Federated OneDrive for Business

Plan, Plan, Plan

Planning your site structure before setting up SharePoint Online is crucial to ensuring that your site is organized, secure, and optimized for collaboration and productivity. By taking the time to plan your site structure in advance, you can set up a site that meets the needs of your users and helps them work more efficiently and effectively.

Plan Your Site Structure

Before setting up SharePoint Online, take the time to plan your site structure and content. This will help ensure that your site is organized and easy to navigate.

1. Understand your content: Take the time to understand your content and how it should be organized. Consider creating a content inventory and mapping out the relationships between different types of content.

2. Define your site hierarchy: Determine the hierarchy of your site and how different pages and content types relate to each other. Consider creating a site map or flowchart to visualize your site structure.

3. Consider your audience: Consider the needs and preferences of your site's users. How will they be using the site? What content will they need access to? Tailor your site structure to meet their needs.

4. Use meaningful names and labels: Use meaningful names and labels for your site's pages and content types. This will help users understand what each page or piece of content contains and make it easier for them to find what they're looking for.

Test and refine: Test your site structure with a small group of users and gather feedback. Use this feedback to refine and improve your site structure over time.

Determine your permissions and security requirements:

Define who needs access to which content and establish appropriate permissions and security settings for your site.

Customize Site's Look and Feel:

Use SharePoint Online's built-in design tools to customize your site's branding, layout, and color scheme.

Set Up Workflows and Automation:

Use SharePoint Online's workflow and automation tools to streamline processes and improve efficiency. Here are some common types of workflows you can consider:

1. Approval workflows: Approval workflows are used to automate the approval process for content, such as documents, lists, or items. When a user submits content for approval, the workflow automatically sends a notification to the appropriate approver and tracks the status of the approval process.

2. Notification workflows: Notification workflows are used to send automatic notifications to users when specific events occur, such as when a new item is added to a list or when a document is modified.

3. Task management workflows: Task management workflows are used to automate task assignments and tracking. When a task is assigned to a user, the workflow automatically sends a notification and tracks the status of the task.

4. Document review workflows: Document review workflows are used to automate the review and feedback process for documents. When a document is submitted for review, the workflow automatically sends it to the appropriate reviewers and tracks the status of the review process.

5. Business process automation: SharePoint Online provides a range of tools for automating business processes, such as forms, surveys, and workflows. These tools can help streamline complex processes and improve efficiency.

6. Custom workflows: SharePoint Online allows you to create custom workflows using SharePoint Designer or Microsoft Power Automate. This enables you to design workflows that are tailored to your specific business needs.

Enable Versioning and Document Approval:

Enable versioning and document approval to ensure that all changes to your content are tracked and approved. Always begin with the Microsoft documentation.

Use Metadata and Tags

Use metadata and tags to help users find and organize content more easily. Take time to think through your strategy before applying it to your slide library.

Train your users:

Provide training and support for your users to help them understand how to use SharePoint Online effectively and efficiently.

Information for Further Reading

Micrsoft: The official website of OneDrive provides information about the risks and benefits of federated OneDrive storage. The website outlines the best practices for implementing federated OneDrive storage, including configuring access controls, setting up identity management, and auditing access logs.

TechTarget: TechTarget is a resource for IT professionals and covers a range of topics, including federated OneDrive storage risks. The site highlights potential risks, such as data leakage, unauthorized access, compliance issues, and integration challenges.

Avepoint: AvePoint is a provider of data protection solutions and provides information about the risks associated with federated OneDrive storage. The website outlines the best practices for managing federated OneDrive storage, including implementing access controls, monitoring user activity, and enforcing data retention policies.

CSO: CSO is a resource for security professionals and covers a range of topics, including federated identity management risks. The site highlights potential risks associated with federated OneDrive storage, such as lack of control over user data, increased exposure to cyber threats, and the potential for compliance issues.