Moving to Microsoft Office 365 without really understanding the features and functionality of SharePoint – the platform that supports document storage and management in Office 365 – is a missed opportunity to review and improve vital business processes and address productivity issues.

A Document Management System will most likely fail to meet the needs of the business if it does not take into account the processes and people that interact with documents. It needs to have a foundation or “Information Architecture” that is based on how users think about and interact with their information in a contextual way. It needs to be easy for users to search for the documents they use on a daily basis.

Without a solid understanding of how best to implement SharePoint, many companies replicate the issues that they had with their on-premises file servers by either:

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  Information Architecture should be based on how users think about and interact with their information in a contextual way…

  Creating complex folder structures that are difficult for users to intuitively navigate

• Creating a large bucket of unindexed information that quickly becomes a nightmare for users to interact with.

Microsoft Office 365 is a great option for businesses who want to move to the cloud. In addition to setting up the underlying architecture of SharePoint, there are things that need to be considered and planned for. For a company wanting to make the move from an on-premises Server environment to the cloud, the following still need to be accounted for:

• User identity and policy management
• Client machine (PCs and notebooks) and BYOD management
• Things like centralised anti-virus and control over a standard operating environment (the applications your team use on a daily basis).

Setting up Microsoft Office 365 – provisioning the tenant and setting up the subscription – is a fairly easy thing to do. Migrating mail from an existing Exchange Server is not difficult although it does require IT skills and knowledge. It’s important though not to underestimate that there can be a lot of complexity around incorporating the cloud into an existing environment and ensuring a suitable level of control is maintained over user identities and PCs or notebooks.

The other big thing to keep in mind is that getting the most out of SharePoint can transform your business. Over and above simply moving files to the cloud, it’s certainly worthwhile considering engaging an expert to help discover opportunities for process improvement and productivity gain.

If you’re curious about Microsoft Office 365, or what it would take to move your business to the cloud, why not give us a call on 1300 766 554 for some advice? Our initial technology assessment is free and can help clarify where you want to take your business and what you need to do from a technology perspective to get it there.  Visit our Microsoft Office 365 page for more details.