Managing documents in a growing organisation is no easy task. Every step in your content lifecycle impacts compliance, productivity, and operational efficiency, from keeping track of the latest versions to ensuring proper review and approvals.
That’s why organisations worldwide trust Microsoft SharePoint as their go-to solution. More than just a file repository, SharePoint's content management system offers powerful features like version control, metadata tagging, permission management, and automated approval workflows, designed to give businesses complete control over their information.
In this article, we’ll explain how version control and approval workflows work in SharePoint and why they are essential for any organisation looking to improve document governance and collaboration.
Why Version Control and Workflows Matter
Imagine you're working on an important contract. One team member updates it, another overwrites it, and a third accidentally deletes a section. You now have three versions of the same file, and you don't know which is final.
Such chaos becomes a daily reality without version control and structured workflows, especially in teams with remote members, strict compliance requirements, or fast-paced operations.
A well-designed content management system SharePoint, solves this by:
- Keeping track of all document changes
- Enabling multiple people to collaborate safely
- Automating review and approval steps
- Preventing data loss or unauthorised edits
The result? Better collaboration, higher accuracy, and less time wasted.
Understanding Version Control in SharePoint
Version control in SharePoint allows you to track and manage document changes over time. Every time a file is edited and saved, SharePoint stores a new version and metadata like author name, modification time, and comments.
Key Features:
- Major and Minor Versions
You can configure SharePoint to save major versions (e.g., v1.0, v2.0) for official releases and minor versions (e.g., v1.1, v1.2) for drafts and internal edits. This is particularly useful in document-heavy industries like legal, finance, and healthcare. - Version History
Users can view any document's full version history, compare changes, and restore previous versions if needed. This is invaluable when content needs to be audited or errors must be corrected quickly. - Draft Item Security
You can restrict access to draft versions so that only document owners or approvers can see and edit them. This ensures confidential content stays protected during the editing process.
4contract management in sharepointCheck-in/Check-out Feature
When a document is checked out, other users can’t edit it until it’s checked back in. This eliminates conflicts when multiple users work on the same file and ensures accountability.
By leveraging these built-in features, businesses can maintain transparency and ensure that documents always reflect the latest, approved information.
Streamlining Processes with Approval Workflows
In any professional environment, most content needs to undergo a chain of review and approval before it can be published or shared. SharePoint makes this seamless with workflow automation.
Types of Approval Workflows in SharePoint:
- Content Approval Workflow
This enables organisations to implement a basic "submit for approval" flow. Once a user submits a document, it remains in draft mode until approved by a designated individual or group. - Custom Workflows (Power Automate Integration)
With Power Automate, you can build advanced workflows—routing documents to different stakeholders, sending automated reminders, or triggering actions based on document properties (e.g., type, department, urgency). - Sequential and Parallel Approvals
SharePoint supports sequential (one after another) and parallel (all at once) approval processes. This flexibility is ideal for departments with layered hierarchies or cross-functional review teams.
Benefits of Automating Approvals:
- Saves time by reducing email follow-ups
- Ensures accountability with digital audit trails
- Improves compliance with defined, trackable processes
- Allows real-time notifications and status tracking
By implementing approval workflows inside your content management system SharePoint, you can streamline internal communication and reduce bottlenecks that often stall projects.
Real-Life Use Case: Legal Contract Management
A regional legal firm used SharePoint to manage its contract documents. With custom metadata tagging, versioning enabled, and a multi-step approval workflow, they reduced document turnaround time by 50%.
Each new draft was checked in, auto-assigned to the legal team for review, and routed to department heads for digital approval. The final contract was published only after automated validation checks, ensuring compliance and efficiency.
Best Practices for Managing Content in SharePoint
To make the most of version control and workflows, follow these practical tips:
- Set explicit permissions: Limit who can approve, edit, and view documents
- Use metadata: Tag documents with categories, departments, and owners to aid search and routing.
- Train your teams: Ensure users understand how to check in/check out files and submit for approval.
- Review version settings: Avoid excessive storage by managing how many versions are retained.
- Monitor workflows: Use reports to identify bottlenecks and optimise steps.
These best practices will help your organisation maximise the impact of SharePoint’s features and avoid common pitfalls.
Why Choose SharePoint for Content Management?
Unlike standalone tools or file shares, SharePoint offers a complete ecosystem for content lifecycle management, backed by Microsoft’s security, scalability, and integrations.
Every stage of content management is covered, from capturing the first draft to getting approvals and publishing. With Neologix as your implementation partner, you can tailor SharePoint to your organisation’s structure, compliance needs, and collaboration style.
Explore our guide to SharePoint content management in your organisation and see how you can get started.
Final Thoughts
If your team is still struggling with version confusion, email approvals, or scattered document storage, it’s time for a change.
A modern content management system SharePoint equipped with version control and approval workflows, can significantly improve your organisation's information handling. It boosts productivity, ensures compliance, and builds a more transparent and efficient work culture.
Don’t let disorganised content slow you down. Take control of your documents and workflows and start building a more brilliant content management strategy with SharePoint today.
