Is SharePoint Good For Document Control?

Some document controllers – whether out of necessity or because they were told to – use SharePoint for their documentation work. SharePoint wasn’t specifically designed for document control and instead focuses on collaboration and communication albeit with some doc control functionality.

There are several problems that can be encountered when using SharePoint for document control:

1. Complexity: SharePoint can be complex to use and set up, especially for users who are not familiar with it. This can lead to difficulties in managing and organizing documents.
2. Limited formatting options: SharePoint does not offer as many formatting options as some other document management systems, which can make it more difficult to create visually appealing documents. With EPCs requiring more customization with regards to documentation, this can increase the amount of time you spend manually doing doc work.
3. Limited integration with other applications: SharePoint does not integrate well with some other applications, which can make it difficult to use certain features or functions.
4. Poor search functionality: The search functionality in SharePoint can be unreliable, making it difficult to locate specific documents. Searching for docs can be a huge time waster for document controllers especially with older projects.
5. Performance issues: SharePoint can experience performance issues, particularly when handling large volumes of documents or when many users are accessing the system at the same time. If you’re running a very large document-heavy project with staff located in different offices, this could be a big problem.
6. Security concerns: SharePoint is not always the most secure option for document management, and there have been instances of data breaches and other security issues in the past. Since you’re sending private information involving your EPC clients, this can be a big problem that can come back to bite you and give you a bad name in the industry.
7. Cost: SharePoint can be expensive to use, particularly for organizations with large numbers of users or extensive document management needs.