Is your Microsoft 365 setup aligned with your business growth?

Microsoft 365 might be your go-to platform for collaboration and productivity. But have you considered whether your Microsoft 365 environment still aligns with your current and future business needs?

For many businesses, growth happens organically, but the technology they rely on doesn't always keep up at the same pace. As a result, inefficiencies creep in, performance slows, and users start to feel the friction. So, how do you ensure your Microsoft 365 setup is still working for you, not against you?

The growing pains of an evolving business

When businesses first adopt Microsoft 365, it's often straightforward: create some Teams, manage some SharePoint sites, and get users onto OneDrive. But as your business grows, so do the complexities. With more users, departments, and data, your initial configurations may no longer be fit for purpose. Unchecked growth can lead to:

• Inefficient workflows: what started as a simple, streamlined process may now be creating bottlenecks as more users are added. Teams may have redundant channels, SharePoint sites may lack governance, and data may be scattered across different tools.
• Increased security risks: as your user base expands, so too does the risk of security breaches. With more data being accessed and shared, it becomes critical to ensure that permissions, access controls, and security protocols are robust and scalable.
• Over- or underutilisation of licenses: growth often leads to changes in how teams work and which tools they use. You may find that some Microsoft 365 features are being underutilised while others are in high demand. Keeping track of licenses ensures you're paying for what you use and that teams have access to the right tools for their needs.

Addressing common challenges as you scale

Regularly reviewing and optimising your setup is essential to ensure that your Microsoft 365 environment continues to support your business effectively. Below are some practical steps you can take to address the most common challenges companies face as they scale.

1. Restructure for scalability

As your team grows, you may find that what once worked for a smaller group is now inefficient. Review your Teams and SharePoint configurations to ensure they promote collaboration rather than hinder it. For example:

• Are there too many redundant Teams channels causing confusion?
• Are your SharePoint sites properly governed, or has data become scattered?
• Are people properly using Teams over the Chat function?

You can optimise these tools by consolidating channels, improving governance, training your teams on how to use the technology and streamlining access, ensuring that your system scales effectively without overwhelming users.

2. Strengthen your security posture

With growth comes the challenge of managing data across a larger, more distributed workforce. As your organisation expands, so does the need for more robust security measures. Regularly audit your permissions and access controls to ensure they align with your team's current size and structure. Consider:

• Are your information security measures, such as multi-factor authentication, fully enforced across your workforce?
• Are sensitive data and documents only accessible to those who need them?
• Can users share your documents outside of the company? Are they made aware of document-sharing policies?

By implementing and maintaining strong security policies, you can protect your growing data stores while ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR.

3. Audit and align your license usage

With a larger workforce, it's easy for Microsoft 365 license management to become inefficient. As teams evolve, they may need access to different tools or features, while others may be underutilising what's available. It's worth conducting a regular audit to assess:

• Are you paying for features or licenses that are no longer needed?
• Are there advanced features in Microsoft 365 that teams could benefit from but aren't yet using?

Optimising license allocation ensures you get the most value from your investment without wasting resources on unnecessary features.

4. Optimise for hybrid work

As hybrid work becomes the norm, ensuring your Microsoft 365 environment supports this model effectively is crucial. Tools like Microsoft Teams and SharePoint are the backbone of remote collaboration, but they require ongoing management to avoid chaos:

• Are you enabling easy file access and collaboration for remote workers without sacrificing security?
• Have you reviewed how your employees are using these tools to ensure they're fostering productivity?

Regularly reviewing your Microsoft 365 setup to ensure it supports remote and in-office teams will keep productivity and friction low.

The value of regular reviews

Growth doesn't always happen in a predictable, linear fashion, so it's essential to regularly review your Microsoft 365 setup to ensure it evolves in tandem with your business. Without regular reviews inefficiencies can accumulate, slowing productivity, reducing security, and increasing costs. A proactive approach ensures that you're continually optimising your environment to meet the changing needs of your business.

As your business scales, regular assessments allow you to:

• Ensure all teams are fully utilising your tools
• Plan for new features and train your staff
• Keep your data secure and compliant with new regulations
• Optimise collaboration tools to meet the demands of a growing, often hybrid workforce
• Prevent unnecessary spending on unused or underutilised features

Optimise your Microsoft 36 environment for growth

As your business grows and evolves, it's critical that your technology scales with you. Regularly reviewing and optimising your Microsoft 365 environment ensures you stay ahead of potential inefficiencies and continue to provide a secure and cost-effective setup.

If you're curious about whether current Microsoft 365 environment is fit for your growing business, Claranet offers a Microsoft 365 Optimisation & Security Assessment (MOSA) to help identify areas for improvement. Our experts will provide tailored recommendations to ensure your platform scales seamlessly with your evolving business needs. Reach out to us today to learn more.