Use SharePoint Like a Pro: Managing Data Governance, AI Readiness, and Cloud Storage Costs

If you caught Episode 1 of our SharePoint series, you’ll remember we explored why changes to the Privacy Act — along with a rapidly approaching AI-powered future — have put SharePoint data governance back in the spotlight. We also touched on the growing link between good governance and AI readiness for Microsoft 365.In Episode 2, M365 pros Alyssa Blackburn and Mita Tait shift the focus from 'why' to 'how'. This time, it’s about rolling up your sleeves and getting SharePoint (and the rest of your Microsoft 365 environment) in shape for AI tools — while also tackling one of the biggest hidden budget drains in modern business: cloud storage costs.00:00 – Introduction: Privacy Act, AI Readiness & Storage Costs01:06 – Why Data Readiness Matters Before AI02:25 – Step One: Consolidating & Mapping Your Data04:08 – Tools We Use: AvePoint, Opus & Microsoft Purview06:00 – Moving from ‘Set & Forget’ to Ongoing Governance08:28 – Shared Accountability & User Involvement in Permissions10:00 – Reviewing & Filtering Data for Retention Decisions12:25 – Managing File Types, Archives & Duplicates14:05 – Why the Overwhelm Is Normal (and How to Tackle It)16:22 – The Rising Cost of Storage in M365 & SharePoint20:07 – The 680TB Version Control Shock Story23:38 – Real-World Savings: $1.3M in Year One25:48 – Proactive vs Reactive Data ManagementPlease follow us on LinkedIn! We’d love to be part of your professional network, and it helps us stay closer and share insights that matter to leaders like you: 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-focus-it/