SharePoint Systems

We are a dynamic, creative, intelligent group of SharePoint Developers and Consultants that pride ourselves on out-the-box, creative & unique ways of problem-solving. Using our highly advanced Software and Applications to create unique, custom systems for each individual.

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Reasons to Choose Office 365 SharePoint

As our company started to grow, it was immediately evident that we were lacking systems for each department and function in the company. Even the simple things, such as taking notes for an incoming lead/customer, needed an upgrade.We were writing down the information of pieces of paper, which ...

As our company started to grow, it was immediately evident that we were lacking systems for each department and function in the company. Even the simple things, such as taking notes for an incoming lead/customer, needed an upgrade.We were writing down the information of pieces of paper, which were then handed over the relevant person but shortly lost thereafter.We were missing out computer maintenance dates, forgetting meetings, double booking the boardroom, you know, the same issues most companies deal with. Once we had realised our issues, we then decided to find some software that would help sort this out.It was extremely easy to find software to cater for each specific function we were trying to "upgrade", but the major issues were the disparate islands of data that would collect and then the new arising issue of trying to bridge this data together. Our search didn't take long before we went over to SharePoint and decided to test some of its features and seeing what I had to offer. Well, we were blown away! Some of the reasons are listed below:

Manage multiple companies or divisions.

We found out that Office365 SharePoint offered up to 2000 sub sites (which I think has increased already) which meant we had the ability to separate all our divisions seamlessly, as well as add on other companies so we didn't have to deploy a whole brand-new SharePoint while those companies grew.

Access, Approvals, Groups, Permissions.

With SharePoint, the possibilities of having full control over everything is endless. We can restrict certain users from subsites, documents, forms or whatever else we wish. The ability to create groups of people around a central subject is easy and the approval process for just about anything has helped us tremendously. Everything last thing that goes in and out of the company goes through SharePoint now with approvals attached.

Powerful Software

Apart from the standard Office365 that the entire world has been using for years on end, Office 365 SharePoint, being a Microsoft product, has a plethora of other software such as Vision, Dynamix CRM, Visual Studio that can used to build more solutions for your company and bridge on seamlessly to your SharePoint deployment.

Although we were first a little nervous at getting SharePoint and trying to harness it correctly for our company, a couple of years we can confidently say that we cannot live without this software, and cant imagine where our business would have been if we hadn't of started with.

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SharePoint Systems is an Australian based consulting company with years of experience in development, consulting and Microsoft support services for all business types. Visit now.

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SharePoint Online – A Developers Opinion

As a long term SharePoint Developer, I have vast hands on experience with both On-Premise SharePoint Servers as well as SharePoint Online, mostly within the Office 365 environment.

From a Developers aspect (as well as a Solution Provider) my opinion varies on which is "best" depending on the end user's requirements but overall I would rate the Office 365 as the best all round answer.

The Office 365 SharePoint environment is in total quite limited from a development access point of view but provides automated maintenance and upgrades as well as a host of additional benefits for the end user, Office Suite Downloads, Massive Online Storage, Exchange Online and many more. Enough to prolong our client's patience with regards to lengthy development tasks (side note)!

Although, as mentioned before, an On-Premise SharePoint Server will give you a lot more Development Flexibility, there are many Workarounds, 3rd Party Offerings and a multitude of clever people and blogs out there in order to provide a proper solution for pretty much all requirements.

As a parting note, there are probably thousands of "Hard-core" SharePoint Developers out there that would totally disagree with at least some of what I've said but as the title suggests it's just my opinion. I have to take into account the end users budget, setup & maintenance costs as well as the overall selling features that surround this Development Platform.

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SharePoint Systems is an Australian based consulting company with years of experience in development, consulting and Microsoft support services for all business types. Contact us today!

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SharePoint Append Changes to Text Column Issue

Recently while doing some work for a client of ours, we got the request to check why the Comments field data kept getting erased whenever a new comment was added. This was the first time I'd ever come across this problem, but after a few tests I realized why this had started happening.

Applying Versioning

​ To recreate this issue, I created a test list on our portal and added a Multiline column called comments, I then went into the list settings -> versioning and I enabled versioning on the list as per the screenshot on the left.I then went into my Comments column and enabled "Append changes to text"If you try enable this feature without first turning on versioning you will receive a message as per the left screenshot

Outcome

Now that all was enabled, I tested the list with multiple comments and it worked perfectly. The problem came in when versioning was turned off, even though on the comments field the "Append changes to text" option was still enabled. This seems to be a bug since SharePoint 2010. Now whenever I tried to add a comment it would erase the previous comment written and add the new comment. So my advice would be, if you need to turn off versioning, you will need to make sure all fields with the "Append Changes to text" option are disabled.

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SharePoint Systems provides SharePoint support and maintenance services to ensure your solutions for many years. Our team help companies with their SharePoint systems both on-premises and cloud deployments. Visit now.

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Some Benefits Of SQL

SQL has been around since 1986 and is many companies around the world. SQL offers two main benefits: First, it has introduced the concept of accessing many records with a single command, and the second, is that it eliminates the need to specify how to reach a record. There are other benefits to it...

SQL has been around since 1986 and is many companies around the world. SQL offers two main benefits: First, it has introduced the concept of accessing many records with a single command, and the second, is that it eliminates the need to specify how to reach a record. There are other benefits to it other than those and I will go into more depth with those now, like SQL is portable and it can run on mainframes, PCs, laptops, servers, and more, it runs in local systems, intranet and internet, and databases using SQL can be moved from one device to another without any problems. Since it is open source it can be used at low cost with high rewards. Because it consists of mainly English statements it is easy to learn and write. It is also very useful for writing application for databases based applications such as an online shopping application. Since it is such a useful language it is a desirable skill in many IT fields in these times.

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SharePoint Systems provides SharePoint support and maintenance services to ensure your solutions for many years. Our team help companies with their SharePoint systems both on-premises and cloud deployments. Visit now.

Read more 

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SharePoint Online – A Developers Opinion

As a long term SharePoint Developer, I have vast hands on experience with both On-Premise SharePoint Servers as well as SharePoint Online, mostly within the Office 365 environment.

From a Developers aspect (as well as a Solution Provider) my opinion varies on which is "best" depending on the end user's requirements but overall I would rate the Office 365 as the best all round answer.

The Office 365 SharePoint environment is in total quite limited from a development access point of view but provides automated maintenance and upgrades as well as a host of additional benefits for the end user, Office Suite Downloads, Massive Online Storage, Exchange Online and many more. Enough to prolong our client's patience with regards to lengthy development tasks (side note)!

Although, as mentioned before, an On-Premise SharePoint Server will give you a lot more Development Flexibility, there are many Workarounds, 3rd Party Offerings and a multitude of clever people and blogs out there in order to provide a proper solution for pretty much all requirements.

As a parting note, there are probably thousands of "Hard-core" SharePoint Developers out there that would totally disagree with at least some of what I've said but as the title suggests it's just my opinion. I have to take into account the end users budget, setup & maintenance costs as well as the overall selling features that surround this Development Platform.

[sharepointsystems]

SharePoint Systems is a software development company in Australia. We provide SharePoint solutions including applications services, workflows & custom forms. Go through our website for more information.

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Create Forms in SharePoint 2013

Forms are an intricate part of many organisations as they feed information into business processes that allow the organisation to manage day-to-day processes. Forms are used for internal processes such as hardware and software acquisition as well as externally for collecting information on a new pot...

Forms are an intricate part of many organisations as they feed information into business processes that allow the organisation to manage day-to-day processes. Forms are used for internal processes such as hardware and software acquisition as well as externally for collecting information on a new potential customer. For almost a decade, we've delivered a best-in-class forms experience as part of Microsoft Office. As with much in the technology world, customer needs in the forms space have evolved and, with the new Office and new SharePoint, we have enhanced the forms experience to meet these needs.

You have a choice of tools for building forms with SharePoint, including InfoPath, Access, Excel, and Visual Studio. These tools can create custom forms within a SharePoint solution or an app for SharePoint. Below is an overview of the tool choices, including the benefits and common scenarios for each.

InfoPath

InfoPath is our integrated forms solution for the foreseeable future. It's a great choice for business users who want to customise lists or who want advanced features such as offline editing or digital signatures. You also can use InfoPath 2013 to maintain existing InfoPath forms.

Access

Access 2013 now addresses scenarios in which a business user wants to rapidly create end-to-end web-based business solutions, including those that involve custom forms. Some examples of business solutions that are prime candidates for Access 2013 include apps for asset management, contact management, and inventory management. Business solutions created with Access 2013, packaged into apps, and deployed onto SharePoint can be used by anyone within an organisation or shared externally via the SharePoint Store. For new end-to-end business solutions that include forms, we recommend that you consider Access 2013 first, because of its end-to-end solution design focus.

Excel

We have included forms in Excel Web Apps for building simple forms such as surveys or simple data collection.

Visual Studio

For application development, we recommend Visual Studio so you can use the capabilities provided in the new cloud app model for Office and SharePoint, which embraces current web standards such as HTML5, enables web developers to build solutions with the developer tools and platforms they know best. For developers who require the unique capabilities of InfoPath, such as digital signatures, you can now use the full power of Visual Studio to extend InfoPath solutions.

In summary, our products provide a lot of flexibility for business users to create forms-based solutions. Deciding the right tool to use will of course be ultimately dependent on your specific needs, but I hope that this post will help give you some guidance on what to choose.

[sharepointsystems]

SharePoint Systems is a software development company in Australia. We provide SharePoint solutions including applications services, workflows & custom forms. Go through our website for more information.

Read more 

[sharepointsystems]

Create Forms in SharePoint 2013

Forms are an intricate part of many organisations as they feed information into business processes that allow the organisation to manage day-to-day processes. Forms are used for internal processes such as hardware and software acquisition as well as externally for collecting information on a new pot...

Forms are an intricate part of many organisations as they feed information into business processes that allow the organisation to manage day-to-day processes. Forms are used for internal processes such as hardware and software acquisition as well as externally for collecting information on a new potential customer. For almost a decade, we've delivered a best-in-class forms experience as part of Microsoft Office. As with much in the technology world, customer needs in the forms space have evolved and, with the new Office and new SharePoint, we have enhanced the forms experience to meet these needs.

You have a choice of tools for building forms with SharePoint, including InfoPath, Access, Excel, and Visual Studio. These tools can create custom forms within a SharePoint solution or an app for SharePoint. Below is an overview of the tool choices, including the benefits and common scenarios for each.

InfoPath

InfoPath is our integrated forms solution for the foreseeable future. It's a great choice for business users who want to customise lists or who want advanced features such as offline editing or digital signatures. You also can use InfoPath 2013 to maintain existing InfoPath forms.

Access

Access 2013 now addresses scenarios in which a business user wants to rapidly create end-to-end web-based business solutions, including those that involve custom forms. Some examples of business solutions that are prime candidates for Access 2013 include apps for asset management, contact management, and inventory management. Business solutions created with Access 2013, packaged into apps, and deployed onto SharePoint can be used by anyone within an organisation or shared externally via the SharePoint Store. For new end-to-end business solutions that include forms, we recommend that you consider Access 2013 first, because of its end-to-end solution design focus.

Excel

We have included forms in Excel Web Apps for building simple forms such as surveys or simple data collection.

Visual Studio

For application development, we recommend Visual Studio so you can use the capabilities provided in the new cloud app model for Office and SharePoint, which embraces current web standards such as HTML5, enables web developers to build solutions with the developer tools and platforms they know best. For developers who require the unique capabilities of InfoPath, such as digital signatures, you can now use the full power of Visual Studio to extend InfoPath solutions.

In summary, our products provide a lot of flexibility for business users to create forms-based solutions. Deciding the right tool to use will of course be ultimately dependent on your specific needs, but I hope that this post will help give you some guidance on what to choose.

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The Benefits of SharePoint 2013

Microsoft SharePoint has been around since 2001 and is used by 80% of the Fortune 500 businesses.

It wasn’t until 2007 that businesses started harnessing the power of online collaboration. Organizations are able to easily control cost and reduce the risk associated with IT through SharePoint.

It allows project teams to effectively access information and collaborate with each other. SharePoint allows companies of all sizes to better utilize data while cutting costs and never sacrificing on quality.

Not only is SharePoint Microsoft’s number one best-selling product but SharePoint is the number one choice of businesses around the world. SharePoint offers a wide range of benefits such as:

1.  Centralized Administration– Managers are easily able to access application management features, system settings, perform backups & restorations, manage security settings and use configuration wizards all in a single location.

2.  Customizable – SharePoint gives you the option to keep features as they come or your development team has the ability to build custom applications and components with ease. This will mean your team will always be able to access the specific tools they need to do their jobs effectively.

3. Collaboration – SharePoint allows you to connect with your colleagues in new and creative ways. This streamlined approach to team based work allows information and knowledge to flow more freely throughout the organization. Increased collaboration means better decision making.

4. Site Consolidation – Managers are able to easily utilize the Microsoft SharePoint 2013 platform to consolidate intranet, extranet and internet sites. This in turn amasses to substantial cost savings for the company. Microsoft SharePoint also works seamlessly with many technologies your office already utilizes such as MS Office.

5.  Security and Integrity - SharePoint 2013 offers organizations the ability to protect the integrity of data from unauthorized use. This includes managing permissions to sites, lists, folders, documents, web applications and more. Security measures can also be implemented at both the document and item-level.

6.Ease Of Use – Microsoft SharePoint 2013 has features and tools that allow organizations to respond quickly to business needs by building solutions without having a background in web development. SharePoint has the tools to build or update your website or to create a specific online tool for your team.

All in all Microsoft SharePoint 2013 is a globally trusted platform that offers organizations the ability to both streamline their businesses as well as cut costs without sacrificing the quality of the actual business itself

[sharepointsystems]

SharePoint Systems provides sharePoint support and maintenance services to ensure your solutions for many years. Our team help companies with their SharePoint systems both on-premises and cloud deployments. Visit now.

Read more 

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Form Basics - How to Make Form Sections Look Good

The following article is based on an InfoPath form but can be used for forms designed in any program that uses tables. Eg: Word, Excel, Joomla Articles, etc.

Start with a single table (1 cell) as your base. Make it the correct width of the required place its going to end up. In other words if its going into a page that will be printed make sure it fits well onto the page by giving it a border and using print preview.

1 Use the same single cell and split it into the required columns and rows for the header. Use good looking fonts and only use bold fonts for appropriate sections or you lose the emphasis. Some bigger fonts look better in standard as opposed to bold in any case. Arial, Calibri, Tahoma, Helvetica and Verdana are some well known generally good looking fonts. Font size is key and shouldnt be taken for granted. Sometimes 11 just looks better than 10 and vice versa. Be pedantic!

2 Right click the current table and choose insert rows below, then select the new row, cut, leave a line then paste. Or leave a line and insert a new table below. This for when you need to resize the bottom table to suit your information so it doesnt automatically mess up the above or below cells. Use this method for every new section you create.

3 Use the same method to split the section into required columns and rows. A good colour technique is to use different shades of the same colour. Use a dark shade of the colour for the title, headings and sections as well as the borders. Then use a lighter shade to fill in the sections that are part of the form, leaving the fill-in sections as white so its easy to see where to fill in the info required. This technique even works in Shades of Grey.

4 And before you know it... well, it takes some time and a lot of practise but before you know it you will end up with a form thats almost as good looking as one that the SharePoint Systems team develop on a daily bases.

5 This concludes our basic form technique lesson. We hope you enjoyed it.

Contact us at www.sharepointsystems.co.za for more information.

[sharepointsystems]

SharePoint Systems is a software development company in Australia. We provide SharePoint solutions including applications services, workflows & custom forms. Go through our website for more information.

Read more