Shared mailbox licensing
A frequent cost and compliance trap—CHAOS makes patterns visible.
Problem
Shared mailboxes and functional accounts are often licensed with full bundles—or conversely used in an under-licensed way. Delegation and Teams attachment complicate mapping. Auditors ask specifically about functional-account constructs. Spot checks do not scale.
Approach with CHAOS
CHAOS detects patterns from mailbox type, assignments and group membership (where Graph allows) and flags outliers. Rules document correction paths and exceptions with approvals. The why-layer explains decisions to non-specialists.
Outcome from CHAOS
Fewer mis-assignments, clearer policy for functional accounts, and exportable evidence for reviews. Helpdesk sees fewer “does this shared mailbox need E3?” tickets.
Insight
Technical and organisational definitions of “shared vs user” must be fixed once in governance—CHAOS then enforces repeatably.