We use Google Drive for shared file storage when files are more easily kept outside of Basecamp. We maintain a “Team Drive” for each Client along with several internal team drives. Basecamp is our primary document storage system, but Drive is good specifically for maintaining Google Docs/Sheets and storing client-specific paperwork (not project-specific).
All team members should install the “Google Drive File Sync” application so they can access Drive files locally.
Each client’s PM is in charge of maintaining the client team drive. They should be the primary owner of the team drive. The team drive is most useful for holding google docs.
Best Practices
- When someone is no longer involved with a given client, they may “hide” the team drive for that client. When a client has moved on from Cantilever, the DRI may also hide their drive. If they return, the drive can easily be resurrected from the Hidden Shared Drives part of the GD interface.
- Drives should always contain the following folders:
- Projects
- Account Management
- Client Share (Optional)
Sharing Files with Clients
If a client asks for a file we should simply send direct links to individual files. However, there are two ways we can do this:
- Sharing Files from Within Team Drive
- Sharing Files Via GmailSharing files with clients via Gmail is a common practice and works well. Clicking on the Drives button allows you to see all team drives from which you can select files to add to the message.
Sharing a Folder with a Client
When a client needs a folder of stuff, we will need to simply Zip it and send them a link to the file.
Caution on Sharing Drives with Clients
If we truly need a shared drive with a client, we can either:
- share our actual drive (being cautious about what we put in there)
- or set up a separate drive for the sharing.
Most of our team drives would be totally kosher to share with clients. However, we sometimes put in-progress work in there and so an overzealous client might start to peek before we are ready which can be harmful to the process.