Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365, set up properly once

Most businesses already pay for more of Microsoft 365 than they use, and a fair number are running on defaults nobody ever reviewed. Forge sets the tenant up deliberately, moves what needs moving, and hands it over documented.

Forge works with small and medium-sized businesses across London, Essex and the surrounding areas — on-site where being in the room helps, remote everywhere else — alongside its wider business technology work across London and Essex.

The tenant, in layers

Identity & access
Microsoft Entra ID
Email
Migrated, with a planned cut-over
Documents
SharePoint and OneDrive
Security
Configured, not left on defaults

The problem

Where Microsoft 365 usually goes wrong

Rarely because the platform is wrong for the business. Usually because it was set up in a hurry and never revisited.

  1. Licensing nobody has reviewed

    Licences assigned when someone joined, never changed since — including for people who left. Others are on a plan that does not cover what they actually need.

  2. Email still somewhere else

    The business is on Microsoft 365 for documents but email sits with an old provider, so nothing quite joins up and there are two places to administer.

  3. Security left on defaults

    Multi-factor authentication partially rolled out, admin accounts used for day-to-day work, and no clear picture of who can reach what.

  4. Nobody owns it

    The person who set it up has gone, there is no documentation, and every change is a small archaeology project.

What Forge provides

Tenant, migration and hand-over

  • Tenant setup and licensing

    A tenant configured on purpose: the right plans for the people who need them, and security settings decided rather than inherited.

    • Tenant and domain configuration
    • Licensing matched to what people actually do
    • Identity and access setup with Microsoft Entra ID
    • Security configured rather than left on defaults
  • Email and tenant migration

    Moving email and existing Microsoft 365 tenants across with no lost mail and as little disruption to the working day as possible.

    • Mailbox migration from an existing provider
    • Tenant-to-tenant moves
    • Cut-over planned around the working week
    • Previously delivered: business email migrated from IONOS to Microsoft 365
  • Building on what you already pay for

    Once the tenant is in order, a lot becomes possible without buying anything else — which is usually the cheapest way to solve the next problem.

    • Document storage and structure in SharePoint and OneDrive
    • Digital forms and approvals with Power Apps and Power Automate
    • Custom applications that reach your tenant through Microsoft Graph
    • Documentation and hand-over, with aftercare where agreed

In practice

Microsoft 365 as the foundation, not the destination

For GB Solutions UK, the Microsoft work and the software work were part of the same engagement: business email was migrated from IONOS to Microsoft 365, the tenant was configured, SharePoint document libraries were organised, and secure identity and access was set up. The three bespoke portals then plugged into that environment through Microsoft Graph, so documents are filed in the client's own tenant and staff sign in with the work accounts they already had.

Read the GB Solutions UK case study

Questions

Microsoft 365, London & Essex

  • Do you work with small businesses in London and Essex?

    Yes. Forge works with small and medium-sized businesses across London, Essex and the surrounding areas, with on-site visits where being in the room helps and remote work for everything else.

  • What does Microsoft 365 setup actually include?

    Tenant and domain configuration, licensing matched to what people actually do, identity and access setup with Microsoft Entra ID, and security configured rather than left on defaults. Where needed, Forge also plans and carries out mailbox and Microsoft 365 tenant migrations carefully, with the aim of preserving existing mail and minimising disruption.

Next step

Not sure what your tenant is currently doing?

That is a common starting point. A free consultation will give you a straight view of what you have, what you are paying for, and what is worth changing.