Migrate
Move supported content when the requirement remains valid.
Look beyond the file count
The real complexity is often in the dependencies.
Two estates with the same storage size can need very different migration plans. Ownership, permissions, business processes and legacy technology shape the work.
- Content & structure
What exists, what is still used, and what the target needs.
- Access & ownership
Who relies on it, who controls access, and who can make decisions.
- Connected processes
Forms, workflows, custom code and integrations that could affect the move.
A view of the whole estate
Six areas to review.
One connected migration plan.
Agree the assessment depth against your environment and decisions. Expand an area to see the kinds of evidence we review.
01 / Understand the estateEnvironment & contentEstablish what exists and what is worth moving.Review items
- Source and target platforms
- Sites, lists, libraries and storage
- Files, versions and metadata
- Large lists, duplication and obsolete content
02 / Map the access modelIdentity & accessReview who has access and how it should work in the target.Review items
- Users, groups and external identities
- Sharing settings and unique permissions
- Broken inheritance and orphaned accounts
- Target access design and validation needs
03 / Find what could block the moveLegacy dependenciesIdentify business processes tied to older technology.Review items
- Classic pages and publishing sites
- InfoPath forms and Designer workflows
- Script Editor, Content Editor and legacy web parts
- Business criticality, usage and accountable owners
04 / Look beyond the filesApps & integrationsTrace connected workloads and authentication dependencies.Review items
- SPFx and third-party solutions
- Power Apps and Power Automate
- Custom APIs, REST and Microsoft Graph integrations
- Authentication, external systems and connection owners
05 / Turn findings into prioritiesMigration readinessIdentify remediation, pilot candidates and cutover considerations.Review items
- Technical blockers and business risks
- Content ownership and decision makers
- Remediation, pilot and wave candidates
- Validation criteria and cutover dependencies
06 / Check the destination designTarget architectureReview how content and collaboration should work after the move.Review items
- Sites, hubs and information architecture
- Content types, metadata and navigation
- Search, governance and lifecycle
- Teams, OneDrive and Power Platform dependencies
Scope and access are agreed before discovery. Initial discussions do not require tenant credentials.
What the work produces
A report your team can act on.
Bring inventory, risks and recommendations together so technical and business owners can agree the next step.
- 01
Current-state inventory
Content, access, customizations and connected workloads.
- 02
Risk & dependency register
Findings, impact, remediation needs and accountable owners.
- 03
Migration recommendations
Target considerations, tool selection, pilot candidates and wave planning.
- 04
Validation & next steps
Acceptance checks and a scoped path into remediation or delivery.
Assessment report previewContoso Manufacturing
Fictional sample dataReport section / 01
Environment Overview
A one-page picture of source, target, scale, and complexity drivers for the fictional Contoso Manufacturing environment.
| Area | Demonstration Value |
|---|---|
| Source platform | SharePoint Server 2016 (single farm) |
| Target platform | SharePoint Online (Microsoft 365) |
| Sites inventoried | 85 |
Report section / 02
Risk Register
Rated risks with mitigation and role-based ownership. Names of individuals never appear; owners are roles.
| Risk | Rating | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy workflow dependency breaks approvals | High | Modernize before wave; parallel run |
| Complex unique permissions delay cutover | High | Remodel permissions in pilot |
| Unsupported customization blocks site move | High | Retire or replace per matrix |
Report section / 03
Wave Planning
Example phasing only. Actual wave design always depends on assessment findings.
| Wave | Demonstration Scope |
|---|---|
| Wave 0 — Pilot | Representative slice with baseline recording |
| Wave 1 — Low complexity | Team collaboration sites |
| Wave 2 — Departmental | HR and operations libraries |
Report section / 04
Validation Strategy
Migration completion is not equivalent to migration validation: source baseline, migration, destination scan, technical validation, exception handling, business sign-off.
| Area | Demonstration Check |
|---|---|
| Content | Item counts and storage reconciled per library |
| Metadata | Required columns populated; mappings verified |
| Permissions | Effective access sampled against target design |
Illustrative deliverable structure. This preview uses the existing fictional sample report and does not describe your tenant or a customer engagement.
Evidence into decisions
A deliberate path
from discovery to direction.
The assessment supports planning decisions. Production migration, modernization and ongoing support are agreed as separate work.
- 01
Align the scope
Agree the migration goal, source and target, decision owners and required review depth.
Stage outputA clear assessment boundary - 02
Build the evidence
Review available inventory, access, content, customizations and business dependencies.
Stage outputA documented current state - 03
Analyze the risks
Connect findings to remediation, ownership, target design and migration constraints.
Stage outputPrioritized risks and decisions - 04
Agree the roadmap
Review recommendations for tooling, pilot selection, migration waves and validation.
Stage outputA practical next-step plan
How the findings inform migration decisions
Modernize
Resolve legacy dependencies using a supported approach.
Retire
Remove obsolete components with business-owner agreement.
Rebuild
Redesign where the need remains but the implementation does not fit.
Start with the context
A useful first conversation starts here.
Share the migration goal, the known constraints and the decisions your team needs to make. Agree the assessment scope before paid work begins.
Bring the right owners.
- Your SharePoint or Microsoft 365 lead
- A business owner for critical processes
- The migration sponsor or solution architect
Bring what you already know.
- Source, target and approximate scale
- Known risks, legacy components and deadlines
- Existing inventory and architecture notes
Define a useful next step.
- Review scope, required access and ownership
- Deliverables and review milestones
- Commercial terms for assessment or delivery
When a focused review may be enough
A small, already-modern environment with trusted inventory, clear ownership and a narrow move may need a focused review rather than a broad assessment. The initial discussion helps establish the appropriate depth.
After the assessment
Follow the findings
into the right workstream.
Not every environment needs every phase. Use the evidence to sequence remediation, migration and validation against business priorities.
Before you begin
Assessment questions,
answered.
Understand the scope, inputs and boundaries before deciding how to proceed.
Read the assessment guideWhat is included in a SharePoint migration assessment?
The agreed scope reviews content, permissions, legacy technology, customizations, connected workloads and migration readiness. Findings support a risk register, migration recommendations, sequencing and validation planning.
Does the assessment include the production migration?
No. Assessment is the discovery, analysis and recommendation phase. Production migration, detailed implementation, application rebuilds and ongoing support are separate work packages with agreed scope and fees.
What do we need for the first discussion?
Bring your migration goals, source and target overview, approximate scale, known dependencies, priorities and decision owners. Existing inventory or architecture notes are useful. Tenant credentials are not needed for the initial discussion.
Can legacy forms, workflows and custom solutions be reviewed?
Yes, where included in the scope. Review can cover InfoPath, SharePoint Designer workflows, classic pages, custom JavaScript, SPFx, Power Apps, Power Automate and API integrations. The assessment identifies dependencies and suitable next steps.
How are permissions assessed?
Review can include groups, sharing configuration, external identities, broken inheritance, orphaned users and item-level cases where relevant. Findings should be checked against the target access design and a defined validation approach.
Will the assessment recommend a migration tool?
It can inform tool selection after the source, target, complexity and validation requirements are understood. The assessment is not tied to one vendor, and tooling licenses or implementation may require separate scope.
How long does an assessment take?
Duration depends on the size and complexity of the estate, available inventory, agreed access, legacy dependencies and review depth. Scope, responsibilities and expected milestones are agreed before the assessment starts.
Move forward with a clearer view
Understand the risks.
Plan the next move.
Discuss your estate, your migration goal and what an assessment should help you decide.
Schedule a Migration Discovery Call (opens scheduling in a new tab)Explore the sample deliverable
Assessment scope, fees and follow-on work are agreed separately.