One evident impact of the ongoing digital revolution is the rise of the digital workspace. This has partly been driven by the rapid growth of SaaS-based applications and solutions. But the real catalyst in recent years has been the Covid-19 pandemic.
It has literally redefined the way organizations and individuals perceive work arrangements. Even though the pandemic has largely retreated from what it was like when it began, companies have not returned to the old ways of working. An increasing number of companies are now letting employees work from home or in a hybrid fashion.
Given this, Microsoft SharePoint has emerged as a critical tool for enabling enterprise-wide collaboration. It is a web-based intranet platform that integrates natively with other Microsoft products; companies use it to create websites, collaborate, and manage digital assets.
Intranet users often employed different add-ons to enhance their SharePoint 2010 or 2013’s capabilities. One could always find an add-on to buy regardless of what one was looking to do with it – be its workflow management, record management, or social networking.
However, when SharePoint was moved to Office 365, it did not have too many add-ins to offer. But recent years have changed this.
This article shares some of the top SharePoint add-ins you can use to create a proper digital workspace using the Microsoft SharePoint platform.
Top SharePoint Add-ins
1. Bamboo Calendar
The SharePoint Bamboo Calendar enables you to combine multiple calendars into one interface for centralized viewing and sharing. It, therefore, allows you to identify clashes, free slots, or overlaps between your various calendars, enabling more effective collaboration.
You can use it for prioritizing deadlines and managing workflows. Some of the significant features of SharePoint Add-Ins include:
- Unified calendar.
- Intuitive interface.
- Add SharePoint Calendar to your Outlook account.
- Configurable hover-over tooltips.
- Toggle the feature to view your SharePoint calendar in Gantt or calendar view.
- Color-code items depending on column value.
- Fast installation with no server code.
2. Ivero Approval Manager
The Ivero Approval Manager is a SharePoint online-based tool aimed at helping organizations manage approvals and automate workflows. You can easily create customized approval forms to enable better collaboration.
If you’re somebody who doesn’t like SharePoint lists, you would really like the Approval Manager add-in. You can use it to create approval forms, and approval flows and write emails during the workflow process. Here are some of its notable features:
- A free trial and a $499 one-time fee.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft Office 365.
- Customizable display settings, approval paths, and approval form fields.
- Export approval requests to CSV format files.
- Site license with unlimited users.
- It stores your data securely on your SharePoint Add-Ins server on-premises or in the cloud.
- No maintenance fees.
- Free updates and support.
3. Adaptive Cards Web Part
You can use this Web Widget (ASP.NET server control) to create your own Card-based user interface (UI) for your Microsoft SharePoint intranet. All you need to do is design your own Card and then just copy-paste its code into the Web Part.
It is a hassle-free way of improving the look of your SharePoint Add-Ins platform. You can use it to add engaging content directly to your apps. Here are some of its major features:
- Native performance on any device.
- Fully extensible to enable you to add your own elements.
- It is very interactive and dynamic.
- It automatically adapts to its surrounding UI.
- You can explore and share templates using the REST service.
4. DocuSign
Digital signatures are now a common feature of modern-day work life. Ever since the pandemic enforced social distancing upon us, individuals and organizations have had to turn to electronic signatures to sign important documents.
DocuSign is a powerful tool for signing contracts and documents digitally. You can use it as a SharePoint add-in to directly sign off your documents from the convenience of your SharePoint user interface – you would not have to manually upload documents then.
5. Kaboodle Word to Wiki Online
Word to Wiki Online, as the name itself suggests, converts Microsoft Word documents into SharePoint wiki and web publish pages. It saves you significant time by automatically migrating embedded graphics to the target web page without you manually doing it.
It is a cloud-based tool specifically designed to work with Microsoft SharePoint Add-Ins or 365.
Wrap-Up
That’s all for now, folks. We think these Microsoft SharePoint add-ins will genuinely make your SharePoint intranet a digital workspace. Time to scale collaboration and business growth with Microsoft 365 & SharePoint Services!