SharePoint Connector for Jira vs Smart Links:

Which Tool Optimizes Collaboration Best?

Modern collaboration tools should eliminate the need for manual version tracking, ensuring that teams always work with the latest versions of files, without switching systems or creating duplicate content and information silos. Two popular solutions, Smart Links and SharePoint Connector for Jira, offer unique features designed to extend the functionality of Jira. This article compares these tools, focusing on their specific differences and how they improve team collaboration and workflow efficiency.

Overview of Smart Links: Smart Links allows users to connect Jira or SharePoint with other applications and systems. It makes it easy to link Jira issues to external resources, such as documents, web pages, or third-party applications that interact with Jira issues. This integration improves visibility and provides a central place to access relevant information related to a specific Jira issue, bringing together work from different tools in one location.

Understanding SharePoint Connector for JiraThe SharePoint Connector for Jira focuses specifically on integrating Jira with Microsoft SharePoint. This tool enables teams to link Jira issues with SharePoint documents/folders, making it easier to work with shared files and collaborate within the Microsoft ecosystem. It centralizes Jira issue data with SharePoint’s powerful document management features, offering a smooth experience for teams that already use SharePoint for file storage and collaboration.

  1. Linking Capabilities: Smart Links offers broad linking options, allowing users to connect Jira issues to various external resources like documents, URLs, and even other Jira issues. SharePoint Connector for Jira focuses on linking Jira with SharePoint documents and folders. It works in both directions, allowing users to browse and connect SharePoint files and folders directly within Jira issues, as well as bring Jira issues into SharePoint.

  2. Document Management: SharePoint Connector for Jira excels in document management, leveraging SharePoint’s advanced features like version control, access controls, and centralized file storage. It provides a rich document experience directly within Jira, allowing you to view all connected SharePoint documents and folders in a centralized hub. With extensive filtering options, users can easily find files, edit, connect, disconnect, and even upload new files without wasting time on mundane tasks. Additionally, SharePoint folders can be linked to a Jira project, making them easily accessible to project users. Smart Links does not offer integrated document management but rather serves as a way to link external documents to Jira issues, without providing the same depth of functionality as SharePoint.

  3. Integration Ecosystem: Smart Links integrates with a wide range of third-party tools, making it ideal for teams that use multiple platforms and require broad connectivity. SharePoint Connector for Jira is designed for teams that use Microsoft SharePoint in addition to Jira. It is a good fit for organizations that are already embedded in the Microsoft and Atlassian ecosystem.

  4. User Interface and User Experience: Smart Links has a simple, intuitive UI that allows users to quickly create and manage links to external resources without disrupting their workflow in Jira. SharePoint Connector for Jira integrates directly into SharePoint, so users familiar with SharePoint will have a consistent experience across both platforms.

Which One to Choose?

  • Smart Links is ideal if your team uses a variety of external tools and needs the flexibility to link Jira with multiple applications.

  • SharePoint Connector for Jira is designed for teams that already use SharePoint. Deeply integrated with SharePoint's document management capabilities, it ensures that teams always work with the most up-to-date files and folders, while providing advanced features such as access controls, making it the best choice for organizations that have invested in Microsoft SharePoint.

Both Smart Links and SharePoint Connector for Jira offer useful collaboration features, but they serve different purposes. Smart Links is flexible, allowing you to link to various external resources. The SharePoint Connector for Jira is ideal for teams that want to combine Jira's task management with SharePoint's document management, offering a smooth experience for SharePoint users.

If your team focuses on document management and is already using Microsoft tools, the SharePoint Connector for Jira will offer clear benefits.

Klaida Sulko
22. August 2023