Choosing a provider to replace SharePoint and implement a modern intranet is a decision that goes far beyond picking a tool. The new platform must fit the company culture, internal processes and security requirements. That is why executives and IT teams need a practical evaluation method that prioritizes real impact over commercial promises.
The first step is to build a clear picture of the current situation. Before talking to providers, gather the people responsible for Human Resources, Operations, Finance and Technology to identify the weak points of the existing intranet: difficulty finding documents, manual processes, disconnected departments, lack of metrics, or poor user experience. Also define the project goal: reducing employee onboarding time, accelerating approvals, eliminating repetitive tasks or centralizing critical knowledge.
Once you have that initial picture, establish baseline metrics. For example, average time to locate a document, number of internal requests managed per month, hours spent on administrative tasks, or employee satisfaction score. That data will allow you to compare proposals and later measure the results of the new intranet.
With those elements, the evaluation should focus on five areas. The first is the ability to create custom solutions. A provider that only configures templates may fall short when faced with specific processes in your industry. You need a company capable of developing custom software that covers everything from advanced document management to complex approval workflows.
The second area is artificial intelligence. A modern intranet uses AI to answer questions, summarize content, recommend experts or automate tasks. Ask the provider how it implements AI with safeguards: private model, secure connection to internal data, encryption, and access control. Be wary of solutions that send corporate information to public services or cannot audit the system's decisions.
The third area is integration. Your intranet will not exist in a vacuum; it must connect with Microsoft Teams, Active Directory, ERP, CRM and other tools. A good provider should present integration cases using APIs, middleware or events, and explain how it will maintain synchronization and data quality. It should also work with systems the company already uses without forcing unnecessary migrations.
The fourth area is infrastructure and cybersecurity. Ask for a deployment blueprint that includes AWS/Azure cloud, private networks, VPN or Private Link, backups, multi-factor authentication and activity logging. Security must be built in from design: role-based access control, vulnerability reviews, encrypted data in transit and at rest, and GDPR compliance.
The fifth area is analytics and observability. A modern intranet must offer real-time visibility: number of active users, process cycle times, task completion rates and associated costs. If the provider is also experienced in Business Intelligence (for example, Power BI), it will be able to build dashboards that turn operational data into executive decisions. In this sense, the intranet stops being a repository and becomes a strategic information hub.
Once you have analyzed these five areas, evaluate the work methodology. Development should be incremental, with partial deliveries and product visibility from the first weeks. A good practice is to start with a minimum viable product, validate it with a pilot group and then roll it out progressively. Ask the provider to explain how it manages change, how it tests features and what support policy it offers after launch.
Total cost must be calculated beyond the initial invoice. Consider migration time, configuration, integration, training, ongoing maintenance and expansion to other departments. A serious provider should present an investment plan with a return estimate, based on the indicators defined during the discovery phase.
In this process, it is important to have a technology partner that understands software and business. Q2BSTUDIO is a software development company with experience in building enterprise intranets, implementing AI, cybersecurity, AWS/Azure cloud infrastructure, process automation and Business Intelligence. Its approach combines custom software with open platforms, avoiding unnecessary dependencies and delivering source code to the client. It also incorporates AI agents with human oversight so that the organization can delegate repetitive tasks without losing control.
A key criterion for choosing a provider is transparency. Ask for references from similar projects, proof of concept, and access to demo environments that are not simply videos. A good team must be able to explain technical decisions, risks and limitations in detail. If there is no clarity during the sales process, there will be surprises during the project.
You should also involve end users in the selection. Run co-creation workshops with employees from different profiles, observe how they work and listen to their frustrations. Top-down solutions often fail. The intranet must reduce friction for people, not only meet technical requirements.
Another common mistake is choosing a platform for its popularity without checking whether the partner has the ability to customize and maintain it. Weaknesses appear in real workflows: complex permissions, data synchronization, reports that do not add up or searches that do not find anything. That is why training and post-implementation support are as important as the initial development.
When the proposal is being prepared, ask the provider to explain how it will measure success. Indicators should be linked to the original objectives: time saved in a specific task, percentage of active employees on the platform, error reduction, improvement in satisfaction. If the provider does not link its fees to measurable results, it is not the right partner.
Q2BSTUDIO, for example, structures its projects in phases: discovery, design, development, integration and optimization. The discovery phase documents current processes and defines KPIs. Then an MVP is built in a few weeks to validate the solution with real users. Later phases incorporate AI, automation, dashboards and security measures based on observed results. This approach reduces risk and generates continuous learning.
In short, evaluating providers to replace SharePoint is an exercise in strategy, not a product catalog. It means understanding current processes, defining the desired destination, verifying the technical strength of the team and ensuring sustainable adoption. With a clear methodology, it is possible to transform the intranet into a platform for productivity, innovation and knowledge serving the whole organization.
