Microsoft SharePoint Consultancy
NetMonkeys is a Microsoft SharePoint consultancy helping UK businesses plan, build and migrate to Microsoft 365 SharePoint — intranets, document management and secure collaboration sites designed around how your teams actually work, not a generic template. We support clients nationally, including providing Microsoft SharePoint consultancy services in London.
What is Microsoft SharePoint?
Microsoft SharePoint is a web-based platform for storing, organising and sharing documents, and for building intranet sites your whole business can use. It's part of Microsoft 365, which means it works directly with Teams, Outlook and OneDrive rather than as a separate system your staff have to learn on top of what they already use. Most businesses use it for three things: a central document library with proper version control, an internal intranet for company news and policies, and dedicated team or project sites with their own permissions.
Microsoft 365 SharePoint vs. SharePoint Server
Most new deployments are Microsoft 365 SharePoint — the cloud version, included with Microsoft 365 business plans, updated automatically by Microsoft and accessible from anywhere. SharePoint Server is the older, on-premise version some larger organisations still run for specific compliance or data residency reasons, but it requires your own infrastructure and manual updates. For the vast majority of UK businesses starting fresh or migrating off an old system, Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online is the right starting point, and it's what this page and our services are built around.
Our Microsoft SharePoint consulting services
Every engagement is scoped to your business — a single intranet build, a full document management overhaul, or ongoing SharePoint support once you're live.
Intranet Development
Custom SharePoint intranets for company news, policies and team directories, built around your actual departments.
Document Management
Structured libraries with version control, metadata and retention policies that replace scattered shared drives.
SharePoint Online Migration
Moving file shares, old intranets or legacy SharePoint Server environments into SharePoint Online.
Permissions & Governance
Site structure and access control designed so the right people see the right content, nothing more.
Teams & SharePoint Integration
Connecting SharePoint document libraries directly into the Teams channels your staff already use daily.
Training & Adoption Support
Hands-on training so staff actually use the new system instead of reverting to email attachments.
SharePoint intranets built for how your teams actually communicate
A SharePoint intranet done well becomes the place staff genuinely go for company news, policy documents and who-does-what across departments. Done badly, it becomes another site nobody opens after week one. We build intranet structures around your actual departments and approval workflows, not a generic template with your logo dropped on top.
How our Microsoft SharePoint intranet consultants deliver your organisation's intranet
An intranet project fails or succeeds long before launch day, in how it's scoped and sequenced. Here's the order our SharePoint intranet consultants actually work in.
Map your departments and content owners
Before any design work, we identify who owns what content and how information currently flows between teams.
Design the information architecture
Site structure, navigation and permissions are planned and agreed with your leadership team before a single page is built.
Build the intranet in SharePoint Online
Home page, department sites and document libraries built to the agreed structure, not a generic template.
Migrate and clean existing content
Current documents and pages mapped across, with outdated and duplicate content flagged rather than carried over.
Train staff and hand over ownership
Content owners trained to manage their own sections, so the intranet doesn't become dependent on us to update.
The problems a SharePoint intranet is actually solving
Most businesses don't set out to build an intranet — they set out to fix a specific pain. New starters can't find the current version of the expenses policy. Someone's still emailing a spreadsheet around that three people are editing at once. A department's institutional knowledge lives entirely in one person's inbox. A SharePoint intranet and document library fix these problems directly: single source of truth for documents, searchable company knowledge, and a home page that answers "where do I find that" without a Slack message to IT.
Disorganised documents cost more than they look like they do
Knowledge workers can spend up to a fifth of their week searching for information or tracking down colleagues for help finding it, according to widely cited McKinsey research on workplace productivity.
What proper SharePoint document management actually includes
Document management in SharePoint is more than "upload files to a folder." Done properly, it covers version history, metadata tagging, retention rules and controlled access — the difference between a searchable system of record and a digital junk drawer.
Version History
Every edit tracked and recoverable, so "final_v3_ACTUAL_final.docx" stops happening.
Metadata & Search
Documents tagged by project, department or client so search returns the right file first, not a list of near-matches.
Retention & Compliance
Automated retention and deletion policies aligned to UK GDPR and your sector's record-keeping requirements.
Co-authoring
Multiple people editing the same document simultaneously, with no more emailed copies to reconcile.
External Sharing Controls
Granular control over what, if anything, external clients or suppliers can access.
Approval Workflows
Documents routed for sign-off automatically before they're published or finalised.
SharePoint implementation, done in the right order
Most failed SharePoint rollouts fail for the same reason: the technical build happened before anyone agreed on site structure, naming conventions or who owns what content. Our SharePoint implementation services start with information architecture — mapping how your business actually organises documents and departments — before a single site gets built. That sequencing is why our implementations don't need a second re-organisation eighteen months later.
- Information architecture agreed before any build work starts
- Site structure mapped to your actual departments
- Migration mapping for existing files and folders
- Fixed-price project quote agreed up front
Migrating to SharePoint Online without losing version history
Migrating file shares or an old SharePoint Server environment into SharePoint Online is where most in-house attempts go wrong — version history gets lost, permissions get flattened, and folder structures get dumped in as one giant unsorted library. Our migration process maps your existing structure first, cleans up duplicate and outdated files before they migrate, and preserves permissions and metadata where it matters.
How SharePoint fits into Microsoft 365
SharePoint doesn't exist in isolation; it's the foundational file storage and collaboration engine for Microsoft 365. When you share a file in a Teams channel, it is stored in SharePoint. When you attach a cloud document to an Outlook email, it links back to SharePoint. A well-architected SharePoint environment ensures that whether your staff are working in Teams, Word, or their browser, they are accessing the same secure, version-controlled files without duplication.
SharePoint for Government & Public Services
Public sector organisations face unique challenges: strict data residency rules, complex departmental hierarchies, and stringent accessibility and retention requirements. We design SharePoint environments tailored for government bodies, ensuring compliance without sacrificing usability.
Compliance & Retention
Automated record management and retention policies built to meet public sector compliance standards, ensuring documents are kept (or destroyed) exactly when required.
Secure Cross-Department Collaboration
Granular access controls allow secure information sharing between different agencies or departments while strictly siloing sensitive data.
Accessible Intranets
Intranets designed with clear navigation and accessibility in mind, ensuring all staff can easily find HR policies, forms, and critical updates. We also build dedicated SharePoint intranets for schools and educational trusts.
The most common mistakes in SharePoint rollouts
Building sites before agreeing information architecture
Leads to a costly re-organisation once real usage patterns emerge.
Migrating everything, including outdated content
Duplicates and dead files just move house instead of getting cleaned up.
Setting permissions per document instead of per site
Becomes unmanageable within months as document volume grows.
Skipping training and adoption support
Staff quietly revert to email attachments and the old shared drive.
Why businesses choose us as their Microsoft SharePoint consultancy
Microsoft Solutions Partner
Accredited Microsoft partner status, meaning our recommendations follow Microsoft's own architecture guidance.
Fixed-Price Projects
A costed, itemised quote agreed before any build work begins — no open-ended billing.
Adoption-Focused Delivery
We measure success by whether staff actually use the new system, not just whether it technically launched.
The team behind every SharePoint consultant we assign
Lead Consultant
Owns the information architecture and site structure, and presents the plan directly to your leadership team.
Migration Specialist
Handles the technical migration mapping, permissions and metadata carried across from your old system.
Adoption & Training Lead
Runs staff training and adoption tracking after go-live, so usage doesn't quietly drop off.
SharePoint vs. Teams vs. shared drives
These three get confused constantly because they overlap, but they solve different problems — and in practice, most businesses need all three working together, not one instead of another.
| Need | SharePoint | Teams | Shared Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company-wide intranet | ✓ Built for this | ✗ Not designed for it | ✗ Not designed for it |
| Document version control | ✓ Full history | Limited, via SharePoint backend | ✗ Usually none |
| Real-time chat & calls | ✗ Not its function | ✓ Built for this | ✗ Not its function |
| External client access control | ✓ Granular | Limited | ✗ Often all-or-nothing |
What businesses actually build in SharePoint
HR & Onboarding Portal
New starter documents, policies and forms in one place.
Policy & Compliance Library
Version-controlled policies with sign-off tracking.
Project Sites
Dedicated sites per project with their own document sets.
Client Extranets
Controlled external access for clients to shared documents.
Signs your business needs a UK SharePoint consultancy
Staff still email documents as attachments
If version control happens by filename rather than by system, the document library isn't being used properly, or doesn't exist yet.
Nobody can say where the current policy documents live
A common sign that content was migrated once and never structured properly afterwards.
Your intranet was built years ago and rarely updated
An intranet with no active content owners tends to quietly stop being trusted, then stops being used.
External sharing happens on an ad hoc basis
Without a clear policy, staff make individual judgement calls on what clients or suppliers can access.
You're migrating off an old file server or SharePoint Server
This is the point most businesses discover their existing folder structure won't translate cleanly without planning.
Growth has outpaced your current document structure
What worked for 20 staff sharing one drive rarely holds up at 80, without deliberate re-architecture.
SharePoint consultancy options
SharePoint Audit
A structured review of your current SharePoint setup, or a first architecture plan if you're starting fresh.
- Fixed-price review
- Written recommendations
- No ongoing commitment
Full Implementation
End-to-end intranet build or migration project, including training and adoption support.
- Fixed project price
- Staged rollout plan
- Training included
Managed SharePoint Support
Ongoing governance, new site builds and support as your SharePoint environment grows.
- Monthly rolling agreement
- Priority support access
- Quarterly governance review
Our SharePoint implementation process
Discovery & architecture
Mapping departments, document types and permissions before any build work starts.
Migration planning
Existing files and folders mapped to the new structure, duplicates and outdated content flagged.
Build & migrate
Sites, libraries and permissions built, content migrated in a staged rollout.
Training & adoption
Staff trained on the new system, with usage tracked after go-live.
SharePoint built around your sector's compliance needs
Legal
Client confidentiality and matter-based document control.
Financial Services
FCA-aligned retention and audit trail requirements.
Manufacturing
Multi-site document control and supplier collaboration.
Charities & NFP
Cost-conscious licensing and donor data handling.
Permissions and compliance in Microsoft SharePoint
SharePoint's permission model is powerful, which also makes it easy to get wrong — over-broad access is the most common issue we find in first audits. A well-governed SharePoint environment sets permissions at the site and library level rather than per-document, uses groups rather than individual user access, and includes a clear policy for external sharing rather than leaving it to individual judgement.
Migrating a decade of file storage into SharePoint Online
We migrated a professional services client's file storage — built up over more than a decade across shared drives and an ageing intranet — into a fully governed SharePoint Online environment, restructuring permissions and cleaning up duplicate content along the way.
Read the Full Case Study →Services that often pair with SharePoint
Microsoft 365 Management
Tenant configuration and licensing across your Microsoft 365 estate.
Power BI Services
Reporting built directly from your SharePoint document data.
Managed Cybersecurity
Securing the wider Microsoft 365 environment SharePoint sits within.
IT Consultancy
Wider technology strategy work SharePoint projects often start from.
Microsoft SharePoint consultancy — common questions
What is Microsoft SharePoint used for?
Document storage with version control, company intranets, and dedicated project or team sites with their own permissions — usually all three within the same business.
Is SharePoint included in Microsoft 365?
Yes. SharePoint Online is included with most Microsoft 365 business plans, alongside Teams, Outlook and OneDrive.
How much does a SharePoint implementation cost?
Projects are quoted as a fixed price based on the number of sites, document volume and complexity of migration involved. Contact us for a quote specific to your business.
Can you migrate our existing file shares into SharePoint Online?
Yes — this is one of our most common engagements, including cleaning up duplicate and outdated files as part of the migration.
Do you provide ongoing SharePoint support after launch?
Yes, on a rolling monthly agreement covering governance, new site builds and support as your SharePoint environment grows.
How long does a typical SharePoint intranet project take?
Most intranet builds take four to eight weeks depending on scope. Migration projects vary with the volume of existing content involved.
Expert guides and examples
10 Tips on How to Use SharePoint as an Intranet
Read our expert guide for 2026 on maximizing your SharePoint intranet.
Read Article →Top 12 SharePoint Intranet Examples in 2026
Explore real-world examples and inspiration for your next intranet project.
Read Article →SharePoint Managed Services: When & Why to Outsource
Discover the benefits of outsourcing your SharePoint management and support.
Read Article →Microsoft Solutions Partner Certifications
We hold multiple Microsoft Solutions Partner designations, reflecting our proven capability and technical expertise across the Microsoft ecosystem.
Talk to a Microsoft SharePoint consultant
Book a free consultation to discuss your SharePoint project — fixed-price quote, no obligation.
