Modern Workplace Solutions
We give staff secure, properly controlled access to the applications, data and collaboration tools they need, wherever they happen to be working.
Remote and hybrid work exposed the gaps in ad-hoc setups.
A 60-user law firm sends staff home during a disruption and discovers that access to case files depends on a VPN nobody has capacity to scale, that some staff have started emailing documents to personal accounts to get around it, and that nobody can say with confidence who currently has access to what. None of this was a deliberate decision; it accumulated under pressure.
Collaboration tools often suffer a similar drift. Teams gets adopted for chat because it's convenient, but file storage stays split across personal OneDrive folders, shared drives and email attachments, so nobody can find the current version of a document and version control becomes a manual, error-prone process handled by whoever remembers to ask.
Security controls tend to lag furthest behind. Multi-factor authentication gets enabled for some accounts but not others, conditional access policies are either absent or so permissive they add no real protection, and there's no consistent way to stop a leaver's account from still having access to sensitive files weeks after they've left.
The productivity cost is real even where security holds up. Staff spend time hunting for the right file version, switching between disconnected tools, or waiting for VPN access that's slow at peak times. None of it is dramatic on its own, but added together it's a meaningful drag on a business that increasingly can't assume everyone works from the same office.
- Inconsistent access controls across users and applications
- Files scattered across personal drives, shared folders and email
- Multi-factor authentication applied unevenly, if at all
- Leavers retaining access to systems weeks after departure
We design access and collaboration around how people actually work.
We start by mapping who needs access to what, from where, and on which devices, then design conditional access policies that enforce this consistently — for example, requiring multi-factor authentication and a compliant device for anyone accessing case files or client data, wherever they're connecting from.
SharePoint and Teams are configured properly as the single home for files and collaboration, replacing the mix of personal drives and email attachments, with version history and permissions set up so the right people have access and nobody else does. Migration is planned carefully so staff aren't left hunting for files mid-project.
For legacy applications that don't run comfortably outside the office network, we assess whether publishing them through a secure remote access gateway, a virtual desktop, or a longer-term migration plan is the right fit, rather than defaulting to whichever option is fastest to set up.
Leaver and starter processes are built into the design, not left as a manual checklist. Access is provisioned and revoked automatically as part of your HR process wherever practical, closing the gap where former staff retain access simply because nobody remembered to remove it.
- Conditional access enforced by role, device compliance and location
- Files consolidated into governed SharePoint and Teams sites
- Legacy applications published securely rather than left VPN-only
- Automated or semi-automated leaver access revocation
Everything in the engagement, set out up front.
A consultancy engagement covering identity, collaboration, application access and device policy together.
Access and identity design
Conditional access policies matched to role, device compliance and data sensitivity.
SharePoint and Teams governance
File storage and collaboration consolidated into structured, permissioned sites replacing ad-hoc drives.
Multi-factor authentication rollout
Consistent MFA enforcement across all accounts, not just a subset judged higher-risk.
Legacy application access
Secure publishing or virtual desktop access for applications that predate modern remote working.
Starter and leaver process design
Access provisioning and revocation tied to HR events rather than manual IT tickets.
User adoption support
Practical training so staff actually use the new tools and structure rather than reverting to old habits.
What you receive.
- Access and identity policy design
- SharePoint and Teams information architecture
- MFA rollout plan and enforcement report
- Legacy application access design
- Starter and leaver process documentation
- Conditional access policy configuration
- User adoption and training materials
- Post-rollout usage and compliance review
Built for organisations that need the work done properly.
Professional services firms
Law firms, accountancies and consultancies handling sensitive client files across office and remote work.
Businesses formalising hybrid work
Organisations that adopted remote work under pressure and now need it properly secured and governed.
Firms with scattered file storage
Businesses relying on a mix of personal drives, shared folders and email attachments for document management.
Organisations with legacy applications
Companies needing remote access to older line-of-business systems without a risky rushed migration.
What changes once the work is done.
What changes once access and collaboration are properly designed.
Consistent, enforced access control
Conditional access and MFA applied uniformly, removing the gaps that come from ad-hoc configuration.
One place for files, not five
Staff find current documents quickly in structured, permissioned SharePoint and Teams sites.
Reduced risk from leavers
Access revoked promptly and consistently as part of the HR offboarding process.
Legacy systems no longer a bottleneck
Remote access to older applications without exposing the whole network to unnecessary risk.
Better client and regulatory confidence
Demonstrable access controls that support FCA, SRA or client due diligence requirements.
Fewer productivity losses
Less time spent hunting for files, switching tools or waiting on VPN access at peak times.
Why organisations bring us in for modern workplace projects.
Modern workplace tools are widely licensed but rarely configured to their potential. Most Microsoft 365 tenants we review are running on largely default settings months or years after purchase, with security and collaboration features that were paid for but never switched on properly.
We treat identity and access as the foundation of the whole design, as a Microsoft security partner rather than a pure productivity consultancy, which means conditional access, MFA and device compliance are built in from the start rather than retrofitted after a collaboration rollout has already gone live.
We support organisations across Chesterfield, Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London, and the recurring theme is the same regardless of sector: the tools are usually already there, the gap is in configuration, governance and getting staff to actually use them as intended.
We work alongside your existing Microsoft 365 support arrangement where one exists, focusing our time on the design decisions that a day-to-day support desk rarely has capacity to address, rather than duplicating support you're already receiving elsewhere.
Questions we are asked most often.
What does 'modern workplace' actually mean?
It's Microsoft's term for the combination of Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, Intune and Azure AD used together to let staff work securely from any location or device. In practice it means email, files, chat, video calls and application access all work consistently whether someone is in the office, at home or travelling.
Do we need to buy new licensing to get started?
Often not straightaway. Many organisations already hold Microsoft 365 licensing that includes the tools needed but are only using email and basic file storage. Our first step is usually reviewing what you already have before recommending anything new, rather than assuming a licence upgrade is required.
How does this affect our Microsoft 365 support arrangements?
We can either manage the full modern workplace setup as part of ongoing Microsoft 365 support, or work alongside your existing IT provider to design the collaboration and access architecture while they continue day-to-day support. We scope it around what fits your existing arrangements.
Is this secure enough for a regulated business, like a law firm or financial services firm?
Yes, when configured correctly. Conditional access, multi-factor authentication, data loss prevention and information barriers are all part of the modern workplace toolset, and we configure these specifically to match regulatory obligations such as FCA requirements or SRA guidance rather than leaving defaults in place.
What happens to older applications that don't work well remotely?
Legacy line-of-business applications are common and don't always disappear overnight. We typically address these through published applications, virtual desktop access or targeted hybrid infrastructure work, so staff get remote access without forcing a premature and risky application migration.
How long does a modern workplace rollout take?
A configuration and policy project for an organisation already using Microsoft 365 typically takes three to six weeks. Where the project includes device management, application access changes or significant user training, plan for eight to twelve weeks with a phased rollout across teams.
Microsoft Intune device management
Extend access control to the devices themselves, with compliance policies feeding conditional access.
Managed security services
Ongoing monitoring and response across the identities and endpoints your modern workplace relies on.
About Secure Chain
Learn more about our team and our approach to UK-delivered security and technology consultancy.
Want a straightforward view of your current Microsoft 365 setup?
Book a short review and we'll tell you honestly what's configured well, what's exposed, and what a properly governed modern workplace would look like for your team.
Book a workplace review