Can SharePoint replace a dedicated document management system (DMS) like iManage or OpenText?
For many organizations, yes — especially with Microsoft 365 E5 and Microsoft Purview. SharePoint Online combined with Microsoft Purview Records Management provides: retention labels and schedules, records declaration (immutable records), event-based retention, disposition reviews, eDiscovery and legal hold, sensitivity labels and encryption, DLP policies, and audit logs. This covers the functional requirements of most mid-market DMS implementations. Where dedicated DMS systems still have advantages: law firms with complex matter-centric workflows, regulated pharmaceutical companies needing 21 CFR Part 11 electronic signatures, and organizations requiring physical records tracking. Our team has migrated organizations from iManage, OpenText, and Laserfiche to SharePoint + Purview successfully, with estimated license savings of $60-120/user/year.
What Microsoft Purview features are included in Microsoft 365 E3 vs E5?
Microsoft 365 E3 includes: Information Protection (sensitivity labels, manual classification), Data Loss Prevention (basic DLP policies), Compliance Manager (assessment tools), Audit (standard 90-day audit log), and basic eDiscovery (content search only). Microsoft 365 E5 adds: Advanced Compliance — full records management with retention labels and event-based retention, Premium eDiscovery (legal hold, advanced queries, export), Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Advanced Audit (1-year log retention, critical events), Information Barriers (ethical walls), and Privacy Management. The E5 Compliance add-on ($12/user/month) provides all E5 compliance features without the full E5 upgrade. For organizations with formal records management programs, eDiscovery obligations, or regulatory requirements (FINRA, HIPAA, SEC), E5 Compliance is generally necessary.
How does SharePoint handle legal holds and eDiscovery?
Microsoft Purview eDiscovery integrates directly with SharePoint Online for legal hold and eDiscovery workflows: (1) Content Search — run KQL (Keyword Query Language) searches across SharePoint sites, OneDrive accounts, and Exchange mailboxes simultaneously; filter by date, author, site, content type, and sensitivity label; (2) eDiscovery Cases — create isolated cases per litigation matter, assign reviewers, and track all actions for chain of custody; (3) Legal Hold — place custodian-level holds on SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts, preserving all content including deleted items (held in Preservation Hold Library); (4) Review and Export — tag documents (responsive, privileged, non-responsive), export in EDRM XML, native, or PST format for review platforms; (5) Premium eDiscovery — near-duplicate detection, email threading, predictive coding for large data sets. Microsoft 365 E5 is required for full Premium eDiscovery capabilities.
What retention policies should we implement for SharePoint compliance?
Retention policy design depends on your industry regulatory requirements, legal obligations, and business needs. Common starting framework: (1) Email — 3-7 years depending on industry (financial services: 7 years per SEC/FINRA, healthcare: 6 years per HIPAA, general business: 3-5 years); (2) Financial records (invoices, GL, tax) — 7 years per IRS; (3) HR records (personnel files) — 7 years post-separation; (4) Contracts — 7 years post-expiration; (5) Board minutes/corporate records — permanent; (6) IT logs and audit records — 1-3 years; (7) Litigation holds — until matter is finally resolved (overrides all other retention). We recommend engaging your legal counsel and records manager to build the formal retention schedule before configuring Purview labels. Our team provides retention schedule development as part of compliance engagements.