My Approach to Governance in M365 - Part 5

In the previous parts of this series, we explored building a strong governance foundation, leveraging automation, and fostering a culture of accountability. Now, it’s time to discuss how to measure the success of your governance efforts and evolve your strategies to ensure long-term impact and adaptability.

Why Measuring Success Matters

Metrics are more than just numbers—they tell a story. They help you:

Validate Your Approach: Prove that your governance initiatives are delivering results.
Identify Areas for Improvement: Highlight gaps or inefficiencies in your processes.
Demonstrate ROI: Show stakeholders the tangible benefits of governance.
Support Continuous Improvement: Provide insights to refine and evolve your framework.

Key Metrics for Governance Success

The metrics you choose should align with your organizational goals. Here are some key areas to focus on:

1. Adoption and Engagement

Track how well users are adopting governance practices and leveraging M365 tools:

Active Usage Rates: How many users are actively using Teams, SharePoint, and Viva Engage?
Governance Feature Adoption: Are users applying sensitivity labels, templates, and retention policies?
Training Participation: What percentage of users have completed governance education courses?

2. Compliance and Security

Measure how effectively your governance framework supports compliance and security:

Policy Adherence Rates: How many groups and sites comply with established policies?
Incident Reduction: Track decreases in unauthorized sharing, data breaches, and compliance violations.
Access Review Completion: Are group owners regularly reviewing and updating permissions?

3. Efficiency Gains

Quantify the operational improvements driven by governance:

Time Saved: Compare time spent on tasks before and after governance implementation.
IT Support Load: Measure reductions in governance-related support tickets.
Automation Success Rates: How effectively are automated processes reducing manual effort?

4. User Satisfaction

Gauge how governance impacts the user experience:

Survey Results: Collect feedback on ease of use, clarity of policies, and overall satisfaction.
Collaboration Metrics: Are users finding it easier to collaborate across departments?
Governance Perception: Do users see governance as a benefit rather than a barrier?

Building a Governance Metrics Dashboard

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

1. Define Your Audience

Tailor your dashboard to meet the needs of different stakeholders:

Executives: Highlight ROI, risk reduction, and alignment with business goals.
IT Teams: Provide detailed insights into automation, compliance, and security.
Users: Focus on collaboration improvements and training participation.

2. Leverage Tools

Use tools like Power BI to integrate data from M365 services and create dynamic visualizations. Automate data collection where possible to ensure real-time updates.

3. Focus on Storytelling

Numbers are more impactful when paired with context. Use your dashboard to:

Show trends over time.
Highlight specific successes, such as reduced incidents or increased efficiency.
Provide actionable insights to guide future governance efforts.

Evolving Your Governance Framework

Governance isn’t static. To stay effective, your framework must evolve with organizational changes and technological advancements. Here’s how:

1. Regular Reviews

Schedule periodic reviews to assess:

Policy Relevance: Are your policies still aligned with organizational needs?
User Behavior: Are there new challenges or patterns emerging?
Technology Updates: Do new M365 features require adjustments to your framework?

2. Feedback Loops

Create channels for:

User Feedback: Gather insights from employees on what’s working and what isn’t.
Stakeholder Input: Engage leadership to align governance with business priorities.
IT Observations: Monitor technical challenges and opportunities for improvement.

3. Expand Automation

As your framework matures, identify additional processes that can be automated to reduce manual effort and ensure consistency.

4. Scale Best Practices

Share successes across departments to encourage broader adoption of effective governance practices.

Real-World Example: Proving Governance ROI

A global manufacturing company implemented a governance framework that included user education, automation, and metrics tracking. Here’s what they achieved:

Adoption Metrics: Training participation increased to 85%, and active usage of governance features reached 70%.
Efficiency Gains: Automated processes saved 1,500 IT hours annually.
Compliance Success: Policy adherence rates improved by 60%, and incident rates dropped by 75%.
User Satisfaction: Surveys showed a 90% satisfaction rate with governance processes.

The company used these results to justify further investments in governance tools and training, ensuring continued success.

What’s Next?

In Part 6, we’ll look to the future of M365 governance, exploring how AI, adaptability, and continuous innovation can keep your framework relevant and effective in an ever-changing landscape.

Pro Tip: Document your governance wins in a "success portfolio." Use it to inspire teams, secure stakeholder buy-in, and guide future initiatives.

Have questions or insights about measuring governance success? Share them in the comments! And don’t forget to subscribe for the final part of this series.