SharePoint is a tool most companies already have in their arsenal. It’s a world of opportunity ready to bring centralised cohesion and collaboration into your business.
When it comes to Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, Principal Consultant, Maxine Harwood leads a dynamic team dedicated to crafting bespoke solutions for our customers. With a knack for simplifying the complex and a passion for unleashing new opportunities for businesses, we interviewed Maxine and gathered her insights into the myths of SharePoint and how her team leverages Connected Brilliance to support our customers.
Read on as we unveil the Soupian magic!
Tell us about your team, Maxine?
Essentially, we’re wizards in the world of Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. We develop custom solutions based on our customers’ unique needs, spending time to understand their pain points to build tailored experiences and solutions within SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. We’re armed with front-end developers ready to transform ideas into beautiful systems using M365 as our backbone.
Tell us about your role as Principal?
I’m all about business transformation, focusing on SharePoint. I play a supportive role, acting as a Business Analyst to guide the team and offer advice on leveraging existing tools. I enjoy dabbling in C# and PowerShell, adding a touch of fun to my job.
Over the past six months, the development team has grown, and we’ve invested a lot of time in refining processes and procedures to bring greater efficiency to our customers. I’m also the central point of communication for customers, acting as the interface between our customers and development team to ensure outcomes are aligned.
Talk us through a few myths you’d like to bust.
The first myth I’d like to bust is that SharePoint is only for document storage.
It’s so much more than that. The customisations we craft can automate information classification, making information and documentation so much easier to find.
The second myth is that SharePoint is difficult to use or overwhelmingly complex. It really isn’t. Our team quickly and easily identify needs and bring vast efficiencies to our customers by building a solution which is simple, user friendly and ready to deliver value quickly.
SharePoint is frequently used as the database backend for solutions we build, including a range of portals. These enable our customers to seamlessly manage documents and associated information in a visually appealing way. This allows us to take advantage of the strengths of SharePoint around document management, version control, and security.
The final myth is that Teams is just about chat. It’s a powerhouse for document management and integration. It consolidates the best of Microsoft products into one interface, and now with Copilot embedded, efficiency gains can be vast when used in the right way.
Let’s talk about Connected Brilliance at Mojo Soup. How does it manifest in your team?
Connected Brilliance means pooling diverse experiences into a unified team. We leverage each other’s strengths for a 360-degree experience, bringing passions like UX and UI design into projects, enabling us to maximise opportunity, reduce risks, and explore endless possibilities to create a more valued outcome for our customers.
What makes the Mojo Soup M365 Team stand out?
I’m so proud of the people we have here who make Mojo Soup extraordinary. Our team encourages collaboration and support through a flat structure and an absolute mixing bowl of skills to draw upon.
In our team we have Mike, our Senior Developer, who mentors the development team and ensures consistency in solutions. Rio is our Senior Consultant who brings broad expertise, while Tim is a quick-to-adapt Developer, who simplifies complexities. Nick also started recently with us and excels in fast-paced projects.
Tell us more about your leadership style?
Since I work remotely, I prioritise addressing challenges by actively clearing blockers for my team. I believe in fostering a collaborative work environment, and I look forward to our quarterly reviews as a key mechanism to address concerns and ensure that we are working together seamlessly. I believe in open communication, problem-solving, and creating a space where each team member feels supported and engaged. This approach allows me to navigate the unique challenges of remote work while promoting a positive and productive work environment.
What skills are essential to being a successful M365 Developer?
You need to be curious, that’s the most important trait, and you must have exposure. Being creative in problem-solving, exploring existing tools, and continuous learning are key traits.
It’s also important to have an open mind – anything is possible and can be an opportunity to offer additional services or alternative service types. Rather than simply saying ‘no’ because it wasn’t part of the original scope, I see challenges as potential opportunities to innovate and provide value.
Who is your ideal customer?
Ideal customers for Mojo Soup are visionaries who are open to flexible approaches, prioritising goals over specific technologies. These customers share common challenges related to productivity, compliance, and remote work support. Whether their focus is on streamlining processes, automating tasks, or improving overall productivity, our solutions cater to their diverse needs.
Even if the customer isn’t fully aware of their pain points initially, our approach helps unveil and address these issues. We are proud to craft solutions which are cloud-based, aligning seamlessly with the modern work environment, and supporting remote work effortlessly.
What’s a typical day in the life for Maxine?
I keep my morning routine very simple – I have a cup of coffee before stepping into my home office. Once I’m settled, I dive into my tasks for the day – I’m all about being task-oriented and getting things done on time. It’s the balance between a flexible work arrangement and ensuring I have time for both work and life that keeps me motivated.
What do you do to relax?
I love to paint with watercolours, do Pilates and enjoy a glass of wine – just not all at the same time! If I wasn’t a consultant, I imagine I would be renovating a chateau in Europe with my husband, possibly in France.
In the ever-evolving landscape of Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, Maxine Harwood and the Mojo Soup team continue to redefine business solutions, proving that transformation can indeed be seamless and exciting.
