Internal communication is the backbone of a well-functioning organization. Companies rely on intranets to keep employees informed, engaged, and connected. While Microsoft SharePoint is a common choice for internal communications, many organizations quickly realize its limitations. If your team is struggling with SharePoint’s usability, customization, or engagement challenges, it might be time to explore a better alternative.
The Common Shortcomings of SharePoint
Despite its widespread adoption, SharePoint has several inherent limitations that hinder effective internal communication:
1. Complexity and Poor User Experience
SharePoint often requires extensive training and technical expertise to set up and manage. Many employees find its interface unintuitive, leading to lower adoption rates and frustration. When internal communication tools are difficult to use, employees resort to email and chat tools, defeating the purpose of having an intranet. Learn more about why employees don't use the intranet and how to solve it.
2. Limited Customization for Internal Communications
While SharePoint offers some customization, many organizations find themselves constrained by its rigid structure. Adapting SharePoint to fit specific internal communication needs—such as targeted content delivery, social features, or interactive news hubs—often requires costly development work or third-party integrations.
3. Lack of Employee Engagement Features
Engaging employees requires more than just document storage and announcements. Unlike purpose-built intranet solutions, SharePoint lacks built-in tools for social interactions, recognition programs, and intuitive content sharing that encourage employee engagement.
4. Expensive and IT-Heavy Maintenance
Organizations using SharePoint often require dedicated IT support to maintain the system, troubleshoot issues, and implement necessary updates. This not only increases costs but also slows down communication improvements that require IT intervention. User reviews show they dislike the administration part due to it's complexity. In large companies with lots of rules it is more difficult to organize the content in a proper manner.
5. Slow Deployment and Adoption Challenges
Many organizations report that setting up a SharePoint intranet takes months, if not years, to become fully functional. By the time the platform is ready, employees may have already found alternative communication methods, reducing its overall effectiveness.
🚨 Bad Intranet? Bad Business.
📉 Over 60% of intranets are considered ineffective. – Gartner®, August 2021
So your intranet stinks. Now what? If employees struggle to find information, engagement is low, and your intranet feels like a digital ghost town, it's time for a change.
- ✅ Get a real intranet strategy.
- ✅ Improve engagement & retention.
- ✅ Turn your intranet into a productivity hub.
A Better Alternative: Concrete CMS for Internal Communications
Instead of struggling with SharePoint’s limitations, organizations should consider an open-source, user-friendly, and fully customizable intranet solution. Here’s why:
1. Easy-to-Use Interface
Concrete CMS is designed with usability in mind, making it easy for non-technical employees to create, edit, and share content without IT assistance.
How The Army Transformed Their Intranet with Concrete CMS
a global enterprise struggling with SharePoint’s complexity and low engagement, switched to Concrete CMS to improve their internal communications. With an intuitive interface and flexible customization, 70% of employees are engaging with the content.
2. Customization Without Complexity
Unlike SharePoint, Concrete CMS allows businesses to tailor their intranet to meet specific internal communication needs with built-in tools and flexible customization options.
3. Engaging Employee Experience
Concrete CMS supports dynamic content, interactive elements, and employee award (karma) programs that boost engagement and foster a stronger sense of community.
4. Lower Maintenance and Faster Deployment
With a simpler setup process and lower maintenance costs, Concrete CMS helps organizations implement an effective internal communication platform quickly and efficiently.
5. Cost-Effective and Scalable
As an open-source platform, Concrete CMS provides a cost-effective solution that scales with your organization, ensuring you’re not locked into expensive licensing fees.
Conclusion
If SharePoint has become a bottleneck for your internal communications, it may be time to switch to a more effective solution. A modern, flexible, and employee-friendly intranet experience can truly enhance internal communication efforts.