Microsoft is rolling out significant updates to SharePoint Online, changing how businesses use web parts, workflows, and collaboration tools. If your organization hasn’t updated its SharePoint structure, you may face risks that could impact security, productivity, and long-term sustainability. In this blog, we’ll explore the risks of not updating your SharePoint environment and how you can stay ahead of these changes.
Compatibility Issues & Broken Workflows
- Older features may be deprecated, causing custom workflows, lists, or integrations to break.
- Third-party tools and legacy web parts may no longer function correctly in the new SharePoint experience.
- Classic SharePoint pages may not display properly, reducing usability.
📌 Example: If your approval process still relies on SharePoint Designer workflows, these outdated workflows will no longer work as Microsoft phases out support, leading to workflow disruptions.
2. Security Vulnerabilities
- Legacy SharePoint configurations may not align with Microsoft’s latest security updates, exposing your business to data breaches.
- Unsupported permission models can leave sensitive documents at risk.
- Lack of compliance updates may result in failure to meet evolving regulatory requirements.
🔒 Example: If your SharePoint environment hasn’t been updated to reflect Microsoft’s latest security protocols, you could be leaving sensitive business data vulnerable to cyber threats.
3. Reduced User Experience & Productivity Loss
- Employees may struggle to navigate outdated sites, slowing down collaboration.
- Older SharePoint pages may load slower, reducing efficiency.
- Without modern integrations like Microsoft Loop and updated Teams capabilities, workflows may become bottlenecked.
⚠️ Example: Companies still using classic SharePoint pages miss out on modern layouts and better mobile responsiveness, impacting remote and hybrid work efficiency.
4. Higher Costs & Maintenance Overhead
- Maintaining outdated SharePoint configurations requires more IT resources, leading to increased costs.
- Legacy systems create technical debt, making future migrations expensive and complex.
- Microsoft phases out support for outdated configurations, forcing last-minute costly upgrades.
💸 Example: Businesses that didn’t migrate from SharePoint 2010/2013 before support ended faced urgent, expensive migrations to prevent data loss.
5. Missed Opportunities for Automation & AI-Driven Improvements
- New Power Automate and AI integrations won’t work with outdated SharePoint structures.
- Businesses that don’t modernize will miss out on productivity-enhancing tools like AI-powered search and metadata tagging.
- Data silos increase, making it harder to gain business insights and optimize processes.
🤖 Example: A company that fails to adopt Microsoft Syntex for AI-powered document processing will continue wasting hours on manual data entry instead of automating it.
Future-Proof Your SharePoint with Expert Guidance
Failing to update your SharePoint Online structure can lead to security risks, workflow failures, and inefficiencies that cost your business time and money. The good news? You don’t have to navigate these changes alone.
🚀 How I Can Help:
- Assess your current SharePoint setup and identify risks.
- Implement modern workflows using Power Automate and AI tools.
- Optimize your SharePoint experience with the latest web parts, branding, and security features.
🔗 Let’s future-proof your SharePoint today! Contact me to ensure a smooth transition to the new Microsoft experience.
Stay ahead—update your SharePoint now before outdated workflows slow your business down!