When a business transitions shared data from an individual’s OneDrive to Teams, it is essential to evaluate how to structure the data to optimise accessibility, collaboration, and efficiency. Below is a structured guide to assist with this process:



Step 1: Assess Current Data


  1. Audit Shared Files:
    • Identify files currently stored in the individual’s OneDrive.
    • Determine the purpose and usage of each file: Is it personal, collaborative, or team-specific?
  2. Categorise by Ownership and Usage:
    • Individual Ownership: Files with a single "owner" who rarely collaborates with others should remain in the individual’s OneDrive.
    • Collaborative Usage: Files actively shared and worked on by multiple individuals or groups should be moved to Teams.
  3. Evaluate Accessibility Requirements:
    • Identify files that need broader access across the organisation and those relevant to specific business units or projects.


Step 2: Define Teams Structure


  1. Group by Business Unit or Project:
    • Create Teams for each distinct business unit, department, or project.
    • Ensure that only relevant members are added to each Team to maintain focus and security.
  2. Adopt a Flat Hierarchy:
    • Avoid deeply nested folder structures within Teams. Instead, aim for a "flat" structure with clearly labelled channels or folders that are easy to navigate. Ideally, don’t nest folders more than three deep.
  3. Designate Owners for Each Team:
    • Assign a Team owner to oversee data organisation, permissions, and maintenance.


Step 3: Migrate Data


  1. Sort Files into Appropriate Locations:
    • Move Personal or Lightly Shared Files to OneDrive: Files worked on by just one person should remain in OneDrive.
    • Move Collaborative Files to Teams: Files requiring regular access or collaboration by multiple people belong in Teams. Organise these by Team channels or folders based on their function or relevance.
  2. Set Permissions Thoughtfully:
    • Ensure permissions are correctly configured so that only relevant individuals can access sensitive or restricted data. Use Teams’ built-in permissions settings to control access at the channel level.


Step 4: Train Users on Best Practices


  1. Pin Frequently Used Channels:
    • Encourage users to pin their most accessed channels in Teams for quick access.
  2. Leverage Modern Tools:
    • Promote the use of search tools like Search to locate files quickly, reducing dependency on manual navigation through folder paths.
  3. Establish Naming Conventions:
    • Adopt consistent and descriptive naming conventions for files, folders, and channels to make content easier to find and manage.


Step 5: Review and Maintain


  1. Regularly Audit Teams:
    • Periodically review the structure and content of Teams to ensure relevance and efficiency.
    • Archive or delete obsolete data to keep the system streamlined.
  2. Gather Feedback:

    •        •    Seek input from users to identify any challenges with the new structure and make adjustments as needed.