Planning a Migration to Sharepoint

Why do we need to carry out a Data Evaluation?

Before starting to plan a migration, it is essential to understand what content we have, who owns it, how it is structured, what importance it has, what duplicate content we have and raise user awareness about the importance of good information architecture and the best Use the tool to organize and work with all your documentation.

The assessment allows us to obtain an inventory of data by performing an audit of what currently exists in your environment so that we can:

• Data quality analysis: In addition to understanding what content exists, it is crucial to evaluate the quality of that data. This involves verifying the accuracy, integrity, coherence and timeliness of the information; there is always a lot of historical information that could perhaps be preserved in Blob Storage, whose storage and access is more economical. Identifying and addressing data quality issues before migration ensures that migrated information is reliable and useful to end users. Cleaning redundant, unused or obsolete data allows us to shorten migration times, but finding it sometimes requires a tedious comparison process between any existing locations. I have often found duplicate data in different departments, wouldn't it be better to store it in a single location and allow access to whoever needs it?
• Identifying dependencies and relationships: Content rarely exists in a vacuum; It is often interconnected with other elements within the system. It is important to identify dependencies and relationships between different data sets before migration. This ensures that critical information is not lost or relationships between data are not broken during the migration process. Related to the last question in the previous point.
• Content lifecycle assessment: Not all content is equally important or relevant at all stages of its lifecycle. Before migrating, it is essential to evaluate the content lifecycle to determine which data is active, which is obsolete, and which should be archived or deleted. This assessment helps optimize the migration process and ensures that only relevant and necessary content is migrated. It is important to differentiate active data from historical data.
• Scalability and performance evaluation: Migrating to SharePoint involves not only transferring data but also ensuring that the platform can handle current and future workloads. It is essential to evaluate the scalability and performance of SharePoint to ensure that it can meet the long-term needs of the organization, especially as the volume of data and the number of users increase. Training and communication with users are key to driving adoption. To achieve the best possible outcome, after understanding all the specific and necessary circumstances that YOU have, we will prepare workshops or appropriate documentation to ensure that users are familiar and understand the entire migration process, the necessary actions to be taken and the possible impacts. that may affect your sites along with recommendations or possible solutions. We determine what we will offer in terms of training and support to set your team up for long-term success. Generate a list of the technical requirements and recommendations necessary to successfully complete the data migration or merge.
• Version management and change control: Understanding how versions and changes to existing content are managed is critical to planning a successful migration. This involves evaluating how document versions, audit logs, and workflows have been handled in the current system and ensuring that these processes are maintained or improved in SharePoint. Normally we have files on File Server with V1, V2... is it necessary to migrate all versions? If they need to be maintained, perhaps we can do it as versions of the same document, although it is not so easy, it may be the most correct. But this is not usually the case.
• Consider disaster recovery and business continuity requirements: It is important to consider disaster recovery and business continuity requirements when planning any migration. This involves identifying data critical to business operations and ensuring it is adequately backed up and accessible in the event of an outage or data loss. We need to determine the details of the sites we are going to migrate to analyze the most appropriate migration scenarios and strategies and achieve a successful migration with minimal impact for the users involved. These scenarios will be determined after prioritizing which content segments may need our attention the most and correctly establishing how to proceed in each case.

By considering these additional aspects along with an understanding of existing content, we can ensure a more efficient, accurate and successful migration to SharePoint, meeting the needs and objectives of the organization.

Steps to follow in a migration to Sharepoint

Traditionally, companies have relied on local file servers to store corporate data. Typically this involves a shared drive, such as an F drive or O drive, accessible from connected desktop computers in the office.

Now, let's think about the volume of content we create or use daily, multiply it by the number of team members and add the number of teams across the company...

Won't we just forget to store files on the company drive, forcing us to search through our inboxes? Don't we find it difficult to find a specific document sometimes? Haven't we found instances of duplicate content and outdated versions, mixed in with the latest ones?

For migrations from Sharepoint, there are many points that we will analyze, and we will discuss them in another article.

In short, the most important things are...

In a data migration to SharePoint, one of the most critical considerations is ensuring that the data is properly organized and has a solid data architecture. This is essential to effectively leverage SharePoint capabilities, ensure good usability, classify information intelligently, and automate business processes. Without proper organization, SharePoint would be limited to simply being a static data repository when in reality it offers a full set of tools and capabilities for collaboration, document management, data analysis, business intelligence, and much more.

Proper organization of data in SharePoint enables intuitive navigation, facilitates quick and accurate information retrieval, promotes effective collaboration between teams and departments, and facilitates the automation of workflows and business processes. Additionally, a well-designed data architecture lays the foundation for the successful implementation of advanced solutions, such as custom labeling or automations, post-analytics reporting, or even for integrated business applications.

Therefore, during the SharePoint migration process, it is essential to dedicate time and resources to plan and design a consistent and scalable data structure. And therefore, this involves carrying out a thorough analysis of business and user requirements, identifying and classifying different types of data, establishing clear information hierarchies and defining data and metadata management policies. Doing so ensures that SharePoint not only functions as a data repository but also as a comprehensive platform for business collaboration and innovation, using many more functionalities that it provides us very easily and quickly.

Data quality analysis:

Therefore, in a migration process it is not enough to identify what data exists, it is also essential to evaluate the quality of this data. This analysis involves a comprehensive evaluation of the accuracy, completeness, consistency and timeliness of the information. Precision will guarantee that the data is correct and reliable, integrity will guarantee that it has not been altered or modified without authorization, coherence will guarantee that the data is consistent in all instances, and timeliness will guarantee that the information is relevant and is updated. Addressing data quality issues prior to migration is critical to ensuring that migrated data is accurate, complete, and reliable for end users, which in turn contributes to informed, shared, analyzed, and effective decision making. Ultimately, within the organization.

Cleaning redundant, unused or obsolete data:

I think this is one of the fundamental parts of the migration process: cleaning up the existing data environment. This involves identifying and removing redundant, unused or obsolete data that is no longer relevant to the organization's current operation. And as we have already said, this is not an easy and simple task, sometimes this information is redundant between different folders and departments. The presence of redundant or unused data not only increases the complexity of the data environment but can also slow down the migration process and actually consume unnecessary resources. By cleaning up the data environment before the migration, we can reduce the amount of information we need to transfer, thus shortening migration times and simplifying the overall process, something you'll appreciate. This not only improves migration efficiency, but also ensures that the new SharePoint environment is optimized and free of unnecessary data loads. Time is money and has a high cost in any migration, let's dedicate it to what is really necessary. In addition, we will create a correct data structure, which is necessary in the future.

User support during migration is another key point

• Proactive communication: I believe it is necessary to implement a proactive communication system to keep users informed at each stage of the migration process. This includes email notifications, platform messages or regular briefings. Along with planning a migration, you establish communication planning, which is necessary for the success and compliance of the entire migration process.
• Multi-channel support: We can expand support options to include additional channels, such as teams with live chat and even phone assistance. This will allow users to choose the method that best suits their individual needs and preferences.
• Personalized training: it is good practice to offer personalized training sessions for specific groups of users tailored to their roles and responsibilities, members will not have the same capabilities as owners. This will provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively use the new tools or systems after the migration.
• Iterative feedback: Encourage an iterative feedback process where users can provide feedback on their experience and suggestions to improve the migration process. Use this feedback to make continuous adjustments and improvements to user support. I like to create satisfaction surveys for each training or wave of migration. But it has its drawbacks, make sure you have the process very well controlled.

Providing user support during the migration is essential to ensure a smooth and successful transition. It is crucial to provide support to users that covers the entire process from start to finish. Below are some ideas for improvements and extensions to strengthen this aspect:

• Self-help resources: in projects that develop and offer a wide range of self-help resources, such as step-by-step guides, video tutorials and frequently asked questions, I have verified greater peace of mind in users, we always like to have documentation on the to support us and be able to read afterwards, after any training. These resources should be easy to access for users and address common concerns they may have during the migration and correctly using the tools in their new work environment.
• Continuous Monitoring: This involves establishing a continuous monitoring system to quickly identify and address any issues or challenges that users may face during the migration. This may include feedback surveys, analysis of key metrics and process improvement that helps us provide additional and tailored support to users throughout the process.
• Post-migration planning: Finally, remember not to limit user support to the migration phase only. We must establish a long-term post-migration support plan to ensure that users continue to receive the necessary support as they adapt to the new systems or platforms. Although it is not usually done, it is a point that users appreciate.

By improving and expanding user support throughout the migration process, rest assured that we increase user satisfaction, reduce downtime, and ensure a successful transition to the new environment.

Before, during and after data migration to SharePoint

Before migration:

• Complete data inventory: as I have already explained, it is very important to carry out a comprehensive inventory of all the data assets that we are going to migrate, including their sources, formats, dependencies, automations, processes... This inventory will serve as a basis for the planning and execution of the very successful migration process that will guarantee a successful migration.
• Data evaluation and cleaning: It is highly recommended to evaluate the quality and relevance of existing data to identify redundant, obsolete or trivial (ROT) content. We may not be aware of it, but storage has its cost, and cleaning data by removing duplicates, obsolete files, and irrelevant information will not only speed up the migration process but also improve data integrity.
• User training and change management: We will provide comprehensive training to end users on best practices for data management, navigation and SharePoint features, get them familiar with the house they are moving into and working in from From now. We will develop change management strategies to address user concerns, and promote adoption by minimizing resistance to the new platform. Don't you think so? Don't forget, along with the migration plan and communications, to execute a training plan for users.
• Migration Strategy Development: Let's finally develop a detailed migration strategy that outlines the scope, timeline, and technical requirements for the migration. In this we will define the migration priorities, data allocation rules and any validation criteria to ensure a smooth transition to SharePoint in all the aforementioned aspects.
• Governance and compliance implementation: I don't know why I am only going to name this section as a point, defining the governance of any implementation tool is one of the first necessary points, but I assume that they are already defined before addressing any migration, because If not, we should address it first, always and without exception. That is, it is essential to have data governance policies and compliance measures in place to maintain the integrity and security of data in SharePoint before any data migration. Having defined access controls, permissions and retention policies to ensure regulatory compliance and mitigate data risks.

During migration:

• Mapping and data transformation: let's assign for each source data its corresponding destination in SharePoint, this map will be executed during the migration and will be preserved for later queries. We must verify data migration scripts and tools to validate accuracy and completeness. This is why it is important to execute prior pilot migrations.
• Incremental Migration Approach: I like to take an incremental migrations approach to minimize downtime and disruption to business operations. In these I prioritize critical data sets and after performing pilot migrations that help us validate the migration process before continuing with any large-scale migration.
• Real-time monitoring and troubleshooting: We must constantly monitor the migration process in real time by tracking progress, identifying potential errors, and addressing any issues that arise as quickly as possible. We will implement logging and reporting mechanisms to capture migration metrics and performance indicators for future analysis and improvement, as well as use them for process tracking presentations.
• Communication and user support: Let's not forget to provide ongoing support to users during the migration process, including assistance with accessing migrated data, troubleshooting errors, and addressing user concerns. Remember that we can keep several lines of communication open through regular updates, FAQs and technical support.

After migration:

• Data validation and quality assurance: after developing a battery of tests for subsequent validation of migrations, we must execute it and improve it if necessary, to ensure the accuracy, integrity and consistency of the data in SharePoint. We will compare the migrated data with the source systems and perform checks that will help us identify and address any discrepancies.
• Optimizing performance and scalability: To optimize the performance and scalability of SharePoint, we must keep in mind that our data architecture must adapt to growing data volumes and user demands. Let's take into account the estimated annual growth, and if our architecture would support it, I am not referring only to the limits of Sharepoint, but to the way of working that we are going to establish for users.
• Continuous improvement and training: Finally, we will continually monitor user feedback and usage patterns so we can identify areas for improvement throughout our migration process to SharePoint Online. We will provide training and ongoing support to users to improve their daily work, and maximize collaboration and productivity of the platform.

By addressing these key points before, during and after data migration to SharePoint, we can ensure a successful and smooth transition, optimizing data management processes and realizing the full benefits of the SharePoint platform.

It is an excellent practice to take into account a wide range of aspects before embarking on a migration project. Data migration is a complex process that involves numerous factors, ranging from the initial assessment of the data to the effective implementation of the migration solution.

Some of the key points often considered in planning a data migration include:

1. Current Data Assessment: Analyzing the quality, integrity, and relevance of existing data before migration.
2. Requirements Identification: Determining destination data requirements and business needs to ensure effective migration.
3. Tool and Technology Selection: Selecting the appropriate tools and technologies to facilitate the migration process.
4. Data Mapping: Mapping data from source to target, ensuring data consistency and integrity.
5. Migration Strategy: Developing a detailed migration strategy that includes event sequence, timelines, and required resources.
6. Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating potential risks associated with data migration, such as data loss or business disruption.
7. Testing and Validation: Conducting thorough testing to ensure accuracy and completeness of migrated data.
8. Training and Communication: Providing adequate training to users and effectively communicating changes related to data migration.
9. Post-Migration Maintenance and Support: Establishing a plan for ongoing maintenance and support of migrated data after completing the migration.
10. Evaluation and Continuous Improvement: Evaluating the success of the migration and seeking opportunities to improve processes in future migrations.

Each of these points may require further analysis and customization based on the specific needs of the organization and the migration project at hand. Finally, the choice of the right migration tool can also influence the planning and execution of the project.

Will continue...