How to choose and manage document storage systems at UK
Whether working on a group project or tackling a research paper, when it’s time to save your documents which option should you choose?
At the University of Kentucky, students, faculty and staff have a few options for document storage — Microsoft’s M365 Tools, which includes SharePoint, M365 Groups and OneDrive. University of Kentucky Information Technology Services (UK ITS) has a few tips on how to manage your documents using M365 Tools.
The best rule of thumb is to save your documents depending on how they’ll be used or shared.
When to use SharePoint. SharePoint sites and document libraries are accessible by members of your organization but can also be shared externally. It’s also secure and follows data compliance polices, so it’s best to store shared documents with your team here. Permissions are customizable so you can decide who views, edits and shares documents stored on the platform.
M365 Teams Collaboration. SharePoint serves as a central point for team collaboration. When contributing to a project, updating a calendar or creating a task list on M365 Teams, SharePoint serves as the backend of Teams tool, ensuring that your documents live in the same place. SharePoint’s document libraries streamline document management allowing your team to store and organize important files.
Build a team intranet site. Have news and updates that pertain to your team or department? SharePoint allows users to create customizable intranet sites that come with customizable permissions so only members of your organization can view stories and announcements without making them public. Find step by step instructions here.
Faculty Groups and Student Organizations. SharePoint is a great place for faculty to collaborate on research projects or grant applications. It’s also an ideal platform for students to share course work, access a class syllabus and reading materials. For student organizations, SharePoint can be used to plan an event or maintain a shared calendar with your student organization.
When to use OneDrive. OneDrive is a cloud storage system, which means you can save and access your work from anywhere. Files stored in OneDrive are private to you, but you do have the option to share you have the option to share if needed.
Personal Storage. OneDrive is ideal for storing personal documents that do not need to be accessed by a group.
Why use M365 storage and collaboration tools?
Access on any device. Because SharePoint and OneDrive use a cloud storage system, accessing your files can be done from any device by signing into your account. This is ideal when traveling or if you forget your device and need to access your documents.
Privacy. Because of its default privacy settings, only the owner can access their OneDrive account— making it the best option for storing individual work. OneDrive also allows the owner to share files, so when your documents are ready for review, simply send select users a link. When sharing protected data, opt for using SharePoint. If you are working on a large project that needs to be accessed by a team or class, be sure to save your work to SharePoint or M365 Groups. Ensuring your team has access to necessary documents creates less stress in the absence of a classmate or team member.
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