Document Management in the world of Microsoft 365 can be a minefield.
There is a lot of confusion over where information should be stored when using Microsoft 365.
Do I save it in OneDrive? Should it be in a Team in Microsoft Teams? Would it be better in SharePoint?
So much data is lost or misplaced due to it being stored in the wrong locations in Microsoft 365. I am going to give a few handy tips on where to save data and why.
OneDrive – What is it and what should I store here?
OneDrive is still found as the confusing factor in the world of Microsoft 365. Why do I have it when I have so many other places to store documents?
OneDrive is a user’s personal drive. It is technically there to replace a user’s desktop or personal drive/folder on a server. It is there for users to store their personal employee data. Such as appraisals, one to ones, payslips etc.
No-one can see into a user’s OneDrive unless they share the data with someone else.
It may also be used to work on a new document that is not ready to go live t the business. However it is NOT a place to be used as a document management system within a business. It is also NOT a place to store business information. Users have SharePoint for that.
If users are holding business critical data within their OneDrive’s, other users will not have full access to it. As mentioned above the OneDrive is associated to a user account, so not everyone can see in it.
Should a user leave an organisation. Their OneDrive will only stay live for 30 days after their account has been deactivated. If they are storing business data in OneDrive, it goes with their account.
Microsoft Teams – Can I store business data in there?
Yes, is the easy answer to this question.
If users are working predominantly from Microsoft Teams and storing data within the Files tab at the top of the Teams channels. This is actually being stored with a SharePoint Site.
Really??? I hear you say. Yes really.
Every time you create a new Team within Microsoft Teams, it automatically generates a full SharePoint Site behind it. A lot of people don’t realise that, the Files tab is just a window into the bigger world of SharePoint.
Even though when a Team is created it can be created as Public or Private, the data can still be accessed throughout the business. If it is a Private Team, your IT team will still be able to access the data and also change the access rights if the wider organisation needs access to the data.
Many organisations use Teams as their Server Drive replacement so that it has a similar feel to the way people are used to working. There is nothing wrong with organisations doing this as long as the Teams are set up correctly.
SharePoint – Is the key to document management.
A lot of people do not realise that SharePoint is the parent of Microsoft 365 document management. It was there before Teams, before OneDrive and before Power Platform.
Companies have been using SharePoint for document management for well over 20 years. SharePoint used to be a server based document management system in the past but moved to SharePoint Online in February 2013.
There are so many ways to use SharePoint for document management. It can be used as a replacement to your current/old File Server. A project management tool. A CRM System and it just keeps going. Especially when you incorporate all the other Microsoft 365 applications that now integrate with it.
So in short, when it comes to document management in Microsoft 365, SharePoint is the main application for storing documents.
If you want more information or are interested in training your staff on the right ways of working win Microsoft 365 and document management we offer a wide range of SharePoint and Teams courses.
Contact the office to speak to one of our training consultants who will be happy to guide you on the best course for your business.