Migration to SharePoint

 

Service offered: Project management and data mapping

Project intro: Extension of existing implementation of Microsoft Teams and SharePoint tools from the M365 suite for utilizing SharePoint as a platform for storage and collaboration purposes.

Business case: The initial file storage system resided in an on-premises file share, overloaded with project or department data much of which was no longer used. Access permissions were difficult to request, obtain and follow up on, and file collaboration was time-consuming and insufficient. Considering these factors, our client made the decision to enable better storage and collaboration across the organization by migrating selected data from the file-share to SharePoint and increasing the user adoption of the M365 suite.

Approach: The SharePoint migration was handled in an iterative manner. Firstly a Proof of Concept migration was done, followed by an evaluation and improvement of the migration concept based on user feedback. The subsiquent migrations were done in iterations for each departent: implement, measure, improve.

Project description: The project’s objective was to create and implement a process for migrating files from various departments to SharePoint online, ensure all access restrictions are intact in the new destination, and handle user training and communication.

Our contribution: The main roles handled by us included the overall Project Management and Data mapping aspects of the project, which covered various responsibilities throughout the different project phases.

  • Identifying folders and permissions

First step of the process was to identify the current folder structure of the on-premises file share server and extract the access control list of each in order to identify restricted folders and who had access to these. Based on that information, we aimed to promote all important folders and restricted folders to Document libraries

  • Creating the migration file

The migration itself was handled by a script, which is powered by a so-called “migration file” – an Excel sheet containing current folder paths, future destination paths and security groups data. For each department participating in the migration, we created such migration file denoting the data mapping and allowing the business to filder out which folder to migrate or not.

  • Contact with business representatives

All migration files were then presented to and reviewed by business representatives from each respective department. This was done with the purpose of verifying that all important folders are to be migrated to the new location and to receive feedback in case any other data needs to also be migrated

  • Executing the migration

After the migration files have been verified and confirmed by the business side, the actual migration took place. The script, developed by our implementation partner, runs in PowerShell and  ShareGate (a migration tool) and executes the migration.

  • User feedback, training, and communication

After completion of the migration for each department, an info meeting was conducted with the purpose of presenting the new setup, providing relevant training materials, and prompting users to complete a survey related to their experience with and feedback for the migration

Tips and Lessons learned:

1. Prepare a scrip which automates the migration of content to reduce time and human error

2. Do a file and folder clean up before migrating, not after

3. Involving business representatives is essential for successful migration and meeting users’ requirements