The Problem: Default Alerts Can Be Confusing SharePoint’s out-of-the-box email alert functionality enables users to receive notifications when changes occur on sites, lists, libraries, or list items. However, the default formatting of these alerts often lacks clarity and context that recipients need to quickly understand the notification and determine any required actions. Some common issues…
Defining the Core Problem Issue tracking workflows in SharePoint have two main approaches: out-of-the-box workflows included with SharePoint, and custom workflows built specifically for an organization’s needs. The key differences come down to flexibility vs simplicity. Out-of-the-box workflows provide an easy starting point to automate processes without extensive coding. But they lack deeper customization options….
Common Email Workflow Errors Email workflows in SharePoint Designer often encounter errors that prevent emails from being sent properly. Some common errors include: Failed to start workflow – This means the workflow failed to initialize. Potential causes include incorrect permissions, the workflow being too complex, or platform resource limitations. Workflow stuck on a step –…
What are SharePoint Workflows? SharePoint workflows are automated processes that allow users to model business processes and workflows in SharePoint. Workflows define a sequence of actions that can be triggered automatically when an item in SharePoint is created or modified. Out-of-the-box workflows provided by SharePoint include approval workflows for reviewing content, three-state workflows for managing…
Maintaining Document Integrity During Migration When migrating documents into SharePoint, it is critical to preserve the integrity of those files to ensure no data or metadata is lost in the process. Before beginning a migration, do a complete assessment of the current file formats, metadata requirements, access permissions, and content structure. This analysis will uncover…
What Causes Metadata and Version Loss? When moving or migrating documents in SharePoint, associations between files, metadata, and prior version histories can become broken. This leads to issues finding documents, loss of compliance and records management capacity, and knowledge workers lacking needed context around document origins and changes over time. Most commonly, metadata and version…
What is Version History and Why Does it Matter When Moving Files? Version history refers to the ability within SharePoint to store and track multiple iterations of files as they are edited over time. It creates backups of past document states, stores information on revisions such as timestamps and editors, and allows users to view,…
The Problem: Lost Version History During Migration When moving or migrating files in Office 365, users can unintentionally lose important version history information. This metadata includes details on previous iterations of the file, who made changes and when, and more. Losing this context during a migration can limit visibility into the evolution of content and…
Why Metadata and Version History Matter Metadata and version history are critical to maintaining context and records when moving documents in SharePoint. Metadata refers to data that describes and gives information about other data, such as documents stored in SharePoint. This can include details like document authors, creation dates, custom tags and ratings, taxonomy fields,…
Why Color Code Rows Color coding list rows by status provides visual organization for SharePoint lists and enables users to quickly identify the status represented by each row. Appropriate use of color contrasts, status icons, and descriptive text can enhance the user experience and enable users to parse information more efficiently. Improve Visual Organization Color…