Is your company deciding which intranet is right for your business? Or perhaps you're looking for a SharePoint alternative that makes employee communication and collaboration easier.
Microsoft SharePoint is widely used for document management, collaboration and information sharing. However, using it as a complete employee intranet can present challenges, particularly when organisations need advanced communication features, personalisation and access for frontline workers.
In this article, we'll explore the main disadvantages organisations may encounter when using SharePoint as an intranet and explain how Oak Engage can provide an alternative or complementary solution.
You don't necessarily need to replace SharePoint to improve your employee intranet.
A modern intranet can work alongside existing Microsoft 365 applications, supporting document access while providing more opportunities for employee communication, engagement and collaboration.
What is Microsoft SharePoint?
Microsoft SharePoint is a web-based collaboration and document management platform within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
It allows organisations to create team sites, store documents, share information and collaborate on files. Its version control and permissions help employees work with the appropriate information while maintaining access controls.
SharePoint is particularly useful for organisations that need a structured environment for storing, managing and sharing workplace documents.
However, document management is only one part of what many businesses need from an employee intranet.
Internal communications teams may also need personalised company news, employee recognition, social communities, mobile notifications and engagement analytics.
SharePoint is a powerful collaboration platform, but a successful employee intranet needs to consider the experience beyond document storage.
The right platform should help employees find information, communicate with colleagues and access important resources wherever they work.
For organisations that want to keep SharePoint, our guide to SharePoint and intranet integration explains how both platforms can complement each other.
Recommended reading
Planning a new intranet project? Explore how to build an intranet business case to support your organisation's investment decisions.
Disadvantages of Microsoft SharePoint
SharePoint has several strengths, but organisations can encounter difficulties when adapting it to meet more extensive intranet and employee engagement requirements.
Here are four challenges worth considering when evaluating SharePoint as your company's intranet.
Not always built around the end user
Good user experience is essential for an effective intranet. Employees should be able to locate information quickly and navigate the platform without unnecessary complexity.
SharePoint provides modern sites and mobile access, but some organisations find that creating a highly personalised employee experience requires additional configuration and design work.
Oak Engage focuses on employee usability, with personalised content and a mobile intranet app designed to help employees access their workplace information wherever they are.
Complicated setup and maintenance
SharePoint offers significant customisation, but more complex intranet projects may require specialist technical knowledge.
Organisations developing bespoke experiences may need internal SharePoint expertise or support from an external agency.
This can increase implementation and maintenance requirements, taking time away from internal communications and IT teams.
As a SaaS platform, Oak provides configurable intranet features alongside implementation guidance and ongoing support, reducing the need to build every feature from scratch.
Search and information discovery
Large organisations can have thousands of documents distributed across multiple SharePoint sites, libraries and other systems.
SharePoint offers search capabilities, but finding information across an organisation's wider technology environment may require additional configuration or integrations.
Oak provides AI-powered intranet search to help employees locate relevant workplace information.
Connecting search with existing document repositories can provide a simpler way for employees to discover the content they need.
Adapting to changing requirements
Employee communication requirements change as businesses grow, introduce new systems and support different working arrangements.
SharePoint can be extended and customised, but maintaining bespoke functionality may require additional technical work.
Organisations should consider how easily their intranet can be updated without creating new dependencies on developers or external consultants.
Oak is designed to evolve through ongoing product improvements, allowing teams to introduce new functionality while maintaining a familiar employee experience.
These challenges don't mean SharePoint is unsuitable for every organisation. Its value depends on how it is configured, the expertise available and the requirements of your workforce.
For organisations that prioritise internal communications, employee engagement and frontline accessibility, a purpose-built intranet can provide additional capabilities.
Benefits of Oak Engage over SharePoint: A comparison
Business connectivity is essential for maintaining productivity and ensuring employees have access to the information they need.
Oak Engage provides modern intranet software designed around employee communication, collaboration and engagement.
Let's compare some of the key considerations when choosing between a customised SharePoint intranet and Oak Engage.
| Area | SharePoint intranet | Oak Engage |
|---|---|---|
| Development requirements | Standard functionality can be configured without coding, but highly customised experiences may require specialist development. | Provides configurable intranet capabilities designed to reduce the need for bespoke development. |
| Configuration and maintenance | Complexity varies depending on the site architecture, integrations and custom functionality. | Offers a configurable SaaS platform with implementation support and ongoing product maintenance. |
| Implementation times | Timelines depend on scope, migration requirements and the amount of customisation involved. | Aims to simplify implementation, with rollout times depending on organisational requirements. |
| Making changes | Standard pages can be updated by authorised users, while more complex changes may involve IT or developers. | Provides configurable layouts and content management tools for ongoing administration. |
| Product improvements | Receives Microsoft updates, with organisations responsible for managing their own custom configurations. | Receives ongoing platform updates and enhancements from Oak. |
| Cost efficiency | Total cost depends on licensing, implementation, development, ongoing administration and support. | Subscription-based software can help organisations plan costs while reducing bespoke development requirements. |
| Integrations | Provides native connectivity with Microsoft 365 and supports other systems through available integrations. | Connects with SharePoint, Microsoft 365 and other workplace applications to support a central employee experience. |
Oak Engage and SharePoint don't have to be competing choices.
Organisations can continue using SharePoint for document management while introducing Oak to improve employee communication, access to information and engagement.
Explore Oak's intranet integrations to see how existing workplace applications can connect with the platform.
Exploring your options
When evaluating software for communication, collaboration and productivity, SharePoint is often one of the first options organisations consider.
However, the most suitable intranet depends on the needs of your employees, the systems you already use and the experience you want to provide.
Oak Engage has been developed with employee usability in mind, combining workplace communication, engagement and access to resources within a configurable platform.
Let's explore five capabilities that can support a more connected digital workplace.
Mobile app
Oak's mobile app helps employees access their company intranet wherever they work.
This is particularly valuable for organisations with frontline, deskless or remote workers who may not regularly use a workplace computer.
Employees can access relevant communications and workplace resources through their mobile devices.
Social intranet
Social features help organisations move beyond one-way company announcements.
Employees can participate in discussions, interact with content and recognise colleagues through the intranet.
This creates more opportunities for communication and helps employees feel connected to the wider organisation.
Hubs and communities
Want to improve your company culture and create stronger connections between employees?
Oak's hubs and communities provide spaces where colleagues can share information, discuss common interests and collaborate.
These features are especially useful for organisations whose employees work across different locations or shift patterns.
Content management
Effective content management helps employees find current, relevant information without navigating disconnected systems.
Oak provides tools for organising and distributing workplace content, alongside integrations with external applications and document repositories.
This allows organisations to keep using existing systems while improving the accessibility of important resources.
Pulse surveys and polls
Employees should have opportunities to share their feedback, ideas and concerns.
Oak's employee pulse surveys and polls help organisations gather feedback and understand employee sentiment.
These insights can support improvements in engagement, communication and the overall employee experience.
Which approach suits your organisation?
Consider this when document collaboration and Microsoft 365 integration are your main priorities and you have the resources to manage your intranet.
Consider a platform such as Oak when you need more emphasis on employee communication, personalisation, mobile access and engagement.
Maintain SharePoint for documents and collaboration while providing employees with a central intranet for communication and access to relevant resources.
Compare implementation, integration, ongoing administration, employee adoption and costs before choosing your approach.
If SharePoint remains an important part of your organisation's technology environment, learn more about how SharePoint and intranet platforms can work seamlessly together.
Taking the next step
The right intranet should help your organisation improve communication, support collaboration and make important information easier for employees to access.
SharePoint remains a valuable document management and collaboration platform, but organisations with broader employee engagement requirements may benefit from introducing a purpose-built intranet.
Oak Engage provides a modern intranet and employee app designed to support connected workplaces, including organisations with large frontline and distributed workforces.
Our team can help you understand how Oak fits alongside your existing technology and supports your organisation's communication and engagement goals.
