Automating SharePoint: five processes worth tackling first in mid-sized companies

Most companies use SharePoint as a document store: files sit there, folder structures grow, and that is where it ends. Yet Microsoft 365 already contains everything needed to run approvals, deadlines and requests automatically. This article shows which five processes are worth automating first when you automate SharePoint in a mid-sized company, and the tools you use to do it.

SharePoint automation in mid-sized companies: from archive to tool

SharePoint automation in a mid-sized company means: documents trigger actions instead of just sitting there. An uploaded invoice starts the approval, an expiring contract creates a task in good time, a new employee automatically receives their checklist on day one. Technically, everything for this is already in place, and the tools are usually part of your Microsoft 365 licence already.

In practice it often looks different. Files get filed away, approvals run via email attachment, and anyone who wants to know whether a document is up to date simply asks around. SharePoint then works as an expensive network drive. How to use the platform as an active tool instead is shown on our service page for Microsoft 365 automation.

Five processes worth tackling first

Automation pays off fastest where emails circle today and nobody knows the current status. We see these five processes most often at mid-sized companies, and all five can be built with the tools already in Microsoft 365.

1. Document approval with an approval chain

A quote, a work instruction or a QM document needs approval from two people before it applies. Automated, that means: on upload an approval run starts, the responsible people get a task in Teams or Outlook, and the document status only switches to approved after the final sign-off. Every step is logged, which saves a lot of searching during audits.

2. Contract and deadline monitoring

Contracts with notice periods are among the most expensive forgotten documents. Store the term and notice period as metadata on the file, and a daily run automatically checks which deadlines are approaching and notifies the responsible person 90, 60 and 30 days in advance. No more Excel side ledger and no silent contract renewal.

3. Onboarding checklist for new employees

Onboarding rarely fails for lack of will, but because of coordination between IT, HR and the relevant department. One entry in a SharePoint list automatically creates every task: set up the account, order hardware, schedule inductions, assign a buddy. Everyone sees what is still open, and the manager does not have to chase after it on the phone.

4. Invoice and receipt filing with metadata

Incoming invoices often land as a PDF in a shared folder, and the allocation is done by hand. Automated, a flow reads out supplier, amount and invoice date, names the file consistently and files it with metadata you can filter by later. How far this can go, all the way to pre-coding, is described in our article on processing invoices automatically.

5. Leave and form requests

Paper forms and PDF requests by email are the classic case. A form in Microsoft Forms or a SharePoint list replaces the slip, the request goes automatically to the responsible manager, and the decision is documented together with the date. The pattern works for leave just as well as for investment requests or IT orders.

What you build it with: Power Automate as the standard route

The standard route for SharePoint automation is Power Automate: for standard connectors the tool is already included in the common Microsoft 365 licences, it addresses SharePoint natively and covers all five processes mentioned.

n8n complements Power Automate when systems outside the Microsoft world need to be connected, such as an ERP, a web shop or an industry-specific solution, or when you value running on your own infrastructure. Microsoft Copilot, in turn, does not automate processes but helps with finding and summarising content. For the five processes above it is the complement, not the replacement.

The retirement of the old workflow engine is the right moment

Since April 2026 the SharePoint 2013 workflow engine in SharePoint Online has been permanently switched off, and existing workflows no longer run there. What that means in practice and how the switch works we describe in our article on the retired SharePoint workflow engine. The key point is: old workflows should not be rebuilt one to one but streamlined during the move. Many approval chains from the 2013 era contain steps that nobody needs any more today.

For getting started, a simple approach has proven itself:

• Take stock: which old workflows and email processes even exist?
• Prioritise by frequency and error-proneness, not by technical appeal.
• One process as a pilot, then carry the pattern over to the next ones.

Frequently asked questions

What does SharePoint automation cost in a mid-sized company?

For the five processes described, the standard connectors included in the Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise licences are usually enough. No additional licensing costs then arise. The effort lies in the implementation: a single approval or request process is typically productive within a few consulting days.

When is consulting on SharePoint automation worthwhile?

External consulting is worthwhile when nobody internally has the time to get to grips with Power Automate, or when several processes and systems need to work together. A good consultant does not only set up the individual flow but leaves behind a structure of libraries, metadata and permissions on which the next automations can build.

Do we need programming skills for this?

No. Power Automate is a low-code tool, and flows are assembled from ready-made building blocks. Experience is needed less for the clicking than for cleanly scoping the process: who approves what, what happens on a rejection, who is reminded and when.

What happens to our old SharePoint 2013 workflows?

In SharePoint Online they have not run since the shutdown in April 2026 and must be rebuilt in Power Automate. That is not a press of a button, but an opportunity: during the rebuild you notice superfluous steps that have been carried along for years.