can set document-level permissions to restrict or allow access to certain files. This will quickly become unmanageable as there will be vast amounts of documents spread across many sites. Due to permission inheritance in SharePoint, document-level permissions can have a negative effect on a site.

If your business is looking to migrate workloads and systems, you’ll need to ensure that you’ve done careful planning beforehand. Be aware of the potential challenges and unexpected situations that may arise in your migration journey. You may be planning to migrate to the cloud for the first time, or moving to the latest SharePoint version, or even just to reorganise your data and content better. In any case, check out our SharePoint migration planning checklist for a general overview of steps to take. Minimise the risks and be prepared for a smooth migration.

Identify challenges

Your first step should be to clearly identify your current pain points and the challenges that you’re facing. It’s beneficial to understand what problems the new solution will fix. Ensure your migration plans align with your business goals.

These are some of the most common reasons that companies are looking for SharePoint migration:

• Advanced security features
• Better support
• More storage capacity
• Customizable features
• Zero maintenance
• Automated features

Auditing

The next step is to audit your current environment. Make notes on what your current solution is, for example; is it an outdated version of SharePoint/SharePoint Online, is it on-prem, or what other systems are connected to it? What departments and teams currently have access to it and is there any custom functionality that needs to be imported over to the new solution? These will help shape your migration and avoid missing key content in the final version.

Inventory clean-up

We strongly recommend tidying your inventory after evaluating the existing system. We recommend focusing on the most important content and avoiding outdated and irrelevant data being imported unnecessarily. Things to look out for are duplicate content, unused workflows and data, and orphaned users. This includes restructuring disorganised content prior to the migration so it progresses smoothly.

Preparation

Make a plan of action before starting the migration process. This way, you’ll have clear steps to take and avoid mistakes. The changeover process in a SharePoint migration plan example entails:

• Stopping the workflows that are about to be migrated
• Setting your previous database to read-only
• Backing up all of your content before you begin the move to SharePoint Online
• Performing a database attach-upgrade when migrating from SharePoint 2013
• Using the SharePoint migration tool in scanning, packaging, uploading, and importing your files
• Configuring user profiles

Inform users

Before you move, you’ll need to communicate with your teams so they know the timeframe, impact, and what to expect during the migration so they won’t be caught off guard. You may also need to provide training and support as they get to grips with the new system after the migration is complete.

Moving in waves

Some companies prefer to migrate in phases as it allows them to build content maps, which ensures teams can track the progress of content as it is migrated. The option of migrating one workload at a time makes the process easier to manage and allows companies to resolve individual issues as they pop up.

An example process would look like this:

• Pause the workflows that are to be migrated
• Change previous database to read-only
• Securely back up all content before the migration
• Perform a database attach-upgrade
• Use the SharePoint migration tool to assist the move
• Configure all necessary user profiles

Post-migration checks

Finally, before launching the completed system to everybody, make sure you have a post-migration testing checklist. Test that everything works as intended, including permissions, workflows, connectors, performance and UI. You’ll also need to ensue all the data has been moved over completely and is accessible. Remember to make a backup of your new system and run a full crawl.