Microsoft 365 & cloud
TodayTeams is there, SharePoint too. What actually gets used is Outlook.
Many companies run Microsoft 365 and use Outlook from it. SharePoint, Teams and Planner lie idle because nobody ever decided what they are for. Sometimes that is exactly the solution. Sometimes a separate application makes more sense. We tell you which applies in your case.
Where it usually gets stuck
- Licences are paid for, but only a fraction is used.
- Files sit locally, on a server and in the cloud at the same time.
- It is unclear who may access what.
- Backups run but have never been restored.
Microsoft 365 is already in place in many companies and is used for a small part of what it can do. That is rarely down to the software. It is down to nobody ever having decided what SharePoint is for and what it is not – so everyone carries on using what they know.
The alternative is not a decision for or against Microsoft in principle. The question is which parts of your workflow are in good hands there, which need a purpose-built application, and where something outside Microsoft fits better.
What gets built
- A stocktake: what exists, what is used, what is missing
- Clear storage in SharePoint or OneDrive with defined permissions
- Your workflows connected to mailbox, calendar and filing
- Data backup including a restore test and an emergency procedure
- Where it makes sense: a separate cloud application independent of Microsoft
What changes
- Licences you pay for are used instead of being topped up with further tools.
- It is settled what gets filed where.
- Access rights are governed and traceable.
- The backup has been restored at least once.
From applications we have built
What follows are excerpts from applications we have actually built. No mocked-up interfaces and no invented figures.
Questions about Microsoft 365 & cloud
Do we have to commit to Microsoft?
No. If an independent solution fits better, we build that. Both routes are possible, and the decision belongs at the start.
Is a NAS enough as a backup?
No. A NAS is one building block. Without a second location and a tested restore it is not a backup.
Can we move over step by step?
Yes. We usually tidy up the filing first and move the workflows afterwards.
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