As a general rule of thumb, SharePoint is very good at editing, organizing, storing, and sharing internal documents and folders.
However, there are some scenarios where there are far better options. These include:
External document and file sharing, permissions and document control
Hosting of data-heavy files, such as CAD drawings or high-resolution photography
The single point of collaboration. Native integrations with applications like MS Teams provide a far more seamless and user-friendly solution.
When configuring your SharePoint structure, it is important to keep in mind a logical process that makes sense for everyone in your organization. This is normally created and instilled through clearly defined processes, simplicity, centralization and reusability.
The good thing is that the SharePoint connector has done the heavy lifting for you. When connected each project you create in Synergy has:
A dedicated folder per project (or site, depending on the configuration) for your project files to be stored.
A folder structure that mirrors your project template in Synergy.
Inherited security groups based on the security matrix in Synergy and SharePoint security groups.
What are the limitations of SharePoint?
SharePoint has some limitations and it is important to understand this when deciding on what the best structure is for your business.
Stated Microsoft limitations
When sites reach 30,000 files, files become difficult to move/copy
When lists or libraries reach 5,000 items, there is a break in security/ permission capabilities and SharePoint search can only return 5,000 results
When lists or libraries reach 5,000 items,
Performance issues begin to occur as early as 100,000 files per site and at 300,000 are known to have a severe performance impact.
What’s the best configuration for my organization?
The Synergy SharePoint connector has three different configurations available to all Synergy plans.
SharePoint site per year
How it works
Each calendar year, a new SharePoint site named [yyyy] Synergy Projects will be created. Each project created in Synergy will have a dedicated project folder within the SharePoint site's default document library (named ‘Documents’).
Why choose this configuration?
This option is the recommended and most popular SharePoint for Synergy users. It is the most flexible operation and is great for an organization that:
Do not generate over 50,000 files per year. (Depending on the document size, SharePoint performance is likely to decrease at this point).
Only have one office or would like all project information stored in one document library.
Do not require unique security permissions per project.
SharePoint site per year and document library per office
How it works
Each calendar year, a new SharePoint site named [yyyy] Synergy Projects will be created. For every office that you have set up a document library in SharePoint will be set up to match Synergy. The title of the document library will be the same as the Office name in Synergy.
Why choose this configuration?
Multi-office organizations that want separation in their file structure and
If you expect to generate over 50,000 files per year across offices.
Note that the sync location is determined by the office location that is selected when creating an opportunity or project in Synergy.
SharePoint site per project
How it works
For every project created in Synergy, a new SharePoint site will be created in Synergy.
Why choose this configuration?
If you generate a large number of files per project e.g. over 3000 files.
Require separate security permissions per project
Plan on using SharePoint for external document sharing – Not recommended! (why not try Synergy transmittals instead!)
SharePoint site per year with limited permissions
How it works
Curated redacted access of the Synergy platform. Enabling this feature requires professional support for setting up and configuring correctly. Synergy will only have access to selected sites that have been granted access to the platform – which means each site will require a manual set-up. Please note – that utilisation of this feature means outlook will not be enabled.
Why choose this configuration?
This option is specifically designed for companies with strict security protocols in place, allowing synergy granted access to certain sites only.