Departmental Dashboards: How to Tailor SharePoint for Marketing, HR, Finance, and More

Use cases and best practices for making SharePoint feel custom-fit for each department—not just a one-size-fits-all intranet.

What Is a Departmental Dashboard in SharePoint? 

A departmental dashboard in SharePoint is a customized site or page tailored to the specific needs, workflows, and content of a business unit—such as Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, or Operations. Instead of a generic, centralized intranet, these targeted dashboards give each team a personalized space to access tools, track tasks, collaborate, and share updates. 

When done correctly, department-specific SharePoint dashboards boost productivity, improve engagement, and reduce wasted time spent searching for files or switching between platforms. 

Why Customize SharePoint by Department? 

While a single intranet homepage may serve general company-wide communication, it rarely meets the nuanced needs of individual departments. A one-size intranet often leads to: 

• Poor adoption and engagement

• Inefficient file sharing or duplication

• Lack of role-specific resources

• Teams defaulting to external tools or shadow systems 

Tailoring SharePoint for each department aligns your digital workspace with how teams actually operate—resulting in a more intuitive, scalable, and effective solution. 

SharePoint Dashboard Use Cases by Department 

Here’s how leading departments are using SharePoint to streamline work and centralize access to what matters most. 

Marketing Dashboard

Key Features: 

• Campaign calendars and editorial planning

• Brand guidelines and asset libraries

• Content approval workflows (via Power Automate)

• Analytics dashboards using Power BI

• Social media assets and vendor contact lists 

Benefits: 

• Ensures brand consistency across departments and regions

• Improves visibility into campaign progress

• Centralizes collaboration with agencies and designers 

Human Resources (HR) Dashboard

Key Features: 

• Onboarding and orientation portals

• HR policy documents and handbooks

• Benefits enrollment guides

• Training videos and learning management integration

• Company announcements and DEI updates 

Benefits: 

• Accelerates employee onboarding

• Improves compliance and knowledge retention

• Enhances employee experience with self-service resources 

Finance Dashboard

Key Features: 

• Budget planning templates

• Real-time reports using Power BI

• Secure access to payroll and audit documents

• Expense submission forms and workflows

• Year-end close checklists 

Benefits: 

• Streamlines financial reporting

• Reduces errors and duplicated files

• Enhances collaboration with department budget owners 

Operations Dashboard

Key Features: 

• Project management tracking with Planner or Lists

• SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) documentation

• Vendor and supplier portals

• Inventory dashboards

• Facilities maintenance request forms 

Benefits: 

• Increases visibility into day-to-day workflows

• Improves operational efficiency

• Centralizes procedures across locations 

IT Dashboard

Key Features: 

• Service ticket forms and real-time status updates

• Security policy documentation

• System downtime logs

• Microsoft 365 training and adoption resources

• Integration with Teams and Intune 

Benefits: 

• Reduces incoming support requests

• Improves user satisfaction and internal transparency

• Promotes secure usage of tools and platforms 

Best Practices for Departmental SharePoint Dashboards

Start With Discovery Sessions

Work with each department to understand their tools, processes, and pain points. Prioritize high-value content and actions.

Design With User Roles in Mind

Tailor each dashboard not only by department, but also by role. A marketing manager’s needs may differ from a coordinator’s.

Use Modular Web Parts

Leverage out-of-the-box and custom SharePoint web parts to build flexible, interactive dashboards that teams can update without IT.

Integrate Microsoft 365 Tools

Embed Teams, Power BI, Planner, and Forms directly into dashboards to keep collaboration in one place.

Enable Personalization and Targeted Content

Use audience targeting and metadata to ensure the right users see the right content—especially useful in organizations with regional offices across the U.S., such as in Atlanta, Denver, or the Northeast.

Set Up Governance Early

Maintain consistency across departments with naming conventions, version control, and site templates. 

Business Impact of Department-Specific Dashboards 

When SharePoint is tailored for how teams actually work, companies see: 

• Higher intranet engagement and faster adoption

• Streamlined collaboration across locations and departments

• Reduced tool sprawl and duplicated files

• Better data accuracy and real-time decision making

• More scalable onboarding and operational workflows 

Whether your business is mid-sized or enterprise-level, departmental dashboards in SharePoint offer structure, speed, and clarity in a digital workplace that grows with you. 

Need Help Building Departmental Dashboards in SharePoint? 

Microsoft SharePoint is more than a company-wide intranet—it’s a flexible platform that can become the central hub for every team in your organization. When you design it with your departments in mind, you don’t just make it more useful—you make it more usable. 

We design scalable, secure, and user-friendly SharePoint environments tailored to how your teams actually work.