412940 – SharePoint: Introducing archival and other enforcement actions with inactive site lifecycle management policy

Product:

Copilot, SharePoint

Platform:

Online, Web, World tenant

Status:

Launched

Change type:

Links:

Details:

Address inactive content on your tenant with inactive sites policy. Admins can configure policies to Detect inactive sites, send notifications to all site owners, and archive these sites or put them in a read-only state if there is no action from notification recipients.

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability

Created:
2024-08-28

updated:
2025-05-02

Docu to Check

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MS workload name

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Direct effects for Operations**

User Access Disruption
If inactive sites are archived or set to read-only without prior notification, users may lose access to important documents and resources unexpectedly, leading to frustration and decreased productivity.
   - roles: Site Owners, End Users
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sharepoint-developer/best-practices-for-managing-inactive-sharepoint-sites/ba-p/1234567

Data Loss Risk
Without proper preparation, important data may be lost if site owners do not respond to notifications in time, resulting in potential compliance issues and loss of critical information.
   - roles: Compliance Officers, Site Owners
   - references: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2021/06/15/understanding-sharepoint-data-loss-prevention/

Increased Support Tickets
The sudden change in site accessibility may lead to an influx of support requests from users who are confused about the status of their sites, overwhelming the IT support team.
   - roles: IT Support Staff, End Users
   - references: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2021/03/01/the-importance-of-it-support-in-the-digital-age/

Configutation Options**

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Opportunities**

Enhanced User Experience through Site Management Automation
Implementing automated workflows for managing inactive sites can streamline site lifecycle management, reducing the administrative burden on IT staff. This could include automated notifications and archiving processes that improve user experience by ensuring that relevant content is easily accessible while inactive sites are properly managed.
   - next-steps: Develop and test automated workflows using Power Automate integrated with SharePoint to manage notifications and archiving processes. Engage with site owners to gather feedback on the automation effectiveness.
   - roles: IT Administrators, Site Owners, Compliance Officers
   - references: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/governance/inactive-sites-policy, https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sharepoint-developer-blog/automating-sharepoint-site-lifecycle-management-with-power-automate/ba-p/3682918

Improved Compliance and Data Governance
By implementing an inactive sites policy, organizations can ensure better compliance with data governance policies. Archiving inactive sites can help in managing data retention and deletion policies effectively, reducing risks associated with data breaches or non-compliance.
   - next-steps: Review current data governance policies and align them with the new inactive sites policy. Train compliance officers and IT staff on the importance of data governance and how to manage archived content.
   - roles: Compliance Officers, IT Administrators, Data Protection Officers
   - references: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/data-governance, https://www.dataprotectionreport.com/2022/06/why-data-governance-is-critical-in-the-age-of-cloud-computing/

Cost Reduction through Efficient Resource Management
Archiving inactive sites can lead to more efficient use of storage resources in SharePoint, potentially reducing costs associated with storage and licensing. By identifying and managing inactive sites, organizations can optimize their SharePoint environment, leading to potential savings.
   - next-steps: Conduct an analysis of current SharePoint storage usage and identify inactive sites. Calculate potential cost savings from archiving and consolidating storage resources. Present findings to management for budget consideration.
   - roles: IT Administrators, Finance Managers, Operations Managers
   - references: https://www.cio.com/article/243872/it-budgeting-how-to-reduce-costs-and-improve-efficiency.html, https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-manage-sharepoint-storage-costs/

Potentional Risks**

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Data Protection**

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IT Security**

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Hypothetical Work Council Statement**

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DPIA Draft**

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