A major global construction and engineering firm was incurring substantial annual costs due to excessive data storage in their SharePoint environment. The project’s goal was to reduce these costs by archiving old, unused data without impacting user access or data integrity, applying core FinOps principles to their cloud data estate.

The Solution

To tackle the storage crisis, the organisation implemented a targeted data management solution leveraging the Microsoft cloud ecosystem. Using Microsoft Graph Data connector to gain an understanding of their SharePoint environment, and Azure Blob storage for their SharePoint storage, the solution was designed to address escalating storage costs and manage data sprawl.

Key elements include:

  • A comprehensive data management solution was developed for file archiving.
  • Microsoft Graph Data Connector analyzed SharePoint files for archiving candidates.
  • Automated solutions moved identified files to cheaper Azure Blob Storage.
  • “Stub files” replaced original files, allowing on-demand restoration.
  • Power BI reports provided insights into archived data and cost savings.

The Outcomes

The initiative delivered transformative financial and operational benefits, successfully converting the previous SharePoint data sprawl from a significant cost centre into a managed asset.

Immediate savings were substantial, with storage fees reduced by over £7,000 monthly. Operationally, the project fundamentally enhanced reporting and data governance. Looking ahead, the new data structure establishes a robust platform, ready to integrate with tools like Microsoft Purview to secure future compliance and lifecycle management goals.