Moving To SharePoint? Think Sites not Folders.

Microsoft SharePoint

We often get asked by clients migrating to SharePoint whether they should create SharePoint sites for their departments and projects or emulate the folder structure from their network drives in a Document library? Here are a few reasons why you should create a site instead of migrating the file structure to a document library.

Scalability

Placing all your files into one document library will eventually become unmanageable as the business grows. Creating a site for each department or project ensures scalability and future growth.

sharepoint scalability

Flexibility

Having a SharePoint site also allows you to utilise many other elements such as Calendars, Media reporting and other non-document related content.

SharePoint FlexibilityFile management and Security

Managing files and security at site level is much easier than trying to grant permissions for individual files and folders. You can use top-level Web sites and sub-sites to divide content into distinct, separately manageable sites to help you organise department and client files.

Functionality

Creating a SharePoint site offers far more functionality in terms of design, customisation and user interface.

SharePoint Functionality

Should I create a team site or a communication site?

Use a team site when you want to collaborate with other members of your team or clients on a specific project. With a team site, all or most members can contribute content to the site and the information is limited to only the members of the team or project and specific clients. If you intend to broadcast information out to a wider audience, a communication site is the better choice. With a communication site, usually only a small set of members contribute content that is consumed by a much larger audience.