Microsoft 365 Copilot exposes the sprawl in Teams! This is how you get a grip again

In recent years, the use of Microsoft Teams has skyrocketed. Organizations enthusiastically started working with it and embraced new forms of collaboration. Gradually, however, many have lost control.

With the arrival of Microsoft Copilot, this suddenly becomes very tangible. Where is which data located? What information is outdated? And through which processes exactly do people in your organization work with this information?

Many organizations cannot easily answer such questions. And because they don't have a firm grip on their environment, they find it difficult to make decisions based on the data they see. They doubt whether information is accurate and reliable.

How do you regain control? We sat down with Thijs Karreman, head of Productivity at Wortell, for the necessary tips and advice!

"Keep it simple and efficient"

"First of all, it is important to draw up a good policy and make working agreements with each other," says Thijs. He advises involving various people from the organization and putting your money where your mouth is: "You can involve the IT manager, but also department managers. In addition, a policy is only useful if you apply it. You want to do that well, so it's essential to archive or delete outdated data, such as teams within Microsoft Teams that are no longer relevant. That way you can be sure that you are working with the right data."

But isn't drafting a policy very overwhelming? Not necessarily, if you ask Thijs: "What you want to avoid above all is that you draw up a huge amount of paperwork that then disappears somewhere in the closet. Keep it simple and efficient. You can do this by drawing up a policy at the level of partnerships. You only determine further details when you really add value with them. Then you apply technology that supports your policy. This way you put the policy into practice and you hardly need the paperwork on a daily basis."

"A way of thinking is not enough if you don't have a policy"

Then another question arises: why would you start working on a policy at all? "In the context of Microsoft 365 Copilot, this is very important," Thijs explains. "If outdated data is present, you run the risk that employees will be presented with incorrect information when looking for answers. If they use it to make decisions, it can be harmful to your organization."

In addition, safety plays a role. Thijs: "Who has access to financial or business-sensitive information? If you have insufficient insight into this, a data breach can occur. Or people can misuse the data in question."

Finally, it is crucial to work together in an unambiguous way within Microsoft 365. "Usually there is a way of thinking about this," says Thijs, "but a way of thinking is not enough if you don't have a policy," says Thijs. "The result is that everyone gives their own interpretation to the collaboration. This makes it difficult to assess the value and correctness of information. This also presents major challenges in terms of staff turnover."

"You want to work with up-to-date data and have a grip on the data you share"

It should be clear: if you want to get started with Microsoft 365 Copilot, you first have to lay a solid foundation, both in terms of policy and technology. "You want to work with up-to-date data and have a grip on the data you share," says Thijs. "In addition, it is important to translate your way of thinking about cooperation into a practical and applicable policy."

But, Thijs warns, there is more work to be done: "If you want to use Microsoft 365 Copilot optimally, you also have to set clear goals, ensure user adoption and constantly evaluate success. Only then will you get the most out of your investment!"

Do you need help laying a technical foundation? Read this whitepaper about Microsoft 365 Copilot, in which we tell you how to avoid hassle with data. Do you want to get a grip on your information? Download our guide to effective information management and compliance.

Do you like to work in a targeted way with the help of experts? With Teams Governance from Wortell, we make you technically ready to get the most out of Microsoft Copilot. And if you need help with the other points Thijs mentioned, we can support you with that too. Want to know more? Feel free to contact us.