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If your business runs Microsoft 365 — even the most basic plan — you already have SharePoint. It’s included. No extra cost. No add-on to purchase.
And yet, most small businesses we work with aren’t using it. Their files are scattered across email attachments, personal Google Drives, USB sticks, and desktops. There’s no single source of truth. Nobody knows who has the latest version of the contract, the proposal, or the project plan. Sensitive documents like NDAs and funding agreements get forwarded over email with no access controls.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone — and fixing it is easier than you think.
What SharePoint Actually Does
Think of SharePoint as your organization’s secure, shared filing cabinet — in the cloud. It gives your team a central place to store, organize, and share documents. Every file is version-tracked, so accidental overwrites can be undone in two clicks. Permissions control who can see what. And because it’s cloud-based, your team can access files from any device — laptop, phone, or tablet — without a VPN.
SharePoint is not the same thing as OneDrive. OneDrive is your personal desk drawer — great for drafts and work in progress. SharePoint is the shared filing cabinet for team documents that multiple people need to access. Files stored in Microsoft Teams channels? Those live in SharePoint behind the scenes.
The Problem We See Over and Over
When we sit down with a new client, the story is usually the same:
- Files are everywhere. The accountant has invoices in one place, the project manager has drawings in another, and the CEO has the signed NDA on a USB drive somewhere.
- Large files have no home. Product videos, event photos, and marketing assets are too big for email and end up on someone’s phone or a random external drive.
- Sensitive documents are exposed. Funding agreements, partner contracts, and governance documents get shared over email with no audit trail, no expiry, and no way to revoke access.
- No version control. Multiple versions of the same document float around. Someone overwrites a file, and the previous version is gone.
- No one knows where anything is. When a staff member leaves or a laptop dies, institutional knowledge goes with it.
This isn’t a technology problem. It’s an organization problem. The technology is already sitting there — it just needs to be set up properly.
What a SharePoint Onboarding Looks Like
At DVG Systems, we don’t just turn on SharePoint and hand you the keys. We run a structured onboarding process that takes you from scattered files to an organized, secure document hub — with training and documentation included.
Here’s what the process looks like:
1. Discovery Interview
We start by sitting down with your team to understand how your business works. Who needs access to what? What types of documents do you work with? Do you collaborate with external partners? What’s causing the most friction right now?
This conversation shapes everything that follows. There’s no one-size-fits-all SharePoint setup — a construction company’s file structure looks nothing like a nonprofit’s.
2. Site Architecture Design
Based on the discovery session, we design a SharePoint site structure tailored to your business. This means defining your document libraries — separate organized collections for different types of content.
For example, a typical small business might end up with libraries like:
- Administration — contracts, NDAs, legal correspondence
- Finance — invoices, budgets, funding applications
- Projects — design documents, timelines, engineering drawings
- Media — marketing videos, event photos, brand assets
- Templates — letterhead, proposal templates, branded documents
Each library has its own purpose, its own permissions, and its own description so everyone knows where things go.
3. SharePoint Site Creation and Configuration
We create the site, set the time zone, configure the M365 Group, and build out every document library. We do this through the SharePoint Admin Center — no shortcuts, no workarounds, no duplicate sites left behind.
The site is connected to a Microsoft 365 Group, which means it automatically integrates with Outlook (shared mailbox), Teams (if you use it), and OneNote (shared notebook). One setup, multiple tools.
4. Permissions Setup
Permissions are where most DIY SharePoint setups go wrong. We configure a clear, maintainable permissions model:
- Owners get full control — they manage the site, add and remove members, and control library-level access
- Members can upload, edit, and organize files across all libraries — every staff member with a company email gets this automatically
- External partners get view-only access to specific libraries — not the whole site
This means your legal partner can see the Administration library but not your financial records. Your engineering partner can access Project Files but nothing else. And your own team has full edit access everywhere they need it.
External guests don’t even need a Microsoft account. SharePoint sends them a one-time verification code via email — they click, verify, and access exactly what’s been shared with them. Nothing more.
5. Stakeholder Presentation
Before we hand anything over, we present the full plan to your leadership team in a clear, jargon-free slide deck. This covers:
- The problems we’re solving
- What SharePoint is (and isn’t)
- How it compares to OneDrive and Teams
- Your custom library structure
- The permissions model
- How to share large files
- Getting started steps for every team member
This isn’t a technical deep dive — it’s designed for business owners and managers who need to understand the value and the workflow.
6. User Guide for All Staff
Every team member receives a step-by-step quick start guide (PDF and Word) that covers:
- How to sign in — from a browser, from a phone, from a tablet
- Which library to use for each type of document
- How to upload files — drag and drop, upload button, and directly from a phone camera
- How to share files by link — instead of email attachments, so the recipient always sees the latest version
- How to sync with OneDrive — so files appear in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and are available offline
- How to use version history — restore any previous version if a file gets accidentally overwritten
No jargon, no assumptions about technical skill. Written for the team member who just wants to know where to put their files and how to share them.
7. Admin Guide for the Site Owner
The designated site owner (usually a manager or office administrator) gets a separate, detailed admin guide covering:
- Adding and removing team members
- Granting external partners view-only access to specific libraries
- Managing the M365 Group
- Monitoring storage usage and site analytics
- Using the Recycle Bin to recover deleted files (retained for 93 days)
- Pinning the site in Microsoft Teams
- Site settings and navigation management
This guide is written so the site owner can handle day-to-day administration independently, without needing to call IT for every change.
The Numbers That Matter
| Feature | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Storage | 1 TB base + 10 GB per licensed user |
| Max file size | 250 GB per file |
| Max site storage | 25 TB per site |
| Version history | Up to 50,000 major versions per file |
| Mobile access | SharePoint app on iOS and Android |
| Desktop sync | OneDrive sync on Windows and Mac |
| External sharing | No Microsoft account required for guests |
| Cost | Included in every Microsoft 365 Business plan |
These aren’t premium features locked behind an expensive tier. Every Microsoft 365 Business plan — Basic, Standard, and Premium — includes SharePoint with these capabilities. If you’re already paying for Microsoft 365, you’re paying for this right now.
Why This Matters in Northern Ontario
Geography makes the “files everywhere” problem worse. When your team is spread across Thunder Bay, Nipigon, and Timmins — or working from a job site near Marathon one week and the office the next — you can’t rely on walking down the hall to find a document.
SharePoint doesn’t care where you are. A team member in Geraldton has the same access as someone sitting in the main office. Upload a photo from a phone at a remote site, and it’s immediately available to the whole team. Share a contract with a partner in another province, and they can access it from anywhere without installing anything.
For Indigenous organizations, nonprofits, and businesses that work with external partners and funding agencies, having a secure, auditable document management system isn’t just convenient — it’s often a requirement.
What It Doesn’t Include
We believe in being upfront. SharePoint onboarding is not a data migration service. We set up the structure, the permissions, and the documentation — but we don’t move your existing files for you. That’s deliberate. The act of organizing and uploading your files is how your team learns the system. We provide the guide; your team does the filing.
If you do need help migrating large volumes of data from an existing file server, Google Drive, or Dropbox, we can scope that as a separate project.
Getting Started
If you’re paying for Microsoft 365 and your files are still scattered across email, USB drives, and desktops, you’re leaving one of the most valuable tools in your subscription unused.
A SharePoint onboarding with DVG Systems gives your business the structure to get organized — a custom library layout, proper permissions, a stakeholder presentation, and guides for every team member and your site administrator. The filing itself is your team’s part of the job.
Or reach us at (807) 700-0061 or solutions@dvgsystems.com.
DVG Systems is a Thunder Bay-based managed IT provider serving businesses across Northwestern Ontario. We specialize in Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and cloud infrastructure for small and mid-size organizations.