Building Our Internal Portal with SharePoint: Introducing THT SALON
- 広報
- Oct 21, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
— Fostering Company Culture Through Microsoft 365 —
Business Promotion Office (H) / Cloud SI Department (T)
Please tell us about the background and development process behind implementing your internal portal.
(H) At our company, we support clients in their digital transformation efforts by proposing and building cloud-based remote work environments and dispatching engineers as needed.
With the rapid shift to remote work brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that employee communication wasn't happening as naturally as it did when everyone was in the office. While a variety of communication tools, including social media platforms, proved to be effective alternatives to email, we began to see challenges in other areas, such as accessing general administrative information and fostering casual, cross-department communication.
For example, in a physical office, employees could ask the general affairs team a quick question or engage in casual conversations. We wondered if it would be possible to recreate those interactions in a secure digital environment. This idea became the starting point. Before making recommendations to our clients, we decided to try building and operating such a system ourselves. That's how the project was launched internally, as part of our in-house innovation lab.
How did you come to use Microsoft SharePoint?
(H) It was actually a long journey before we arrived at the decision to use SharePoint. Several companies had already released internal portal services for corporate communications, and many of them offered advanced and attractive features. At first, we considered implementing one of these services. However, we were concerned about the additional operational and management burden that would arise before the system could become fully integrated into daily workflows.
For example, requiring new login credentials or switching between multiple services depending on the task can be quite cumbersome. These seemingly small inconveniences were enough to risk turning the project into nothing more than a theoretical exercise.
After all, there is no point if the means end up replacing the original purpose rather than supporting it.
What we really wanted was a space where employees could casually interact, share personal updates, or submit requests to the general affairs team. To achieve that, we chose to build a space to communicate within Microsoft 365, a platform we already used daily without even thinking about it. SharePoint turned out to be the perfect tool for the job. Since we were already subscribed to Microsoft 365, there were no additional costs, which was also a major factor in moving the project forward.
With that, we launched a space on our internal portal where people could connect beyond work-related topics, and we named it "THT-SALON." That's how it all began.
How did you design it?
(H) We began by focusing on new employees, designing the portal from the perspective of "what we want them to see first." We positioned it as a core infrastructure that streamlines general affairs operations, providing access to company policies, labor-related documents, company-wide announcements, and more. It also allows them to view contact information and profiles of their colleagues.
In addition, employees can check the company's business plans and related information at any time, helping them better understand how their individual roles contribute to the organization as a whole.
We also compiled video content and learning materials to create an educational section that employees can use to make productive use of their downtime.
Next, we focused on infrastructure tools that support efficient administrative communication, interdepartmental communication, and the development of junior staff, regardless of whether employees are working at headquarters, assigned to a permanent site, traveling on business, or working remotely.
The layout was designed with visibility and usability in mind: frequently accessed, regularly updated, and interactive content is placed at the top, while more static content appears below.
Mobile accessibility was also a top priority, ensuring that the portal can be easily used on smartphones.
Did you have difficulties building it?
(T) It took me some time to fully understand the quirks and limitations of SharePoint's user interface and feature set. I was surprised to find that there was very little information available online. Because of the limitations in design and layout customization, I spent a significant amount of time exploring workarounds. Over time, however, I realized that the lack of flexibility isn't a drawback, in fact, Microsoft's approach allows users to quickly and efficiently master the tool through a simplified, streamlined interface.
Even after implementing certain functions, we had to carefully design the user interface to make it genuinely user-friendly. This required not only an engineer's perspective, but also a designer's mindset. As the project progressed, we compiled a manual with practical tips and step-by-step procedures, which became a valuable internal resource, helping us accumulate and share knowledge across the company.
How is it going after the implementation?
(H) It may seem like a small thing, but the staff self-introduction pages have been very well received. They allow us to share aspects of our colleagues' personalities that we might not have been aware of before.
These little discoveries spark casual conversations, which makes work-related communication smoother and more enjoyable. By centralizing scattered work documents, posting announcements and updates that previously went unshared, and maintaining a contact directory, communication between departments has become noticeably more fluid.
Please tell us about your future prospects and challenges?
(H) To further encourage employee engagement with the platform, we plan to make its use a part of everyone's daily routine. We're also considering fun initiatives like staff credential features and a relay-style diary. Since this is a LAB Project, we hope users enjoy it as much as we, the administrators, do. Our goal is to establish it as part of a new company culture.
One thing we need to be careful about is keeping the content from becoming too work-focused, we want to maintain a relaxed and fun atmosphere!
(T) Looking ahead, we hope to offer this as an optional package for cloud-based system implementations, and even as a starter kit for virtual offices in the metaverse.
To make that possible, we'll continue gaining operational experience while pushing the limits of what SharePoint can do. On its own, SharePoint primarily functions as a pull-based system. But by integrating it with tools like Power Automate and PowerApps, we can transform it into a push-based system. This approach allows us to deliver real value while keeping costs minimal.
Please share a message for those reading this.
(H & T) We approach UI (User Interface) from the perspective of UX (User Experience), and run the PDCA cycle on a minimal system to continuously improve.
THT is also actively engaged in joint research and co-development, so if your company is interested in collaborating on a new project, we would be delighted to hear from you.
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