Email is an excellent communication tool, but it is often a poor place to store important business documents.
Introduction
Many small businesses rely heavily on email to exchange documents with customers, suppliers, and colleagues. Over time, this can lead to thousands of emails containing important attachments becoming the primary method of storing business information.
While keeping documents in email may seem convenient, it can create significant challenges as a business grows.
Modern cloud platforms such as OneDrive, SharePoint, and Google Drive are specifically designed for document storage and collaboration, making them a much better long-term solution.
The Common Problem
A typical scenario looks like this:
Employee A -> Sends Quote.docx
Employee B -> Forwards revised Quote
Employee C -> Saves revised quote
Months later, nobody is certain which version is correct.
The document may exist in:
- Multiple mailboxes
- Multiple folders
- Several different versions
Finding the correct copy can become difficult and time-consuming.
Why Email Is Not a Document Management System
Email systems such as Outlook and IMAP mailboxes were designed primarily for:
✅ Sending messages
✅ Receiving messages
✅ Calendar management
✅ Contact management
They were not designed to act as long-term document repositories.
Problem 1: Multiple Versions
When documents are emailed around an organisation, multiple copies are created.
Problem 2: Difficult Searching
While email search has improved significantly, finding a specific attachment from several years ago can still be challenging.
Problem 3: Mailbox Size Limits
Email systems often have storage limits.
As attachments accumulate:
- Mailboxes grow larger
- Performance may degrade
- Backups become larger
- Storage costs increase
Large attachments are one of the biggest contributors to mailbox growth.
Problem 4: Poor Collaboration
When documents are stored in email multiple copies are created.
Cloud services allow:
✅ Multiple people to work on the same file
✅ Real-time collaboration
✅ Automatic saving
✅ Shared access
without creating duplicate versions.
Problem 5: Employee Departure Risks
Imagine an employee leaves the business.
Important documents may only exist in a former employees mailbox.
If access is removed, recovering information can become difficult.
With cloud document storage:
✅ Files remain accessible
✅ Ownership can be reassigned
✅ Business continuity improves
Benefits of OneDrive
Microsoft OneDrive is included with most Microsoft 365 Business subscriptions.
Benefits include:
✅ Secure cloud storage
✅ Automatic synchronisation
✅ Version history
✅ File sharing
✅ Access from multiple devices
✅ Backup capabilities
Benefits of SharePoint
SharePoint is designed for shared business data.
Benefits include:
✅ Team collaboration
✅ Shared document libraries
✅ Version control
✅ Security permissions
✅ Comprehensive search
✅ Integration with Teams
Email vs OneDrive vs SharePoint
| Feature | OneDrive | SharePoint | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store Documents | Limited | ✅ | ✅ |
| Version Control | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Collaboration | Limited | ✅ | ✅ |
| Shared Team Access | ❌ | Limited | ✅ |
| Search Documents | Limited | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mailbox Growth | High | None | None |
| Designed for Document Storage | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Key Takeaway
Email is an excellent communication tool, but it is not an ideal document storage platform. As businesses grow, storing important files in mailboxes can lead to duplication, version confusion, storage issues, and collaboration challenges. Cloud platforms such as OneDrive and SharePoint are specifically designed to manage documents securely and efficiently, providing a far better long-term solution for storing and sharing business information.