SharePoint Provisioning: Overview of Methods

You don’t have a clear strategy for your SharePoint provisioning yet? Unstructured sites, inefficient processes, a lack of Microsoft 365 governance and risks for your Microsoft 365 security can be the result.

With SharePoint provisioning, you can avoid these risks by providing structured and standardized processes for creating new sites from the start.

In this blog article, you will learn about the different methods of SharePoint site provisioning, the opportunities and challenges they present and how Teams Manager can help you.

Teams Manager is a Microsoft Teams app that simplifies the provisioning of SharePoint sites, M365 groups and teams. With features such as approval workflows, naming conventions and metadata, Teams Manager ensures structured and secure provisioning.

What is SharePoint Provisioning and why is it important?

SharePoint provisioning is the process of creating new SharePoint sites based on predefined templates and rules. This ensures that all necessary structures, permissions and content are standardized and efficiently provided from the start.

Without a clear strategy, SharePoint sites can quickly become disorganized. This makes collaboration more difficult, reduces productivity and increases the risk of security gaps.

Methods for SharePoint Provisioning

There are various methods for provisioning new SharePoint sites. Here I show you the most important methods.

Out-of-the-box (OOTB)

Microsoft provides out-of-the-box tools to create and configure basic SharePoint sites. These tools are ideal for simple scenarios and include features such as:

• Use of templates: Communication Sites or Team Sites can be created with standard layouts.
• Standard templates for lists and libraries: Content such as document libraries, task lists or calendars can be implemented quickly.
• User and permission control: Standard permissions for security groups can be assigned.

Advantages:

•  Directly available and easy to use.
• You don’t need any technical knowledge.

Disadvantages:

• Templates only offer limited customization options.
• No automation of recurring tasks possible.
• Functions such as lifecycle management, naming conventions or metadata management are not included.

PnP Provisioning Engine

The PnP (Patterns and Practices) Engine is an open source solution from Microsoft that offers extensive configuration options via PowerShell. The PnP Provisioning Engine enables:

• Creation and use of templates: These can include lists, libraries, metadata and more.
• Exporting and importing configurations: Templates can be exported, customized and applied to other sites.
• Integration of content: Documents, folder structures or user-defined web parts can be integrated.

Advantages:

• High flexibility and scalability.
• Ideal for complex scenarios and individual customizations.
• Recurring tasks can be automated.

Disadvantages:

• Technical knowledge required (PowerShell, JSON).
• No graphical user interface, management exclusively via scripts.
• Automation and governance only possible to a limited extent and in combination with additional solutions (e.g. Power Automate, Flow).
• Managing and updating scripts is time-consuming and error-prone.

Power Automate

Power Automate offers a user-friendly solution for integrating workflows into the provisioning process. It enables:

• Approval workflows: Requests can be directed to defined individuals for approval.
• Notifications and reminders: Automatic mails or Teams notifications can be triggered for changes and actions within SharePoint.
• Integration with other Microsoft services: Power Automate can combine workflows with PowerApps, Forms, Planner or other tools.

Advantages:

• Easy to use.
• Power Automate can be seamlessly integrated with other Microsoft services.

Disadvantages:

• Limited functionality for complex requirements.
• Governance functions are only possible to a very limited extent and require additional configurations or tools.
• Lack of template management and therefore manual effort for customizations.

Third-Party Tools

Third-party tools such as Teams Manager offer comprehensive solutions that go beyond the native Microsoft solutions. They combine automation with governance and offer a user-friendly interface.

Features:

• Template management: Creation, management and application of templates with central management and synchronization.
• Automated approval workflows: Requests for new SharePoint sites can be reviewed and approved through automated workflows.
• Advanced governance integration: Functions such as naming conventions and lifecycle management or metadata management are directly integrated.

Advantages:

• Intuitive user interface eliminates the need for in-depth technical knowledge.
• Option for automated workflows minimizes manual effort.
• Comprehensive governance through integrated functions for naming conventions, metadata management and lifecycles.

Disadvantages:

• Costs involved.
• Dependence on the provider.

Challenges of Classic SharePoint Provisioning Methods

The classic methods (OOTB, PnP Provisioning Engine and Power Automate) for SharePoint provisioning often have weaknesses that affect efficiency and security:

• High manual workload: Without centralized automation, many steps have to be performed manually one by one, which is time-consuming and error-prone.
• Technical barriers: Tools such as PnP or PowerShell require technical expertise in areas such as PowerShell or JSON.
• Lack of template management: The lack of centralized template management makes standardized deployment difficult and can lead to inconsistencies.
• Limited governance functions: Central guidelines such as naming conventions or lifecycle management are not available or only available to a limited extent, which can quickly lead to an unstructured environment.
• Difficult scalability: With new or more complex requirements, traditional methods reach their limits and require additional tools or scripts.

Due to these challenges, in many cases it is advisable to use a third-party tool that provides a comprehensive combination of provisioning, automation and governance. Teams Manager offers a user-friendly and integrated solution for this.

Why Teams Manager for SharePoint Site Provisioning?

Teams Manager combines the benefits of automated SharePoint provisioning with comprehensive governance features. Teams Manager not only improves provisioning, but also optimizes SharePoint collaboration by creating structured, secure and efficient work environments.

Features and benefits of Teams Manager:

• Request and approval workflows: Users submit a request to create a new site. The request is approved automatically or manually by an administrator.
• Centralized template management: Create and manage templates for SharePoint sites with the desired structure, permissions and content. Your users can choose a template when creating a SharePoint site. The site is then created based on the template and is ready for immediate use.
• Comprehensive governance features: Implement naming conventions, lifecycle management and metadata to ensure the required structure in the long term.
• Ease of use: Teams Manager is easy to use and requires no technical know-how.
• Easy automation: Reduce manual steps with fully automated provisioning processes.

Instructions for SharePoint provisioning with Teams Manager:

1. Go to the „Requests“ tab in Teams Mangager and click on „Add a request“.
   
2. Select „SharePoint Site“.
   
3. Select the desired pre-configured template
4. Enter the required information: name, description, visibility, comment.
5. Configure the access settings: guest access, owners, members.
6. Click on „Send request“.
7. Once the request has been approved, the SharePoint site is created based on the template and the governance policies and is immediately ready for use.

SharePoint Provisioning FAQ

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