Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace can both help a growing organisation communicate, share information and keep work moving. The challenge is rarely the availability of features. The challenge is deciding what should be standard, who owns it and how the platform should support the way the business actually works.
Many organisations reach a point where people are using the same platform in very different ways. Files live in multiple places. Permissions have accumulated without review. Meeting setups differ between teams. Security settings from the initial trial have never been updated. The platform is technically in use, but it is not being used well.
Getting more value from Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace does not require a large project. It requires a clear set of priorities and someone with ownership over each of them. Here are five that consistently create the most practical improvement for growing organisations.
1. Standardise how files are stored and shared
The most common source of confusion in both platforms is file storage. People save documents locally, in personal OneDrive or Drive folders, in shared folders that only some people have access to, or in email attachments that never get filed. The result is that important information is hard to find, version control breaks down, and the risk of something being lost increases over time.
A clear file structure — with defined locations for team files, project work and shared resources — reduces this confusion immediately. It also makes it easier to manage access, because you know where the files actually are.
2. Review and tighten sharing settings
Both platforms make it easy to share files and folders, which is useful but also creates risk. Links shared as “anyone with the link” can be forwarded outside the organisation. Folders shared with broad permissions during a project may never be restricted again. Guest access granted to a contractor may remain active long after the engagement ends.
A sharing settings review does not need to be a large exercise. The goal is to understand what is currently accessible to whom, remove access that is no longer needed, and set sensible defaults for how future sharing should work.
3. Set a security baseline and apply it consistently
Both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace include security settings that are not always configured by default. Multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, audit logging and admin controls are all available, but they need to be turned on and maintained.
Many growing organisations are running on the configuration from their initial setup, which was done quickly and without a full picture of what the business would need. A security baseline review identifies what is missing and creates a manageable plan to close the gaps — without requiring technical expertise from the business owner.
4. Establish clear ownership of the platform
Without clear ownership, platform management defaults to whoever happens to be available when something goes wrong. That is not a sustainable model. Someone needs to be responsible for user provisioning, access review, security settings and licence management — even if that person is an external IT provider.
Establishing ownership does not require a dedicated internal IT role. It requires a clear agreement about who does what, how changes are made, and how issues are escalated. That clarity makes everything else easier to manage.
5. Plan for joiners, movers and leavers
One of the most consistent gaps in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace environments is the joiner-mover-leaver process. New starters may not get the right access from day one. Staff who move between roles often retain access from their previous position. Leavers may have their accounts left active, or closed without transferring ownership of their files.
A simple process — covering account creation, access changes and account closure — makes the platform more secure and reduces the administrative burden when people move through the organisation.
How to identify where to start
The five priorities above are not always equally pressing for every organisation. The right starting point depends on what is already in place, where the current gaps are, and what the business needs most.
An IT current-state assessment gives you a structured view of where you are now — including how your collaboration platform is configured, what is working well, and where the practical priorities should be. It is a useful starting point before beginning any platform improvement work.