Integrating SharePoint with Microsoft Project

In addition to using SharePoint for creating a flexible corporate intranet, you can also use it as a bridge to Microsoft Office products and files.

Many users don’t realize how seamlessly SharePoint integrates with other Microsoft products, yet it is precisely this integration and interoperability across the Microsoft technology ecosystem that makes it useful for completing all sorts of tasks and projects efficiently within an organization.

With Microsoft Project, for example, you can take a list of tasks already in Project and sync those tasks using Task Lists. You can also take a SharePoint list and create one in Project. You can also use this to publish a project and create document libraries. If you need to correlate tasks lists to complete segments within a project in a specific order, you can do so. It even enables users to set a Due Date for tasks.

In the event a specific project becomes complex or too large, the task can be used with enterprise project management tools such as Project Professional or Project Server. In other words, SharePoint can grow and adapt with your business.

Another example can be found with the Collect Signatures workflow in SharePoint, which is used to gather digital signatures for a Microsoft Office document. Such a signature is not unlike that found on a conventional printed document, but may also include other digital stamps to ensure the authenticity and validity of the signature. In addition to Word documents, Collect Signatures can be used with Excel documents and InfoPath forms.

SharePoint also offers the eDiscovery feature, which provides organizations with a single, centralized location from which records managers and others can find digital documents across sites, email, and instant messaging. This information might be needed in the discovery phase of legal cases or to comply with regulations or audits. Such searches can be executed across different types of hardware.

SharePoint works with other Microsoft products your organization may be using, such as Exchange and Lync, as well as on-premise file sharing systems.

What’s particularly useful is the wealth of resources Microsoft provides its users and developers. More than simple documentation, it provides training resources, video, and software developer kits as well as apps for SharePoint.

Want to know how to use JavaScript or .NET APIs with SharePoint? Do you need connectivity with external databases such as those for SAP, enterprise resource planning or customer relationship management? Want to add or move content databases? Need to have your apps work with Azure? That information is readily available in multiple formats.

What’s Next?

Integrating with Microsoft Project is just one of the many things you can do with SharePoint besides internal project collaboration. For five more good ideas, see the new Datavail whitepaper, Six Effective Ways to Use SharePoint. It covers such uses as managing a library of digital assets, building websites, or improving discovery and compliance procedures.

If you have questions about how to implement and integrate any of these ideas into your operations, Datavail can work with you and your organization to effectively leverage SharePoint and your data assets for your benefit and that of your clients and customers.

To learn more about our remote database services and how our experts can help with your ongoing SharePoint operations, please contact Datavail to discuss a custom solution designed for your enterprise and regularly check our blog for DBA news, updates, and tips.

Image: 123RF/everythingpossible