Why Sharepoint IS NOT a Modern Member Platform /Extranet

SharePoint is not a modern extranet—it’s a limited, document-sharing platform that lacks the intelligence, integration, and user experience today’s organizations need.

SharePoint does not solve the main challenge of creating a Member Experience: to offer a unified, personalized, and digitally attractive experience to your Members.

In contrast, Symantra's Member Platform is the Number 1 Extranet in the Europe and the right solution to create more business value and drive growth for your membership.

This means all the services required today for a strong Member Experience for all types of exclusive content (not just docs!) and Membership Lifecycle management.

Symantra is the only solution in the market offering real-time document collaboration, inside the Member Platform (i.e. without IT dependency, nor admin over-burden of SharePoint management).

Just to mention some of the problems specific to Associations' way of working when using “SharePoint as an Extranet”:

1. SharePoint is just a file-sharing tool, so it covers only a small part of an association's (your members) requirement of an Extranet.

On the contrary, Extranet should be the DIGITAL HOME for all member's activities and exclusive content. More importantly, it doesn't provide any back office to run and interconnect the data from the digital tools.

In contrast Symantra Extranet offers 40+ modules, a fully branded and personalised experience.

2. Productivity problems for your team

Symantra had already moved many reputed organisations away from “SharePoint as an Extranet” to Symantra's Member Experience Platform.

Their staff were overburdened by regular issues with onboarding/logins of Members, assigning them rights to different sites. Many of them had even loss of data harming business continuity, because staff were working in silos.

At one point of time, be sure that you'll lose control on your data, your documents, and who has access to what (and who should not have access anymore!).

3. Serious Limitations for external collaboration

Despite being suitable in a pure corporate environment with staff SharePoint 'as such' does not work for external collaboration.

SharePoint has been designed for corporates and it works great (without a doubt) for all "internal (staff) collaboration".

But when it comes to "external collaboration" for the Associations, there are several limitations and risks.

That is the reason none of the serious EU associations use it “as such” for external collaboration with members.

Calling SharePoint an extranet is a stretch. It’s a basic tool for file storage—not a unified, intelligent platform for real collaboration and engagement.

4. No branding, too geeky interface

You cannot brand it, you have no control over the look and identity.

Your brand’s identity on your Member platform is extremely important.

SharePoint doesn't create a centralized, branded, or customizable interface, which your members can call "My Digital Home.

Members have higher digital expectations and it is very likely that they already experience the benefits of Symantra's Member Platform elsewhere.

Therefore it is high time your organisation aligns with best in class organisations and adopt a modern Extranet like Symantra.

5. No possibility to customize, missing many features.

Every association has its own business processes and unique structure.

Therefore, a fixed 'off-the-shelf' solution would not adapt to your organisation. You need to persuade your entire team and members to adapt to these tools, though it should be the other way around.

About SYMANTRA

Symantra is the go-to Tech agency for Trade Associations, federations, and B2B networks across Europe. 

Symantra Extranet is Europe’s #1 platform for private communities and business associations, with 40+ integrated, enterprise-grade modules. All data are hosted in the EU.

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