The document discusses modernizing solutions using SharePoint and the Power Platform, emphasizing the transition from traditional tools to user-friendly applications and intelligent workspaces. It outlines reasons for modernization, potential challenges, and solutions for common problems associated with this transition. Key recommendations include embracing new tools, adapting roles, and utilizing available templates and resources to enhance user experience.

1. Modernize
Solutions with
SharePoint & the
Power Platform
Jonathan Schultz
BadgerPoint Solutions

2. Agenda
What is “Modern”?
Why Modernize?
How to Modernize
What Could Go Wrong?

3. Modern?
• Tools, Not Sites
• User Friendly Lists & Libraries
• Communication Sites, not Publishing Sites
• Hub Sites, not Subsites
• Apps, not Forms
• Teams, not Skype

4. Why Modernize?
• Turn Static Intranets into Intelligent Workspaces
• Transform Physical/Digital Forms into Mobile Apps
• Actionable Approvals vs. Unmanaged Requests
• Convert Monthly Reports to Dynamic Dashboards
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

5. Intelligent Workspace

6. Mobile Apps

7. Actionable Emails

8. Dynamic Dashboards

9. Timesheets

10. Request Forms

11. Onboarding

12. Planning &
Design
• Pilot and Expand
• Release Early and Often
• Subsites to Hubs
• Modernization Scanner -
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-
us/sharepoint/dev/transform/mod
ernize-scanner
• Staffing…

13. Learning New Skills
• Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
• 7 feet tall
• First 5 seasons – Minimal Three Point Attempts
• Now – Record Setting Three Point Attempts

14. “SharePoint” Roles
• System Engineers Need to Adapt
• No Servers to Maintain
• Plenty to Monitor and Configure
• Developers need to Adapt
• No Server-Side APIs
• No Master Pages to Change
• PowerShell is Important
• Rise of the Citizen Developer
• Use Logic, Not Code
• Must understand basics (data structures,
authentication, etc.)

15. Need Inspiration?
• SharePoint Look Book -
https://sharepointlookbook.azurewebsites.net/
• Power BI Samples -
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-
bi/sample-datasets

16. Tools
SharePoint PowerApps
Flow Power BI

17. Modernization
Mantra
• It’s Good Enough
• It’s Smart Enough
• Doggone it, People Like it!
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

18. How to Get Started
• Templates
• PowerApps
• Flow
• Custom Solutions
• PowerApps -
https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-
powerapps-
solutions/tree/master/solutions
• SPFX Web Parts -
https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-dev-
fx-webparts/tree/master/samples
• SPFX Extensions -
https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-dev-
fx-extensions/tree/master/samples

19. Got a Classic?
• Is it Safe?
• Is Maintenance
Adding Up?
• Is it Performing?

20. What Could Go
Wrong?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

21. “Service”
Accounts
• Problem
• Many connectors in Flow rely
on a user account to connect
to different Office 365
resources, like SharePoint.
• Flows are owned by user
accounts and shared with
other accounts.
• Solutions
• License a “service” account
and use it to build and
manage Flows.
• Use multiple accounts if you
need to divide into smaller
sections for security.

22. Branding • Problem
• Traditional methods of
updating the master page to
produce a specific look in
SharePoint is no longer
available.
• Solutions
• Use an application
extension to insert CSS to
the page and use CSS or
SASS to find and style
components (warning,
some risk as Microsoft
updates system).
• Use the options available
and wait for enhancements
(mega menu, headers,
footers, etc.)

23. Hero Web
Part
• Problem
• Hero web part in SharePoint
looks good but cannot use
dynamic data sources to pull in
information.
• Solutions
• Embrace the flexibility of
the Hero web part and train
people how to use it.
• Build a custom SPFX web
part to pull in data and
format the output in a
similar manner.

24. Calendars • Problem
• There is no modern calendar
web part.
• Solutions
• Use an Iframe to embed a
classic page in a modern
page.
• Use the sample code from
Github to build a modern
web part using the
FullCalendar.io framework.
• Use the Events web part to
display the information in a
new way.

25. (Un)responsive
Apps
• Problem
• PowerApps are based on a
tablet or phone layout and are
not responsive.
• Solutions
• Build two PowerApps and
optimize each for the
targeted device.

26. Search • Problem
• Modern search is less
configurable than previous
versions of SharePoint.
• Solutions
• Continue to use classic
SharePoint search pages.
• Monitor the Office 365
roadmap for future
enhancements.
• Consider Microsoft Search
for a Bing/Office 365 mash-
up.

27. 3rd Party
Products
• Problem
• Vendor states that
solution works with
SharePoint Online
• Solutions
• Clarify if solution
works on modern
sites
• Test on modern sites

28. PDF Viewer • Problem
• The PowerApps PDF
viewer won’t display
PDF documents stored
in SharePoint
• Solutions
• Use Flow (or a custom
service) to proxy the
requests

29. “If there was a problem
Yo, I'll solve it”
- Robert Matthew Van Winkle

30. Modernization
Mantra
• It’s Good Enough
• It’s Smart Enough
• Doggone it, People Like it!
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

31. Thank You!