How do you know whether SharePoint or a custom intranet is the smarter choice for your IT operations? A lot depends on how fast your infrastructure needs to scale and how much control your team wants over the user experience. For IT departments in cities like Montreal, where complex systems and multilingual functions often overlap, the decision can shape workflows for years to come. Here, we take a detailed look at SharePoint solutions and custom intranet builds to help you see how each option fits, or does not fit, your current and future state.
Platform Fit for IT Infrastructure
SharePoint works best when you are already deep into the Microsoft 365 environment. If your teams are already managing content in OneDrive or using Outlook and Teams every day, SharePoint can slip into that setup without major disruption. It is already connected to the other tools your users depend on.
But in a more fragmented or legacy-heavy environment, a custom intranet might offer cleaner integration. Older ERP systems or record tools that do not connect well with Microsoft 365 will probably need more flexible handling.
Before taking sides, ask a few key questions:
- Is most of your work already happening inside Microsoft 365 tools?
- Will you need to link your intranet to platforms outside that ecosystem?
- Are users struggling more with access or with usability?
A custom build makes sense when you are bridging multiple systems that simply will not pair with the Microsoft ecosystem. But if you are already inside it, SharePoint saves setup time.
Scalability Needs and Maintenance Expectations
Any IT solution needs to scale without dragging your systems down. SharePoint scales naturally with your Microsoft 365 licenses. If you are adding users, storage, or new document libraries, SharePoint expands without a separate backend overhaul. Admins do not have to design every component; the framework grows within your tenant.
Custom intranets are different. You are responsible for managing the scale layer, which can bring flexibility but adds risk. Once your internal platform gets large, you will need to track which versions are where and how each module updates independently.
Here is where documentation and control matter. A growing IT team needs:
- Clear notes on version updates
- Consistent naming conventions
- Scalable permissions models
Without those, custom platforms can become hard to troubleshoot quickly. SharePoint tends to limit that chaos by centralizing updates and compliance models in cloud resources most admins already know.
Integration with Business Applications
For day-to-day productivity, integration with core systems is important. In government and IT settings alike, this usually means linking up with CRMs, ticketing software, analytics dashboards, and reporting tools.
SharePoint offers API access, but those endpoints are usually set. You will be working within the rules Microsoft defines. For most organizations using Dynamics or similar tools, the integrations are well-supported and fast to configure.
A custom intranet, by contrast, gives your team ultimate control over APIs. This matters when:
- Ticketing tools are built in-house
- Compliance reports pull data from unique databases
- Integration errors must be resolved without vendor support
But with that freedom comes maintenance. You will be responsible not only for creating the link but also for keeping it secure and functional as systems evolve. System admins often find themselves writing more middleware, patching endpoints, or rebuilding integrations when source tools update.
Security and User Governance
Both SharePoint and custom intranets can meet high security standards, but the way you get there is very different.
SharePoint makes use of Microsoft’s built-in controls. You can configure policies using retention labels, governance rules, and permission levels that work across most departments. For IT teams with complex security needs, SharePoint helps with:
- Role-based permissions that sync with Microsoft Entra ID
- Audit-ready compliance features already mapped to Microsoft’s security model
- Activity logging that lives inside your Microsoft 365 admin portal
A custom intranet lets you shape the access model any way you want. That might include project-specific visibility, time-based expiration rules, or access logic based on internal workflows. It is much more flexible but requires you to design the enforcement mechanisms yourself.
Choosing depends on whether your team prefers built-in guardrails or full control, even if that means more internal development time.
Customization vs. Speed of Deployment
Some IT teams want something live as soon as possible. In time-sensitive upgrades or merger situations, SharePoint will almost always win on speed. It comes with templates, site structures, and branding tools that can be used immediately. You are working within a known frame, which limits development but speeds up results.
When customization is the top priority, a custom intranet wins. You are building the tool your users actually need, not fitting them into a tool someone else designed. But development time grows with every custom module or change in UX plan.
Here is what teams often struggle with during development:
- Building multi-language support from scratch
- Integrating nonstandard document inputs
- Creating admin dashboards that work across mobile and desktop
Fast deployments usually mean accepting certain limits. Deep customization asks for more planning and patience.
Making the Call: What Should Guide Your Decision
Both options offer serious value, so the decision should always come back to what is sustainable for your team, not just what is new. In Montreal, where multiple departments may be juggling compliance, language rules, and multiple software platforms, this choice needs thoughtful planning.
We have noticed that IT leaders get the most clarity when they focus on:
- Administrative time: Which platform has the lower day-to-day management cost?
- Software dependencies: Are you building from a system that is connected or one that needs rebuilding?
- Long-term performance: Will your choice still work in two or three years without a full overhaul?
A side-by-side checklist of must-haves can help, especially when shared across your infrastructure and help desk teams. They often catch the features that matter most but do not show up in a feature table.
Why Alcero Leads in Secure, Strategic Intranet Solutions
With more than 20 years of experience in IT consulting, we specialize in developing integrated, secure intranet environments customized for the realities of Montreal organizations. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, our services cover the full lifecycle from planning to deployment and support for SharePoint and custom intranet solutions. Our expertise in information architecture and compliance allows IT departments to future-proof their systems while maintaining ongoing security and scalability.
Whether you need to streamline operations or ensure continued alignment with provincial and national governance standards, working with an expert provider provides a seamless, accountable process.
We work with finance and technology teams in Montreal to build secure, scalable environments that fit your day-to-day needs and compliance goals. Whether you are streamlining workflows, connecting legacy systems, or organizing collaboration, we always focus on practical results and a clean rollout. See how our SharePoint solutions can support the systems you already use. Contact us to start the conversation.