PolicyCo vs SharePoint for Compliance Documentation
Dedicated policy management vs. enterprise content management
Microsoft SharePoint is a powerful enterprise content management and intranet platform used by thousands of organizations to store, organize, and share documents. Many compliance teams use SharePoint to manage their policies because it is already part of their Microsoft 365 environment. While SharePoint provides robust document management capabilities, it lacks the specialized policy lifecycle features that compliance-focused organizations need. PolicyCo is purpose-built for policy governance, offering structured workflows, compliance mapping, and attestation tracking that SharePoint requires extensive customization to approximate.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | PolicyCo | SharePoint |
|---|---|---|
| Policy version control | Formal version numbers, effective dates, release history with redlines, and rollback capability | Document versioning with check-in/check-out; no formal policy release process or effective dates |
| Approval workflows | Built-in multi-stage policy approval: Draft → Review → Release Candidate → Release | Power Automate workflows can be configured but require custom development and ongoing maintenance |
| Compliance framework mapping | Native mapping of policy articles to SOC 2, HIPAA, NIST, ISO controls with pre-built libraries | No native compliance mapping; requires custom lists, metadata, or third-party solutions |
| Attestation tracking | Built-in attestation with automated reminders, digital signatures, and exportable reports | No native attestation; possible through custom forms and Power Automate but complex to build and maintain |
| Procedure distribution | Clean Viewer with ChatGPT-powered search, department-based visibility, and self-service access | SharePoint sites and pages can publish content; search is keyword-based; design requires customization |
| Coverage dashboard | Real-time coverage fractions showing controls mapped, articles linked, evidence collected | No built-in compliance dashboard; requires Power BI integration or custom development |
| Evidence collection | Structured templates linked to procedures with assignees, reviewers, and scheduled collection periods | Document libraries can store evidence files but lack structured collection workflows and review processes |
| Setup and maintenance | Ready to use out of the box; no configuration or development required | Requires significant SharePoint configuration, custom workflows, and ongoing IT maintenance |
PolicyCo
Formal version numbers, effective dates, release history with redlines, and rollback capability
SharePoint
Document versioning with check-in/check-out; no formal policy release process or effective dates
PolicyCo
Built-in multi-stage policy approval: Draft → Review → Release Candidate → Release
SharePoint
Power Automate workflows can be configured but require custom development and ongoing maintenance
PolicyCo
Native mapping of policy articles to SOC 2, HIPAA, NIST, ISO controls with pre-built libraries
SharePoint
No native compliance mapping; requires custom lists, metadata, or third-party solutions
PolicyCo
Built-in attestation with automated reminders, digital signatures, and exportable reports
SharePoint
No native attestation; possible through custom forms and Power Automate but complex to build and maintain
PolicyCo
Clean Viewer with ChatGPT-powered search, department-based visibility, and self-service access
SharePoint
SharePoint sites and pages can publish content; search is keyword-based; design requires customization
PolicyCo
Real-time coverage fractions showing controls mapped, articles linked, evidence collected
SharePoint
No built-in compliance dashboard; requires Power BI integration or custom development
PolicyCo
Structured templates linked to procedures with assignees, reviewers, and scheduled collection periods
SharePoint
Document libraries can store evidence files but lack structured collection workflows and review processes
PolicyCo
Ready to use out of the box; no configuration or development required
SharePoint
Requires significant SharePoint configuration, custom workflows, and ongoing IT maintenance
Key Differences
PolicyCo provides policy management workflows immediately. SharePoint can be configured to do similar things, but the setup, maintenance, and ongoing customization effort is substantial. Many organizations spend months building SharePoint-based policy systems that PolicyCo provides on day one.
PolicyCo is designed around the compliance lifecycle: control mapping, evidence collection, attestation tracking. SharePoint is designed for content management. The difference shows when auditors ask to see your control coverage or attestation completion rates.
SharePoint policy management systems typically require IT involvement for setup, workflow changes, and troubleshooting. PolicyCo is managed by compliance and policy teams directly, reducing IT bottlenecks.
SharePoint's strength is its deep integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. If your organization is all-in on Microsoft and has SharePoint expertise in-house, the integration advantages are real. PolicyCo integrates with any SAML 2.0 identity provider, including Azure AD.
Which Is Right for You?
Choose PolicyCo if...
Compliance and policy teams that need structured policy lifecycle management without IT dependency. Ideal for SOC 2, HIPAA, or ISO preparation where control mapping, evidence collection, and attestation tracking are required.
Choose SharePoint if...
Organizations deeply invested in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem that have dedicated SharePoint administrators and are comfortable with custom development to build policy management workflows.
The Bottom Line
SharePoint is a capable enterprise platform, but using it for policy management means building a custom solution on top of a general-purpose tool. PolicyCo provides the same policy governance capabilities out of the box, purpose-built for compliance teams. The choice often comes down to whether you want to invest in building and maintaining a custom SharePoint solution or deploy a ready-made policy management platform.
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