Governance is a term that is popping up more and more within the world of Microsoft 365. Especially as more and more companies are curious about Copilot’s capabilities, it is once again at the top of the agenda. And for good reason, because if your governance is not in order, it can create unnecessary risks. That’s why keeping your data properly protected and clean is critical.
One part of this is Teams governance. In Teams, a lot of data is stored, shared and people work intensively together. So for that reason, a governance policy cannot be missing, especially if you want to keep your organization’s Teams environment clean and secure. Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to create this policy, and in this blog we would like to help you get started.
Teams governance includes establishing and enforcing rules, policies and processes that ensure Microsoft Teams is used in a controlled and secure manner. This means having clear guidelines for creating Teams, managing guest access and setting retention periods. Following these rules and processes ensures consistency in the use of Teams, keeps data secure and improves the efficiency of collaboration across the organization.
Without clear agreements on the use of Teams, a proliferation of teams and channels can quickly arise. This leads to a plethora of communication channels and document storage locations, causing employees to lose track. Teams governance helps create a structured environment by setting clear rules for creating, managing and deleting teams and documents.
It is important to define who within the organization has the authority to request and create new teams. In addition, it is wise to establish a provisioning tool to use so that teams are automatically deployed according to established guidelines.
Consistent naming helps to quickly recognize and categorize teams. For example, use abbreviations for departments followed by a descriptive name (HR – Recruitment). This makes it easier to manage and retrieve teams.
Establish guidelines for when and how outside guests are allowed access to teams. This is important for securing sensitive information. For example, determine in what situations collaboration with external guests is allowed and what approval processes are required for this.
Define who owns a team and what responsibilities this person has, such as managing team members and setting permissions. This maintains control within the team.
Determine when it makes sense to use private channels for sensitive information and when shared channels are appropriate for broader collaboration. This way, confidential data remains protected and communication remains clear.
Set retention periods for teams and have a policy for archiving or deleting inactive teams. This keeps the environment clean and prevents outdated information from wandering around.
It is wise to set new teams as private by default. In addition, it is advisable to check existing teams and adjust this setting if necessary.
Teams and Microsoft 365 continues to change. That’s why it’s important to continuously offer training and support to users. That way, employees stay abreast of new features and best practices.
Provisioning is the automatic creation of Teams based on predefined templates. This defines specific organizational requirements such as name conventions, channels, guest access settings and retention and confidentiality labels. This approach makes managing Teams easier and more manageable. Want to learn more about provisioning and how to avoid proliferation within Teams? Then read our blog ‘How do you combat proliferation in Teams? 5 immediately applicable tips’.
With a well-thought-out Teams governance policy, you ensure structured, safe and efficient collaboration within your organization. Through clear guidelines for creating, managing and archiving teams, you prevent proliferation and keep control over your data.
Check out our Microsoft Teams page or schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our experts.
Together we provide an organized and safe workplace!
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