Over this series we’ve looked at what happens when SharePoint Online has storage but no records structure:

• Sprawl: sites and libraries multiply, and nobody knows where the official copy lives.
• Inconsistent filing: the same contract ends up in five places, or none.
• Empty metadata: documents you can’t find, classify or prove you’ve kept correctly.
• Retention by library: rules that don’t match the life of the record.
• Oversharing: sensitive records exposed, especially as AI tools make them easier to find.
• Subject access requests: a treasure hunt across sites, mailboxes and chats.
• Poor search: results that can’t tell a signed record from a draft.

One answer: structure around records

All of these come back to one fix: organise SharePoint around the records your organisation manages. That means four layers working together: record contexts, a file plan, document types and Microsoft Purview policies.

FilePlan 365 delivers that structure inside SharePoint Online, with:

• record contexts for employees, cases, tenancies, matters, projects and more
• ready-made file plans and templates for your sector
• record context search and advanced search
• automatic retention labels, sensitivity labels and DLP policies
• simple three-step filing that people follow
• monthly pricing by documents stored, with no per-user licences

Start with a 30-day free trial

The best way to see the difference is with your own records. With a 30-day free trial you can:

1. install FilePlan 365 in your own Microsoft 365 tenant
2. choose a template, such as HR files or housing files
3. connect your Purview labels and policies
4. file real documents and test search with your team

Every feature is included during the trial, so you can judge it on what matters to you.