Connecting SharePoint and Salesforce can be done seamlessly with SalesPoint, our integration that combines document management from within Salesforce with storage in SharePoint. Your team simply keeps working in Salesforce, while files land automatically in SharePoint: without extra Salesforce storage, with automatic synchronisation and, if you wish, with migration of your existing files. In this article you will read how the connection works, which problems it solves and what it costs.
Can I connect SharePoint to Salesforce?
Yes. With SalesPoint you connect Salesforce and SharePoint in one seamless integration. Documents you upload in Salesforce are automatically stored in SharePoint, in a folder structure that follows your Salesforce objects. The module is available on both Salesforce AppExchange and Microsoft AppSource and has been used by over a hundred companies since 2014.
Salesforce is strong in customer management, SharePoint in document management. Many organisations use both platforms, but without a connection two separate worlds arise: the CRM with the customer data and the document environment with the associated files. SalesPoint brings those worlds together, so that every document automatically sits in the right place with the right record.
Customers describe the integration as so natural that it seems as though Salesforce built it themselves. After installation, the module appears directly in Salesforce and your team can get started with it, without users having to change the way they work.
Which problems does a SharePoint connection solve?
A connection between SharePoint and Salesforce puts an end to switching between two platforms, to duplicate document storage and to customer information that stands apart from the associated files. It also prevents unnecessary storage costs in Salesforce and the time lost through manual synchronisation.
Without an integration, most organisations recognise these pain points:
- The constant switching between two separate platforms;
- Duplicate document storage and the confusion that comes with it;
- Customer information that stands apart from the associated documents;
- Fragmented data that hinders collaboration;
- Unnecessary server costs due to data duplication;
- Lost time through manual synchronisation.
Each of these problems may cost only a few minutes per employee per day on its own, but added together it amounts to a structural loss of productivity. On top of that, the risk of errors grows: anyone managing documents in two systems can never be certain which version is the right one.
How does the synchronisation between Salesforce and SharePoint work?
The synchronisation runs fully automatically and in real time. You save documents in Salesforce as you are used to; the connection places them in SharePoint in the background, in a folder structure that is created automatically and uniformly based on your Salesforce objects. Changes synchronise across both platforms.
In practice, you go through four steps:
- Install: after installation, the module appears directly in Salesforce, ready for use.
- Save: you save documents as you are used to; the connection takes care of the rest in the background.
- Synchronise: files land automatically in SharePoint, in a folder structure that follows your Salesforce objects.
- Collaborate: you open, edit and share from both platforms, and changes synchronise throughout the whole organisation.
Pinning folders is a useful feature too: from the Pro licence onwards, you link folders to both standard and custom Salesforce objects. That way, every contract, every quote and every project document is guaranteed to sit with the right account or the right opportunity, and nobody has to search any more.
For your employees, nothing changes in daily practice. They add files and manage them from Salesforce, exactly as they are used to. The connection does the work in the background, without extra buttons, exports or manual steps.
Do I save Salesforce storage costs with the connection?
Yes. Files you upload via SalesPoint do not consume any Salesforce storage: they are kept in SharePoint instead of on the relatively expensive Salesforce servers. That makes a considerable difference in storage costs, while your team keeps working in the familiar Salesforce interface.
Salesforce storage is a well-known cost item. Organisations that attach many documents to records see their data consumption rise quickly and pay for it. By moving the storage to SharePoint, you make use of the storage capacity you often already have through your Microsoft environment.
The most tangible benefit is therefore cost savings: one customer reported substantial savings on server costs by no longer using Salesforce storage for documents. Just as important is the convenience: management happens automatically in the background, without extra actions for your employees.
Can I migrate existing Salesforce files to SharePoint?
Yes. With the Enterprise licence, our migration service automatically moves existing Salesforce files to SharePoint, preserving the folder structure. That way, you benefit from the lower storage costs not only for new documents, but also for everything that is already there.
The migration is seamless: your team notices nothing of it in their daily work, and documents remain accessible from Salesforce in the place where they have always been. Only the underlying storage location changes, with the existing folder structure your team already knows kept intact.
If you would like the transition to be guided, our consultants take care of the implementation and onboarding. They set up the connection, guide the migration and make sure your team can work with it straight away.
What about version control, permissions and security?
You make use of SharePoint’s own security, version control and permissions model. You edit documents with the familiar Microsoft Office tools, including real-time collaboration. With the Enterprise licence, the connection also synchronises permissions and role-based access with your Salesforce roles.
Version control means that every change is recorded and that you can always return to an earlier version of a document. If several colleagues work on the same file at the same time, this happens in real time, just as you are used to with Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
The connection also scales for larger organisations: the integration supports multidisciplinary teams spread across multiple SharePoint sites, including permissions and role management. That way, you keep a grip on who may view which documents, even if your document landscape is complex.
What does the SharePoint connection for Salesforce cost?
SalesPoint comes in three licences, priced per user per month: Light at 5 euros, Pro at 7 euros and Enterprise at 8 euros. Light covers basic document management, Pro (the most chosen licence) adds linking to objects and full Office collaboration, and Enterprise extends this with migration and role management.
The differences at a glance:
- Light (5 euros per user per month): standard folder structure for accounts, standard objects only, creating and renaming folders, viewing and editing files in SharePoint, support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF.
- Pro (7 euros per user per month, most chosen): everything in Light, plus pinning folders to objects, linking to standard and custom objects, full real-time Office collaboration and all file types.
- Enterprise (8 euros per user per month): everything in Pro, plus the migration service from Salesforce to SharePoint, multiple SharePoint sites, Flow Automation and custom work, permissions synchronisation and roles, and a dedicated account manager.
When making your choice, also consider the supported file types: the Light licence works with the standard Office types (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and PDF, while from the Pro licence onwards all file types are allowed. If your organisation works a great deal with images, drawings or other specific formats, Pro is the logical starting point.
If you would like to combine SalesPoint with other Salesforce solutions, for example invoicing through our Billing Platform or an accounting connection with the Influx for Exact Online, we are happy to think along about the setup of your broader process.
Ready to get document management in Salesforce in order?
Curious how SalesPoint clears up your document chaos? Visit the product page for all the functionality and licences, or contact us for a demo or a free trial period. We would be pleased to show you how the connection works in your own Salesforce environment.