The answer is maybe. SharePoint can be used for project management, but it is primarily designed as a document management and collaboration platform. Here’s how SharePoint can be leveraged for project management and the considerations you should keep in mind:
Understanding SharePoint’s Core Strength: Document Management
SharePoint’s primary strength lies in document management. You can create libraries, folders, and files, set permissions, and share these with both internal and external parties. This makes SharePoint ideal for managing project documentation, such as reports, plans, and contracts. You can organize your documents into different libraries—such as one for projects, marketing, etc.—and further break these down into subfolders as needed.
Using SharePoint Lists for Task Management
SharePoint also includes lists, which can be used to track tasks and project activities. Lists offer various views, including Kanban boards, to visualize task status. While the default experience is functional, you can significantly enhance it by customizing the list using Power Apps, Microsoft’s no-code platform. With Power Apps, you can build a full-fledged project management application tailored to your specific workflow needs.
Automation with Power Automate
One of SharePoint’s strengths is its integration with Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow), which allows you to automate workflows. For example, you can create a workflow that automatically triggers when a file is added to a specific folder, sending notifications or updating task lists. This level of automation can help streamline repetitive tasks and improve project efficiency.
Reporting and Dashboards
SharePoint allows you to create web parts that display information such as project status directly on your project site. For more advanced reporting, you can integrate SharePoint with Power BI to create dashboards that provide detailed insights into project metrics. These dashboards can pull data from SharePoint lists or even other project management tools, offering a comprehensive view of your project’s progress.
Collaboration through Microsoft Teams
SharePoint integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams, allowing you to access SharePoint documents directly from Teams. The OneDrive app within Teams combines both SharePoint and OneDrive files, making it easier to collaborate on documents without leaving the Teams environment.
Considerations for Using SharePoint in Project Management
Although SharePoint provides strong functionalities, creating a custom project management system with it can be labor-intensive and demands continuous maintenance. For less complex project management needs, it might be beneficial to use tools that seamlessly integrate with SharePoint, Teams, and the broader Microsoft 365 environment.
Planner: This lightweight project management tool integrates with SharePoint but lacks comprehensive file management features. It is ideal for projects not heavily reliant on file organization.
Trovve: For projects that are highly dependent on files, Trovve is an excellent choice. Trovve enables efficient management of files, folders, and sharing within the app, seamlessly integrating with tasks and projects, and ensuring proper file storage locations automatically. Try Trovve on Microsoft Teams free for 7 days – no credit card required
Final Recommendation
Unless you have highly specialized project workflows, it’s often better to use a dedicated project management tool that integrates with SharePoint rather than building a custom solution within SharePoint itself. Use SharePoint for what it does best—managing documents—and complement it with other tools like Planner or Trove for broader project management needs.
You might also be interested in:
Is Microsoft Planner a Project Management Tool?
Can You Use Microsoft 365 for Project Management?
How Can I Integrate Microsoft Outlook with Microsoft Planner?
