Executive Summary
Building the right foundation before making changes.
Atlas Construction's Microsoft 365 environment has evolved over many years through multiple modifications, repairs, and synchronization efforts. While individual issues have been addressed over time, the underlying architecture, permissions, sharing model, and document structure have never undergone a comprehensive review.
As a result, the company is experiencing increasing complexity, inconsistent sharing behavior, duplicate folder structures, and reliance on workarounds rather than dependable systems.
The objective of this engagement is not simply to solve isolated issues, but to establish a secure, scalable, and maintainable foundation that Atlas Construction can rely upon for years to come.
Security, Confidentiality & Ownership
Atlas Construction remains in control.
Phase 1 is designed to help Atlas Construction understand its environment before any changes are made. Throughout the engagement, Atlas retains complete ownership of its systems and data while access, confidentiality, and operational control remain protected.
Ownership & Control
Atlas Construction retains ownership of all systems, files, configurations, domains, and data.
The consultant provides expertise and recommendations while Atlas Construction maintains full authority and decision-making throughout the engagement.
No dependency is created.
Access Controls
- Access limited to only what is necessary.
- Dedicated project credentials.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
- Atlas maintains control at all times.
- Access can be revoked at any time.
- No personal credentials requested.
Confidentiality
Information obtained during this engagement will be used solely for purposes directly related to the Microsoft 365 assessment and remediation planning.
No information will be shared with outside parties without Atlas Construction's authorization.
Atlas's information remains private and protected.
Phase 1 Boundaries
Phase 1 is an assessment and planning phase.
No production changes will be made without Atlas Construction's review and approval.
The purpose of Phase 1 is to provide clarity, not disruption.
Nothing changes until Atlas approves the path forward.
Current Business Impact
The current environment is creating daily friction.
Today, Atlas Construction personnel are increasingly forced to work around the system instead of relying on it. The issues observed are specific, active, and directly tied to how files, sharing, and permissions are currently functioning.
Duplicate / Mirrored Folder Structures
Multiple similar folder paths appear to exist from prior repair or synchronization attempts, making it difficult to identify the active source of truth.
Failed Sync Remnants
Some folders appear to be old or failed sync attempts. They look similar to live folders but are not necessarily connected to the current working data.
No Clear Source of Truth
Current project and company data exists across paths that are visually similar, which increases the risk of storing or retrieving files from the wrong location.
OneDrive / SharePoint Confusion
OneDrive is being used to access SharePoint-synced folders locally, while permissions and sharing behavior remain controlled by Microsoft 365 and SharePoint.
External Sharing Problems
External sharing is blocked or inconsistent in key scenarios, forcing the team to rely on email attachments instead of controlled file collaboration.
Growing Complexity
As additional projects, users, folders, and workarounds are added, the environment becomes harder and more expensive to correct later.
These issues are not caused by Microsoft 365 itself. They are symptoms of an environment that has evolved without a long-term architecture and governance strategy.
Without intervention, these problems are likely to become increasingly difficult and expensive to address over time.
Overall Project Roadmap
This engagement is intended to proceed in phases.
Project Roadmap
Phase 1
Audit & Assessment
Understand the current Microsoft 365 environment before making any production changes. This is the inspection phase that documents what exists, where the risks are, and what should happen next.
What Happens
- Complete Microsoft 365 tenant review
- User, license, and Microsoft 365 Group audit
- SharePoint structure and permission assessment
- OneDrive synchronization review
- External sharing review
- Security and governance findings
Key Deliverables
- Written assessment report
- Risk and technical debt summary
- High-level recommendations
- Migration and remediation roadmap
Immediate Next Step
Phase 1 — Discovery, Audit & Assessment
Objective
Develop a complete understanding of the current Microsoft 365 environment before making any changes.
This phase is intended to:
- Identify current issues.
- Understand existing architecture.
- Determine the source of duplication and synchronization problems.
- Evaluate permissions and sharing.
- Identify security risks.
- Develop a long-term roadmap.
- Establish a foundation for future phases.
No production changes will be made during this phase.
Discovery & Environment Inventory
Document the current Microsoft 365 tenant, users, groups, SharePoint/OneDrive structure, external sharing settings, duplicate folders, and synchronization issues.
Analysis & Architecture Review
Evaluate permissions, security exposure, governance gaps, source-of-truth issues, and begin shaping the recommended target architecture.
Reporting & Roadmap Development
Prepare the assessment report, risk summary, recommended architecture strategy, migration roadmap, and executive-level findings for review.
2–3 Weeks
Final timing depends on access coordination, environment complexity, user/group structure, and historical data volume.
- 50% due upon authorization to proceed.
- 50% due upon delivery of the Phase 1 Assessment Package.
Getting Started
What Atlas will need to provide to begin Phase 1.
Once Phase 1 is authorized, a limited amount of information and system visibility will be required so the Discovery, Audit & Assessment can begin efficiently.
The purpose of this access is to understand the current Microsoft 365 environment. No production changes will be made during Phase 1.
Microsoft 365 Access
A dedicated Microsoft 365 project account is preferred, or delegated administrative access appropriate for the assessment.
- Microsoft 365 Admin Center
- SharePoint Online Admin Center
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Exchange Online configuration review only
SharePoint & Collaboration
Visibility into the current collaboration environment is needed to understand how documents, permissions, and access are currently functioning.
- Existing SharePoint sites
- Document libraries
- Microsoft 365 Groups
- Current permission structures
- Microsoft Teams connected to SharePoint sites
Business Information
A primary Atlas Construction contact will help answer operational questions and validate business processes during the assessment.
- Site maps, if available
- Naming conventions, if available
- Governance documentation, if available
- Existing standards or policies, if available
Phase 1 Boundaries
Access is limited to assessment.
The access requested above is limited to the Discovery, Audit & Assessment phase.
Existing documentation is helpful but not required. One of the objectives of Phase 1 is to document and assess the current Microsoft 365 environment.
If Atlas Construction elects to proceed beyond Phase 1, any additional administrative access required for implementation, migration, or validation will be discussed, reviewed, and approved before subsequent phases begin.
Scope of Work
What Phase 1 will evaluate.
Phase 1 is intentionally broad enough to understand the full environment, but limited to assessment, documentation, and recommendations. Each area below can be expanded for detail.
Review and inventory the tenant-level foundation that controls users, groups, licenses, roles, email collaboration, SharePoint, and OneDrive behavior.
Identity & User Management
- Users
- Groups
- Guest accounts
- Licensing
- Administrative roles
Email & Collaboration
- Shared mailboxes
- Distribution groups
- Microsoft 365 groups
- Existing collaboration structures
SharePoint Environment
- Sites
- Libraries
- Site ownership
- Sharing settings
- Permission inheritance
OneDrive Environment
- Synchronization relationships
- Duplicate sync locations
- Folder inconsistencies
- Sharing limitations
Review how current and historical project information is organized and identify which locations appear to be active, duplicated, abandoned, or unclear.
- Current folder hierarchy
- Active project organization
- Historical project organization
- Duplicate folder structures
- Failed synchronization remnants
- Source-of-truth locations
- Existing workflow patterns
Evaluate how permissions are currently being granted, where inheritance may be broken, and whether access is aligned with Atlas Construction's operational needs.
- User permissions
- Sharing policies
- Guest access
- Administrative roles
- Permission inheritance
- Security risks
- Opportunities for standardization
Evaluate how Atlas should collaborate internally and externally while maintaining control over sensitive company and project information.
Internal Collaboration
- Departments
- Teams
- Project access
External Collaboration
- Vendors
- Clients
- Consultants
- Third-party sharing
Determine
- Why current sharing limitations exist.
- How sharing should function.
- Recommendations for long-term collaboration.
Evaluate how the environment should be managed after remediation so Atlas does not end up in the same situation again.
- Administrative structure
- Ownership model
- Long-term maintainability
- Lifecycle management opportunities
- Retention strategies
- Standardization opportunities
Deliverables
What Atlas receives at the conclusion of Phase 1.
At the conclusion of Phase 1, Atlas Construction will receive:
Written Assessment Report
A detailed review of the existing Microsoft 365 environment and current-state findings.
Risk & Issue Summary
Identification of duplicate structures, synchronization issues, sharing problems, permission inconsistencies, security concerns, and areas of technical debt.
High-Level Recommendations
Recommendations regarding structure, permissions, sharing, governance, and long-term scalability.
Migration & Remediation Roadmap
Recommended implementation phases and sequencing for Architecture, Build, Migration, and Handoff.
Executive Summary
A business-level overview suitable for ownership and management review.
Investment
Phase 1 — Discovery, Audit & Assessment
$4,500
This includes the discovery, assessment, documentation, findings review, and Phase 1 Assessment Package described above.
Payment Terms
No additional work will be performed beyond Phase 1 without Atlas Construction's review and approval.
Looking Beyond Phase 1
Future phases will be priced after the assessment.
Subsequent phases may include:
- Architecture & Design
- Environment Build & Configuration
- Controlled Migration
- Documentation, Training & Handoff
Estimated Overall Project Investment
Based on the current understanding of the environment, the complete engagement is anticipated to fall within:
Final pricing for later phases will be determined after Phase 1, based on audit findings, migration complexity, data volume, permissions, cleanup requirements, governance needs, and the final scope approved by Atlas Construction.
Phase 1 Decision Point
Atlas decides the next step after the assessment.
At the completion of Phase 1, Atlas Construction will have the information needed to make a clear decision about whether and how to proceed.
Atlas will receive:
- A complete understanding of the current environment.
- Identified risks and technical debt.
- A recommended architecture strategy.
- A migration and remediation roadmap.
- Documentation suitable for management review.
After Phase 1:
- Findings and recommendations will be reviewed together.
- Atlas Construction will determine whether to proceed.
- A separate proposal will be prepared for the next approved phase.
- Atlas Construction is under no obligation to move beyond Phase 1.