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My Approach to Governance in M365 - Part 3

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My Approach to Governance in M365 - Part 3

In the first two parts of this series, we covered the importance of education and automation in Microsoft 365 (M365) governance. Now, we’ll focus on a critical question: how do you measure the success of your governance efforts? Knowing what’s working (and what isn’t) is key to proving value and ensuring continuous improvement.

Why Metrics Matter

Governance is an ongoing journey, not a one-time project. Metrics help you:

  • Validate Success: Prove the effectiveness of your governance strategies.
  • Identify Weaknesses: Pinpoint areas needing refinement or additional focus.
  • Demonstrate ROI: Show stakeholders the tangible value of your efforts.
  • Guide Future Actions: Inform decisions on scaling and iterating governance practices.

The challenge lies in choosing the right metrics that provide actionable insights rather than just numbers.

Key Metrics for Governance Success

1. Adoption Metrics

User adoption is a strong indicator of governance effectiveness. Track:

  • Active Users: How many employees actively use M365 tools such as Teams, SharePoint, or Viva Engage?
  • Feature Adoption: Are users leveraging governance-related features like sensitivity labels, templates, and automation tools?
  • Training Completion Rates: What percentage of users have completed governance education courses?

2. Compliance Metrics

Governance is often driven by compliance requirements. Measure:

  • Policy Compliance Rates: How many groups, teams, or sites comply with retention, sharing, and classification policies?
  • Data Protection Success: Track incidents of unauthorized access or data leaks—fewer is better.
  • Access Reviews: What percentage of groups have up-to-date permissions?

3. Efficiency Metrics

Efficient governance saves time and resources. Monitor:

  • Time Saved: Compare pre- and post-governance times for common tasks, like finding documents or sharing files.
  • IT Workload Reduction: Track decreases in support tickets related to governance.
  • Automation Effectiveness: Measure the success rates of automated processes, such as inactive group cleanups.

4. Collaboration Metrics

Governance should enhance collaboration, not hinder it. Evaluate:

  • Team Utilization: What percentage of Teams or SharePoint sites are actively used?
  • Cross-Department Collaboration: Are different departments using shared tools and resources effectively?
  • User Satisfaction: Conduct surveys to gauge how governance impacts collaboration.

Building Your Governance Dashboard

A governance dashboard consolidates your metrics into a clear, actionable format. Here’s how to create one:

1. Identify Your Audience

Tailor your dashboard to stakeholders’ needs:

  • Executives: Focus on ROI, risk reduction, and strategic alignment.
  • IT Teams: Highlight automation effectiveness, compliance, and workload impacts.
  • Users: Showcase improvements in collaboration and ease of use.

2. Choose Visualization Tools

Microsoft tools like Power BI integrate seamlessly with M365, allowing you to:

  • Create real-time dashboards.
  • Automate data collection from Teams, SharePoint, and Azure.
  • Generate visualizations that highlight key trends.

3. Focus on Storytelling

Numbers alone don’t inspire action. Use your dashboard to tell a story:

  • Show progress over time.
  • Highlight successes and areas of improvement.
  • Use real-world examples to make metrics relatable.

Success Stories: Metrics in Action

Case 1: Adoption Metrics Drive ROI

A client’s M365 adoption rates increased by 40% after implementing governance education and automation. This translated to:

  • Improved Productivity: Reduced duplicate efforts saved 2 hours per user per week.
  • Reduced Costs: Eliminated the need for third-party tools, saving $250,000 annually.

Case 2: Compliance Metrics Prevent Fines

For a financial services firm, tracking compliance metrics ensured:

  • 100% Policy Adherence: All sensitive documents were classified and protected.
  • Avoided Penalties: Proactive compliance measures prevented a $500,000 fine.

Iterating Based on Metrics

Governance isn’t static. Use your metrics to:

  • Refine Policies: Address areas of non-compliance with targeted training or automation.
  • Expand Automation: Identify additional manual processes that can be automated.
  • Enhance User Training: Focus on the tools or concepts users struggle with most.

What’s Next?

In Part 4, we’ll explore how to build a culture of governance within your organization. From engaging stakeholders to turning users into governance advocates, we’ll cover the human side of making governance stick.

Pro Tip: Keep a running list of success stories tied to your metrics. These are invaluable when presenting to stakeholders or justifying future governance investments.

Questions about measuring governance success? Share them in the comments! And don’t forget to subscribe for Part 4 of this series.

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