How to bring order to Teams: The solution to document management chaos

As Microsoft 365 and tools like Teams and SharePoint become increasingly central to today’s remote working, the risk of document management chaos also increases. Without clear guidelines on where and how documents should be stored, organizations can quickly find themselves in a situation where no one knows if the information is accurate or even accessible. The solution? A well thought-out storage plan that creates structure, security and makes it easier to find the right one – both today and for future digital opportunities.

In recent years, Microsoft 365, especially Teams and SharePoint, have become central tools for many organizations. But as remote working becomes the norm and the number of Teams and channels grows, documents are spread across multiple locations without clear guidelines. This may work at first, but as the number of documents increases, it quickly becomes unsustainable and confusion sets in.

This is further exacerbated if traditional file servers are still used in parallel with Teams. Organizations often find themselves in a situation where no one knows where the documents are or if they are up-to-date and accurate.

Security risks and future challenges

Besides the practical chaos, there are also security risks. Sensitive documents covered by the GDPR can be mishandled, which can lead to serious consequences. In addition, future AI technology requires documents to be up-to-date, relevant and easily accessible to the right people – something that cannot be achieved without a well thought-out structure.

How to make it easy for the user – and safe for the organization

To create order in document management, the organization should design a clear retention schedule. The aim is to make it easy for users to do the right thing – and difficult to do the wrong thing. Users need to know clearly where different types of documents should be stored, while the organization retains control over security and access.

The storage plan – the basis for order and control

A retention schedule describes exactly where different documents should be stored and managed. To create an effective plan, the organization should:

1. Identify the need: What types of documents are required for the business? Are both permanent and temporary storage areas needed?

2. Define permissions: Decide who should have access to what. Especially for sensitive information, it is important that the right security measures are in place.

3. Use metadata: To improve searchability and organization, repositories should be structured using metadata.

Once the retention schedule is in place, it should be followed when creating new Teams, channels or SharePoint sites to ensure consistent and efficient document management.

The result – a future-proof organization

With a well thought-out retention schedule, your organization will have better control over document management and ensure that documents are easy to find, relevant and managed securely. This makes the organization more prepared to implement AI and other digital solutions.