Microsoft 365 continues to impress in terms of security, compliance and collaboration functionality. As a result, more and more organisations are looking to take better advantage of Microsoft’s cloud solutions. For many, that means contemplating a SharePoint migration from either an established on-premises deployment or file share, or a third-party solution that no-longer fits the bill (pun intended).
Why should I do a SharePoint migration?
Bringing all your documents together into a single cloud document management system has a lot of benefits. For the sake of brevity, these are the ones that tip the scale for most organisations:
- Easier security and compliance, with unified policies and controls in place to protect all data and documents equally.
- Potentially significant savings on storage costs and/or 3rd-party licences.
- A better user experience with more effective use of organisational knowledge thanks to consolidated documents and seamless search.
- Improved productivity thanks to standardised workflows and the collaborative power unlocked through Teams integration.
What to consider when planning a SharePoint migration
Solid planning is half the battle when it comes to SharePoint migration. We recommend you:
- Audit what you’ve got and where it’s stored (data types and formats).
- Identify and remove as much ROT (redundant, outdated and trivial data) as possible.
- Identify potential errors/incompatibilities that will need special handling/correction (e.g. mismatched naming conventions).
- Calculate data volumes for an accurate migration scope.
- Review your security and compliance policies and controls to ensure they are still fit for purpose.
- Consider how you will safeguard regulatory compliance before, during and after migration.
- Design your new SharePoint environment.
- Build your change management plan to bring users along on the journey, and help them understand the benefits to them and the business.
- Find a migration partner or select an appropriate migration tool that will get the job done with minimal disruption.
The 3 phases of a SharePoint Migration
If your planning is solid, your migration is already off to a good start. Breaking the actual migration into the following phases will help keep that positive momentum going and minimise any surprises.
- Pilot migration – Start with a few users to minimise risk while you test and refine your migration processes, gauge migration speeds, identify bottlenecks and improve the user experience.
- Snagging – Address any performance issues, communications gaps or other errors that occurred during the pilot migration.
- Full migration – Move forward with the full migration, confident that your tools and processes are working exactly as they should be.
When to call in the migration experts
There is a lot to consider when undertaking a SharePoint migration – particularly if your migration is part of a larger plan to maximise your Microsoft 365 ROI. Going it alone is an option, but certainly not the easiest or most effective route for most organisations. If you’re looking for a smooth, fast and pain-free migration that delivers long-lasting value for money, you’ll be much better off with an expert team on hand. We’re used to dealing with complex migration challenges, including large data volumes, regulated industries and sensitive data requirements. Get in touch to discuss how we could help you get more from your Microsoft investment.
