SharePoint development
A SharePoint that is designed around how your organization works, rolled out step by step, and actually used.
- Designed around how you work
- Intranets, libraries and lists
- Approvals and workflows automated
- Permissions and governance built in
- Migrated Finance file share moved to SharePoint · 212,000 files · zero lost3 min ago
- Approved Purchase request #1042 approved in Teams, 6 minutes after submission12 min ago
- Co-authored Four people editing the Q4 budget at once · no copies emailed27 min ago
- Blocked External share of a confidential folder stopped by policy41 min ago
- Restored Overwritten proposal rolled back to yesterday’s version58 min ago
Illustrative screen with sample data
SharePoint is already part of Microsoft 365, but switching it on is not the same as rolling it out. Without structure, it becomes a slightly worse version of the old shared drive.
Reality Bytes designs your sites, libraries, permissions and workflows around how your teams actually work, migrates your files carefully, trains your staff and keeps improving the setup afterward. The result is an intranet and document system your organization runs on.
How SharePoint development helps you
Save me time
Find any file in seconds, approve from your phone and stop emailing attachments.
Spend wisely
Built on the Microsoft 365 licences you already pay for; retire the file server and its upkeep.
Make me efficient
Co-authoring, automated approvals and one intranet for news, policies and forms.
Keep me safe
Access by role, sharing under control, every version kept and backed up separately.
Help me grow
A new team, location or process becomes a new site, not a new server.
Seven steps to a rollout that sticks
Every SharePoint project we deliver follows the same process. The order matters: design and permissions come before a single file moves.
- 01
Discovery
We sit down with your leaders and the people who actually use the files. What do you store, who needs it, what is slow or risky today, and what should the finished result make easier? We map every shared drive, Dropbox, Google Drive and desktop folder in play.
- 02
Design the structure
Sites, a hub, libraries, folders, metadata and naming conventions are designed around how your organization works, not around how the old server grew. This is the step most do-it-yourself rollouts skip, and the reason they end up as a messier version of the old drive.
- 03
Permissions and governance
Access is granted by team and role, not person by person. We decide with you what can be shared outside the organization, which sites are locked down, how long records are kept, and who owns each site going forward.
- 04
Build and pilot
We build the sites and libraries, then run a pilot with one team or department. Real people use it for real work, and their feedback shapes the final structure before everyone moves.
- 05
Migrate the data
Files are cleaned up, reorganized and migrated with Microsoft’s migration tooling, with permissions and dates preserved. Old drives stay read-only until cut-over, so nobody loses a day of work.
- 06
Train and go live
Short, practical sessions for your staff, written quick-start guides, and our team on hand on go-live day. Managed clients also get Microsoft 365 courses through eTraining for new hires later.
- 07
Support and improve
A check-in after the first month, then regular reviews: new teams, new workflows, permissions that drifted, and features you are now ready for. SharePoint is never “done”, and that is the point.
Illustrative rollout plan with sample data
What SharePoint can do for you
The features our clients use every day once SharePoint is set up properly.
Document libraries that replace the shared drive
A SharePoint library looks like a folder but behaves like a system. Every change is kept as a version you can restore, files can be checked out so two people don’t overwrite each other, and columns such as client, status or year let you sort and filter instead of digging through folders.
- Version history on by default: roll back any file
- Metadata columns and saved views instead of folder sprawl
- Recycle bin for deleted files, plus a separate backup we manage
| Name | Status | Client | Modified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 budget.xlsx | Approved | Internal | 2 min ago · 4 editors |
| Vendor contract 2027.docx | In review | Northwind Supply | Today |
| Invoice batch Oct.pdf | Filed | Coulee Clinic | Yesterday |
| Proposal v3.docx | Restored | Badlands Co-op | Version 12 → 11 |
Illustrative screen with sample data
Work on the same file at the same time
Word, Excel and PowerPoint files in SharePoint can be edited by several people at once, with changes appearing live. OneDrive syncs libraries to every PC so files open from File Explorer like always, work offline, and sync back when you reconnect.
- No more emailed copies and “which version is right?”
- Files On-Demand: see everything, download only what you open
- Teams channel files are SharePoint files: one place, not two
Illustrative screen with sample data
A company home page people actually use
Communication sites and a hub give your organization an intranet: news, announcements, policies, forms, a staff directory and quick links to the things people ask for every week. Search finds documents by what is inside them, not just the file name.
- News and announcements with read tracking
- Policies, procedures and forms in one findable place
- Hub navigation that ties every team site together
Illustrative screen with sample data
Replace the spreadsheets on someone’s desktop
Microsoft Lists tracks the things that live in scattered spreadsheets today: equipment, vehicles, contracts, onboarding checklists, incident logs, project tasks. Shared, filtered, with reminders and a history of every change, and editable from a phone.
- Forms for staff to add records from any device
- Views per role: what is due, what is mine, what is overdue
- Connects to Power Automate for reminders and approvals
| Asset | Location | Service due | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autoclave 2 | Sterilization | Nov 14 | OK |
| Panoramic X-ray | Imaging | Oct 20 | Due |
| Compressor | Mechanical | Jan 9 | OK |
| Chair 4 | Operatory 4 | Dec 2 | Booked |
Illustrative screen with sample data
Approvals and routine tasks, automated
Power Automate turns paper and email chains into workflows: purchase requests, time off, document approvals, new-hire checklists and client onboarding. Approvals happen in Teams or email, records update themselves, and nothing waits in an inbox.
- Approve from Teams, Outlook or a phone
- Automatic filing, naming and notifications
- Built on the Microsoft 365 licences you already pay for
Illustrative screen with sample data
Permissions, sharing and retention done right
The structure we design means access follows your org chart: a new hire added to a group gets the right sites instantly, and someone who leaves loses everything in one step. External sharing is allowed where it should be and blocked where it shouldn’t, with expiring, view-only links for outside parties.
- Access by group and role, reviewed regularly
- Sensitivity and retention labels where your licence includes them
- Separate nightly backup of SharePoint and OneDrive
Illustrative screen with sample data
Also in Microsoft 365: Copilot can answer questions from your SharePoint content with a Copilot licence, and sensitivity labels, data loss prevention and retention policies are available on the plans that include them. See AI for Business.
Shared drive vs SharePoint done properly
What’s included
Discovery and design
Sites, hub, libraries, metadata and naming designed around your teams, not the old folder tree.
Document libraries
Version history, co-authoring, check-out and views that replace the shared drive.
Intranet and news
A company home page with announcements, policies, forms, quick links and search.
Lists and forms
Equipment, contracts, onboarding and incident tracking that replace scattered spreadsheets.
Workflows and approvals
Power Automate approvals for purchases, time off and documents, approved from Teams or a phone.
Permissions and governance
Access by group and role, sharing rules, retention and a separate backup.
Migration
Files moved from servers, Dropbox or Google Drive with permissions and dates preserved.
Training and adoption
Practical sessions, quick-start guides and eTraining Microsoft 365 courses for new hires.
Ongoing improvement
A 30-day check-in, then regular reviews as new teams and workflows arrive.
How we work
- 01
Discover
We learn your teams, files and goals, and map every drive in play.
- 02
Design and secure
Sites, libraries, metadata, permissions and governance are agreed before anything moves.
- 03
Pilot and migrate
One team pilots the structure, then files move with old drives read-only until cut-over.
- 04
Train and improve
Staff are trained, we are on site for go-live, and the setup is reviewed regularly.
Why Reality Bytes
- In business since 1998, homegrown in Drumheller, Alberta
- Support available 24/7/365
- Local offices in Drumheller and Medicine Hat
- We prescribe, we don’t sell
Related services
SharePoint development FAQs
We already have SharePoint. Why do we need help with it?
Most Microsoft 365 plans include SharePoint, but a successful rollout is a planning project: site structure, permissions, migration, training and governance. Without that, SharePoint usually ends up as a messier copy of the old shared drive that staff avoid.
Can SharePoint replace our file server?
For most organizations, yes. Document libraries, OneDrive sync and Teams cover day-to-day files, and old drives stay read-only until cut-over. Some line-of-business applications still need a server; we tell you which and plan a hybrid where it makes sense.
How long does a SharePoint rollout take?
It depends on how much data you have and how many teams are involved. We agree a plan and a cut-over date with you up front, pilot with one team first, and keep your staff working on the old drives until the switch.
Will our staff need training?
Yes, and it is part of the project: short practical sessions, written quick-start guides and our team on hand at go-live. Managed IT clients also get Microsoft 365 courses through eTraining for new hires.
Is our data backed up in SharePoint?
Microsoft keeps versions and a recycle bin, which covers most mistakes. We also set up a separate nightly backup of SharePoint and OneDrive, so a deleted site, a ransomware incident or an old version beyond the retention window can still be recovered.
Do we need extra licences?
SharePoint, OneDrive, Lists and standard Power Automate workflows are included in the Microsoft 365 business plans most clients already have. Copilot, and some sensitivity-label and data-loss-prevention features, need specific plans; we tell you exactly what is included before you commit.