Many of my clients are law firms that utilize Microsoft 365. A core aspect of my work with them is setting up optimal systems for streamlined team workflows and client communication.
The foundation of this solution is a main SharePoint site for the team, serving as a hub for file sharing, collaboration, staff directories, and staff resources (including various guides I've created).
Additionally, each client receives a private, customized SharePoint site, accessible only to those invited. This ensures that external collaborators, such as lawyers brought in for specific cases, can only view information pertinent to their work. We also implement custom permissions to allow clients to upload and edit files, but not make broader changes.
For workflow and project management, we employ Asana, with a private project for each client.
Slack, rather than Teams, is our communication platform of choice due to its superior channel functionality. Each client has a private Slack channel, with the topic linking to the Asana project and the description linking to the client's SharePoint site.
This structure—an Asana project, a private Slack channel, and a private SharePoint site per client—provides essential context. Team members can quickly find the relevant communication channel, task assignments, and file storage for each client.
While effective, this system can be labor-intensive to set up manually. Creating and configuring a new SharePoint site for each client, along with a Slack channel and appropriate permissions, can take significant time. This is where Power Automate becomes invaluable.
I've developed a flow that automatically detects the creation of a new Asana project. It then generates a SharePoint site for that client, based on the project name. The flow also customizes the site, invites relevant team members, and sets up the client's custom permissions. Essential folders and files are automatically uploaded.
Next, a private Slack channel is created, and core team members are invited. The Slack channel's topic and description are auto-populated with the Asana project and SharePoint site URLs. The flow also creates necessary folders and files within our internal SharePoint site for the new client.
Given the frequency with which law firms acquire new clients, this automation saves countless hours of manual work and eliminates potential human error.
