In this blog article, you will find out why you should manage your contacts digitally in a centralised way and what options there are for doing so. While Excel lists are no longer up to date and analogue solutions do not work decentrally, the SharePoint phone book this problem.
Do you recognise this? A new colleague starts at the company - motivated, committed, ready to get started. But the search begins on the very first day: "Who is responsible for IT?", "How do I get in touch with the accounts department?", "Is there a list of all the contacts somewhere?" The answers: "Ask Peter", "It might be in an old Excel file", or: "I'll send you a number by email."
Or someone in sales urgently needs the number of a project partner. But the colleague responsible is on holiday - and the contact details? Saved in their personal Outlook, on a local drive or handwritten somewhere in a notebook.
Such situations not only cost time - they appear disorganised and unprofessional. And they are not the exception, but the sad standard in many companies. Especially when contact information has been maintained in a variety of ways over the years: analogue, individual, unsystematic.
Why analogue contact lists and Excel fail in modern companies
Even today, many companies still rely on outdated methods to manage contact data - often out of habit, sometimes due to a lack of alternatives. But whether handwritten, collected in email signatures or stored as an Excel spreadsheet: These solutions quickly reach their limits.
Analogue contact lists: lost, outdated, untraceable
Telephone numbers on slips of paper, in notebooks or as post-its on the monitor - sounds nostalgic, but is a reality in many teams. The problem is that only the person who wrote the information down can work with it. As soon as someone is unavailable, valuable knowledge is lost.
Excel: Flexible, but error-prone
Excel is a powerful tool - but not for contact management. Anyone who has ever worked with a long, confusing spreadsheet full of names, numbers and departments knows the problems:
- No versioning: Who changed what last?
- No access on the move: data remains local without VPN or cloud sync.
- No control over data quality: typos, outdated entries, duplicate contacts - nobody notices until it's too late.
- No assignment of rights: Anyone can see everything or accidentally delete it.
Fragmented systems: Data islands instead of an overview
Some information is in Outlook, some in the CRM, some on the business card in your wallet. The result: loss of time, frustration and unnecessary dependence on individuals.
Why digital solutions for contact management are indispensable
In an age where teams work hybrid or remotely, information must be constantly up to date and data protection is a top priority, Excel and analogue methods are simply no longer enough. Companies need a centralised, secure and easily accessible solution to keep track of their internal and external contacts.
A digital employee directory solves several challenges at once:
- Up-to-dateness in real time: Changes are immediately available to everyone - no more outdated versions.
- Centralised accessibility: All employees access the same source - whether in the office or on the move.
- Structured assignment of rights: Who can see or edit what? No problem with digital administration.
- GDPR compliance: No more uncontrolled growth tables - but clear processes and traceability.
And this is precisely where we to:
With the SharePoint phone book we have developed a solution that has been specially designed for companies that want to finally manage their contact information efficiently, securely and seamlessly in Microsoft 365.
The SharePoint phone book at a glance - 5 advantages for your contact management with a digital contact list
The SharePoint phone book brings organisation, security and efficiency to your contact management. Here are the most important advantages at a glance:
1. central & up-to-date: All contacts, both internal and external, are bundled in one place. Changes are applied automatically and outdated Excel lists are a thing of the past.
2. integrated in Microsoft 365: Seamless connection to Teams, Outlook and Azure AD. This allows you to work directly in your familiar system without having to switch tools or manually maintain the system twice.
3. simply find instead of searching for a long time: Thanks to the smart search function, you can find any person in seconds, whether on desktop or mobile.
4. data protection guaranteed: GDPR-compliant with clear access rights. You retain full control - no risk from private lists or unsecured storage locations.
5. quickly ready for use: Set up in just a few clicks, including self-service option or installation support. No long introductory phase, no hidden costs.
Conclusion: put an end to contact chaos
A centralised, digital contact list is not a luxury - it has long been a prerequisite for a modern, efficient and secure way of working. Anyone still working with Excel lists or scattered contact data today not only risks wasting time, but also data protection problems, misunderstandings and an unprofessional public image.
With the SharePoint phone book you have the opportunity to take your contact management to a new level - simple, seamlessly integrated and perfectly tailored to your company. This not only creates structure, but also trust - both internally and externally.
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