Many companies currently rely on SharePoint or the standard DMS functionalities from the HR module in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management (formerly F&O) to handle important HR-related documents.
While these systems offer vital document management features, they lack many HR-related options that help ensure compliance and make employees’ workdays easier. That includes features like HR-specific document management categories, document retention and versioning, and enabling employees to conveniently manage their own documents.
The FourVision Document Management (DM) app is an extension for Dynamics 365 that caters to every company’s HR management needs. Below, we compare the best HR document management systems for the Microsoft ecosystem: SharePoint, standard Dynamics 365 DMS, and the Document Management app.
How does FourVision HR Document Management compare to SharePoint and the Dynamics 365 DMS?
The summary below shows how these three DMS solutions stack up when it comes to HR-specific features.
What are the main similarities and differences?
As the summary above shows, these three systems differ significantly when it comes to HCM features. The main similarities between them are:
- Both FourVision HR Document Management and SharePoint offer a user-friendly interface.
- Both FourVision Document Management and are fully GDPR-compliant.
Here are the main differences:
- Of the three systems, FourVision Document Management offers the fullest range of HR features.
- FourVision’s HR DMS includes key functionalities like document templates and document versioning which are not included in Dynamics 365’s standard features.
- FourVision employee document management also outperforms SharePoint in most areas, including key features like document storage, document retention, workflow automation and GDPR compliance.
- When it comes to offering access to documents via mobile devices, neither SharePoint nor Dynamics 365 offer nearly the same level of functionality as FourVision Document Management.
How do the user interfaces compare?
For most employees who work with an HR DMS every day, the most important aspect of the user experience is the software’s interface. How easy is it to find the documents and functionalities they are looking for? How clearly and logically is information displayed on the screen?
Of the three systems compared in this article, the standard Dynamics 365 DMS offers the most minimalistic user interface. It displays documents in an environment that looks and feels like the Windows File Explorer:
In contrast to the pared-back appearance of the Dynamics 365 user interface, SharePoint gives users more options and displays more information at a glance. Key options (“Upload”, “Share”, etc.) are arranged above the list of documents. The documents themselves are arranged in a familiar File Explorer-style layout.
FourVision Document Management takes the user interface to the next level by incorporating HR-specific categories and a handy tab system that makes it easier to flip between different versions of files. All essential file information (“Category”, “Content Expiry Date”, etc.) is displayed at a glance:
What are the key features of these three HR document management systems?
It’s important to remember that while many Human Resources teams use SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics 365 as document management systems, only FourVision Document Management is built with HR specifically in mind. When it comes to key HR features, there are some similarities, but also significant differences between the three systems:
Document storage
SharePoint and Dynamics 365 offer general document management features. In contrast, FourVision’s HR DMS offers a centralized, searchable storage platform for HR documents and enables HR to categorize documents according to the HR cycles of their choice.
Data security & GDPR compliance
Only FourVision’s DMS and SharePoint offer bulletproof GDPR-compliant document storage. All three systems allow users to access and edit documents based on their roles, but FourVision adds the option to grant access based on alternative hierarchies.
Document management categories
Only FourVision Document Management organizes documents into HR-specific categories (personal, insurance, contracts, certifications, etc.) which are accessible to users based on their roles.
Integration
Both SharePoint and FourVision Document Management fully integrate with Dynamics 365 .
Customization
While the standard Dynamics 365 setup offers only limited configuration options, both SharePoint and FourVision Document Management are highly customizable. FourVision offers fully configurable document templates and document standardization with options to customize the application itself.
User-friendliness
SharePoint’s interface is similar to that of other Dynamics 365 apps, so it will be familiar to employees who are used to working with Microsoft business tools. The D365 standard DMS grants document access to employees based on their profiles. FourVision Document Management is built with HR in mind and offers the clearest interface for handling HR documents.
Workflow automation
SharePoint supports workflow automation with Power Automate. Dynamics 365 offers only basic workflow capabilities and may require third-party apps for complex workflows. FourVision Document Management offers advanced document management workflow features for HRM processes, including versioning and retention policies.
Reporting and analytics
Both Microsoft Dynamics 365 and FourVision DMS for HR include reporting with Power BI and leverage Dataverse data. SharePoint includes basic out-of-the-box reporting and analytics capabilities with the option to use Power BI.
Compliance and auditing
SharePoint offers compliance features but needs additional customization to meet Human Resource Management needs. Dynamics 365 features built-in compliance features, such as tracking document changes and access. FourVision Document Management adds an extra layer with full GDPR compliance, document versioning and expiration notifications.
DocuSign integration
For e-signatures, FourVision’s DocuSign integration is the only one of these three systems that lets you integrate DocuSign, the world’s leading solution for securely sending and digitally signing sensitive documents.
Document template creation
Dynamics 365 alone does not include the option to create document templates. SharePoint offers standard document templates. In contrast, FourVision Document Management offers enhanced document template creation.
Employee self-service
Unlike SharePoint and Dynamics 365 which offer only limited employee self-service options, FourVision Document Management enables employees to view and manage their own HR documents.
Document retention
While SharePoint and Dynamics 365 include basic retention options, FourVision Document Management offers advanced document retention settings and reminders for expiring documents or entire categories.
Mobile access
SharePoint offers useful mobile capabilities via Microsoft Teams and other 365 applications. Dynamics 365 is a desktop-focused application, but offers some employee self-service features via mobile browsers. FourVision Document Management offers employees, managers and HR team members mobile access to documents via their browser or through Microsoft Teams.
Versioning
Dynamics 365 does not offer document versioning except for dates and version numbers in document titles. SharePoint has limited versioning capabilities. To ensure maximum document transparency, FourVision its HR Document Management tool lets you version all documents and apply your own document retention rules.
What is the best HR DMS for Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365?
As the comparison above shows, SharePoint and Dynamics 365 cover many of the basic document management features that HR teams and employees need. Yet only FourVision Document Management can provide full HR document management support with the best user interface and widest range of features.
FourVision has designed Document Management specifically for HR document management. It also integrates fully with Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O to expand and enhance native features. That makes it the ideal choice for HR document management and a powerful tool for streamlining HR features and offering a better employee experience throughout any company.
