Microsoft 365 Foundation
Microsoft 365 implementation your team will actually use
You already pay for Microsoft 365. Microsoft 365 Foundation turns it into the platform the business runs on: accounts and access set up properly, Teams and SharePoint organised around how you work, and security that is not left on the defaults. It is a Microsoft 365 implementation with a defined scope and a definite end.
We reply within one working day. No obligation.
- Outlook
- SharePoint
- OneDrive
- Exchange
- Planner
- Power Apps
- Copilot
- Power Automate
- Entra ID
- Teams
Licences bought, habits unchanged
The licences were bought and the apps switched on. Then work drifted back to what people knew: the file server, personal OneDrive folders, attachments in email, and Teams channels nobody remembers creating. Guest links stay live for years. Admin rights sit with whoever set the tenant up. Nobody owns the security settings, so they never change.
It works until you want more from it. Better enquiry handling, booking automation or Copilot all depend on clean accounts, sensible permissions and files people can find. A tenant that grew without a plan makes each of those harder.
Who this is for
Growing UK SMEs that have Microsoft 365 but still rely on shared drives and email attachments
If the tenant is in reasonable shape already, start with an assessment instead. If you need to move or merge tenants first, see Tenant Migration.
- Businesses moving off a file server or out of a set-up a previous provider built and never explained
- Teams getting ready for enquiry handling (Convert) or automation and Copilot (Automate)
- Owners who want a scoped project with an end, not an open-ended IT contract
What a Microsoft 365 Foundation build includes
Scope is agreed in the plan after the audit. Not every tenant needs every item below, and we will say which ones matter for yours.
Identity and access
An account model for staff, guests and leavers, so access starts and stops when it should MFA and baseline conditional access suited to the size of the business Admin roles cut back to the people who need them, with a documented emergency access approach
Outlook, Teams and OneDrive
Apps configured for how your people work, not how the defaults were set Naming, ownership and lifecycle rules for Teams and Microsoft 365 groups Shared mailboxes and distribution lists mapped to named owners
Baseline security and governance
Sharing and external access defaults that stop uncontrolled guest links Microsoft 365 governance basics: who can create sites and teams, and what happens when an owner leaves A licensing sense-check against how people actually work (findings, not a sales pitch)
Handover
Admin documentation your team, or a future partner, can run with A written record of what was built and who owns what A definition of done agreed at the start, so the project has an end SharePoint Foundation Anchor: #sharepoint-foundation (deep link from the Foundation hub and redirect target for /services/foundation/sharepoint-foundation)
Out of scope
Helpdesk tickets, device fleet management or a 24/7 security operations centre
- Licence reselling or commission on Microsoft subscriptions
- Operational knowledge workflows or Copilot adoption training (SharePoint & Knowledge Management and AI & Copilot Adoption under Automate)
- Website, SEO or paid search work (Attract)
How a Microsoft 365 deployment runs
1. Audit. We review the tenant and how people use it. You get the findings first and can stop here.
- 2. Plan. A short written plan: order of work, owners, cost and what "done" means.
- 3. Build. Identity, apps, SharePoint structure and baseline security, delivered against the plan and around your working week.
- 4. Support. Optional. We stay involved only if you want help as the business changes.
- Pricing is agreed in the plan after the audit, once we know the size and state of the tenant.
The platform under Attract, Convert and Automate
Attract: new enquiries need somewhere trustworthy to land.
Convert: an AI front desk, shared mailbox assistant or CRM connection needs clear ownership and mail flow.
Automate: process automation and Copilot need tidy data and permissions. This build prepares them; Automate delivers them.
FAQs
Common questions
Is this managed IT support?
No. It is a scoped Microsoft 365 implementation. We leave you with a tidy tenant, documentation and clear ownership. Day-to-day tickets and monitoring are not included.
How long does a Microsoft 365 setup take?
It depends on the number of users, how much cleanup is needed and how complex the SharePoint structure is. We give you a realistic timeline in the plan after the audit, before you commit.
What do you need from us?
A named owner on your side, admin access for the audit, and decisions on who owns sites, mailboxes and guest access. We work around your working week.
Does SharePoint Foundation have its own page?
No. The SharePoint intranet and site structure are part of this build, described in the SharePoint Foundation section above.
Will this prepare us for Copilot?
It puts in place what Copilot relies on: clean identities, files in the right places and sensible permissions. If Copilot is the main reason you are asking, the Copilot Readiness Assessment on our assessments page checks that before you buy licences.
What is Microsoft 365 governance, and do we need it?
Governance is the set of rules for who can create, share and own things in Microsoft 365. A growing business does not need a thick policy document. It needs a few clear rules that people follow, and settings that enforce them.
Not sure how much of this you need?
Start with the free Microsoft 365 assessment. We will look at the tenant and tell you what needs doing first. We reply within one working day. No obligation. Or email hello@ventric.co.uk or call 0330 551 9400.