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  • SharePoint Migration Checklist

    A comprehensive guide on migrating SharePoint, ensuring you cover all ground and have a successful migration.
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Migrating SharePoint.

This requires strategy, planning, communication, technical knowledge, troubleshooting skills, great execution and sometimes a bit of luck. They say in life, moving is one of the most stressful experiences anyone can go through. SharePoint Migrations definitely fall into that category if not managed and handled well. The SharePoint A Team have been hard at work creating the most comprehensive SharePoint Migration Checklist for anyone’s migration project.

References.

Planning a successful SharePoint Migration – GTconsult

The Ultimate SharePoint Migration Checklist – Sharegate

SharePoint Pre-Migration Checklist – Metalogix

DOWNLOAD PDF » SHAREPOINT MIGRATION CHECKLIST
DOWNLOAD OUR MIGRATION WHITE PAPER

Pre-Migration checklist

Executive Alignment & Project Foundation
  1. Obtain written executive sponsorship and support
  2. Secure budget commitment including contingency funds
  3. Establish executive steering committee
  4. Define clear project scope and objectives
  5. Create initial communication plan
  6. Assemble core project team
  7. Define success metrics at organizational level
  8. Set up regular executive briefing schedule
Technical Assessment
  1. Complete inventory of current SharePoint environment
  2. Document all site collections and subsites
  3. Map all critical workflows and processes
  4. Identify all customizations and solutions
  5. List all third-party integrations
  6. Document current security settings and permissions
  7. Assess network capacity and infrastructure requirements
  8. Evaluate current storage usage and future needs
  9. Identify any legacy features that need modernization
  10. Record all custom forms and templates
Content Analysis
  1. Create content inventory including size and types
  2. Identify redundant, obsolete, or trivial (ROT) content
  3. Document compliance and retention requirements
  4. Map content ownership and responsibilities
  5. Assess content complexity and dependencies
  6. Identify large files and special content types
  7. Document required metadata and taxonomy
  8. List all external sharing settings
  9. Catalog all document libraries and lists
  10. Identify mission-critical content
Risk Assessment
  1. Complete stakeholder analysis
  2. Document all potential risks and impacts
  3. Create risk mitigation strategies
  4. Assess business continuity requirements
  5. Evaluate compliance and security risks
  6. Document data sovereignty requirements
  7. Identify potential user adoption challenges
  8. Assess impact on daily operations
  9. Evaluate training requirements
  10. Create contingency plans
Tool & Resource Preparation
  1. Select appropriate migration tools
  2. Verify licensing requirements
  3. Set up test environment
  4. Prepare backup solutions
  5. Create testing scripts
  6. Develop user acceptance testing plan
  7. Establish support procedures
  8. Prepare training materials
  9. Set up feedback channels
  10. Create rollback procedures
Timeline & Process Planning
  1. Create detailed project timeline
  2. Define migration phases
  3. Set realistic milestones
  4. Plan communication schedule
  5. Schedule user training
  6. Define freeze periods
  7. Plan post-migration support
  8. Create validation procedures
  9. Schedule regular checkpoints
  10. Define go/no-go criteria
Governance & Compliance
  1. Document new governance policies
  2. Define permission structures
  3. Create content management rules
  4. Establish naming conventions
  5. Define site provisioning process
  6. Document security protocols
  7. Create user guidelines
  8. Establish monitoring procedures
  9. Define maintenance schedules
  10. Document compliance requirements
Final Verification
All stakeholders have reviewed and approved plan
Budget is approved and allocated
Resources are committed and available
Testing environment is ready
Backup procedures are in place
Communication plan is approved
Training plan is prepared
Support procedures are established
Success metrics are defined and measurable
Go-live criteria are established

Communication plan

1. Stakeholder Groups & Communication Needs

Executive Leadership

Frequency: Monthly steering committee meetings, bi-weekly status reports

Key Information Needs:

  • Project milestones and progress
  • Budget status and resource utilization
  • Risk assessments and mitigation strategies
  • Business impact and ROI metrics
  • Strategic alignment updates

Communication Channels: Executive briefings, written reports, dashboard updates

Department Managers

Frequency: Bi-weekly updates, immediate notifications for critical changes

Key Information Needs:

  • Department-specific migration timeline
  • Impact on team operations
  • Required actions and deadlines
  • Training schedules
  • Resource requirements

Communication Channels: Team meetings, email updates, collaboration site

End Users

Frequency: Weekly updates, immediate notifications for direct impacts

Key Information Needs:

  • Changes to daily workflows
  • Training opportunities
  • Migration timeline affecting their work
  • New features and benefits
  • Support resources

Communication Channels: Email newsletters, intranet updates, team meetings

IT Team

Frequency: Daily standups during active migration, weekly technical reviews

Key Information Needs:

  • Technical requirements and changes
  • Migration schedule details
  • Testing protocols
  • Support requirements
  • System updates and maintenance windows

Communication Channels: Technical briefings, project management tool, Teams channel

Change Champions

Frequency: Weekly meetings, ongoing informal communication

Key Information Needs:

  • Detailed project updates
  • Training materials
  • User feedback
  • Success stories
  • Support resources

Communication Channels: Dedicated Teams channel, regular meetings, shared resource library
2. Communication Timeline

Pre-Migration Phase

Week 1-2: Initial announcement and project overview

Week 3-4: Detailed planning and timeline communication

Week 5-6: Training schedule and resource announcements

Week 7-8: Department-specific impact assessments

During Migration Phase

Daily: Technical team updates

Weekly: Status updates to all stakeholders

Bi-weekly: Executive steering committee updates

As Needed: Critical change notifications and emergency communications

Post-Migration Phase

Week 1: Daily status updates and support information

Week 2-4: Weekly progress reports and success stories

Month 2+: Monthly optimization updates and user tips
3. Communication Templates

Executive Updates

Copy

Subject: SharePoint Migration Executive Update - [Date]

- Project Status Overview

- Key Milestones Achieved

- Upcoming Critical Points

- Risk Assessment

- Resource Utilization

- Action Items Required

User Communications

Copy

Subject: SharePoint Migration Update - What You Need to Know

- What's Happening

- What This Means for You

- When This Will Happen

- What You Need to Do

- Where to Get Help

- Next Update Expected

Technical Team Briefings

Copy

Subject: Migration Technical Briefing - [Date]

- Technical Changes Implemented

- Issues Identified

- Solutions Applied

- Next Steps

- Resource Requirements

- Support Needs
4. Feedback Mechanisms
Continuous Feedback Channels
  • Online feedback form
  • Dedicated email address
  • Teams channel for questions
  • Regular pulse surveys
  • Change champion feedback sessions
Success Metrics
  • Communication delivery rates
  • Feedback response rates
  • Support ticket themes
  • User engagement metrics
  • Training participation rates
5. Emergency Communication Protocol
Trigger Events
  • System outages
  • Data issues
  • Security incidents
  • Critical delays
  • Performance issues
Emergency Communication Flow
  • Issue identified and assessed
  • Technical team notified
  • Leadership briefed
  • User impact determined
  • Communications drafted and approved
  • Messages distributed through emergency channels
  • Follow-up updates scheduled
6. Support Communication Structure
Help Resources
  • SharePoint migration support site
  • Quick reference guides
  • FAQ documentation
  • Training materials
  • Contact information for support team
Escalation Path
  • Self-help resources
  • Local change champions
  • Department coordinators
  • Technical support team
  • Project leadership
  • Executive sponsors
7. Success Stories and Recognition
Recognition Program
  • Weekly wins highlights
  • User adoption champions
  • Department migration success stories
  • Innovation spotlights
  • Team member recognition
Documentation
  • Case studies
  • Best practices
  • Lessons learned
  • User testimonials
  • Process improvements

Post-Migration Verification

Content Validation
Verify all content has been migrated successfully
Compare source and destination content counts
Check file integrity and versions
Validate document metadata
Confirm all libraries and lists are present
Verify folder structures and hierarchies
Check custom views and filters
Validate content types and site columns
Confirm large files migrated successfully
Verify external sharing settings
Security & Permissions
Verify user permissions and access levels
Confirm security group migrations
Check site collection administrators
Validate external sharing settings
Verify permission inheritance
Test anonymous access settings
Confirm compliance policies are enforced
Check retention policies
Validate sensitive content controls
Verify conditional access policies
Functionality Testing
Test all critical workflows
Verify automated processes
Check all custom solutions
Test third-party integrations
Validate forms functionality
Check search functionality
Test navigation and site structure
Verify alerts and notifications
Test document collaboration features
Confirm mobile access functionality
User Experience
Verify site branding and aesthetics
Check page layouts and formatting
Test site navigation
Verify quick launch menus
Check load times and performance
Test cross-browser compatibility
Verify mobile responsiveness
Check document preview functionality
Test collaboration features
Validate user notifications
System Performance
Monitor system response times
Check search indexing
Verify database performance
Test backup and restore procedures
Monitor storage usage
Check quota limits
Verify service applications
Test disaster recovery procedures
Monitor network performance
Check system logs for errors
User Adoption & Training
Verify user access to training materials
Confirm help resources are available
Check support ticketing system
Validate user feedback channels
Monitor user adoption metrics
Check training completion rates
Verify change champion engagement
Test self-service resources
Confirm user guides accessibility
Check knowledge base functionality
Governance & Compliance
Verify governance policies implementation
Check audit logging
Confirm DLP policies
Validate retention policies
Test eDiscovery functionality
Verify classification labels
Check compliance reports
Confirm data residency requirements
Validate security controls
Test information barriers
Integration & Custom Solutions
Verify all custom web parts
Test business application integrations
Check custom workflows
Validate API connections
Test automated processes
Verify database connections
Check identity providers
Test SSO functionality
Verify external data sources
Validate custom forms
Documentation & Handover
Update system documentation
Document configuration changes
Create administrative guides
Update user manuals
Document known issues
Create troubleshooting guides
Update disaster recovery procedures
Document maintenance procedures
Create support escalation guides
Update network diagrams
Final Success Criteria
All content is accessible and functional
Users can perform their daily tasks
Performance meets or exceeds benchmarks
Security controls are fully operational
Support procedures are functioning
Governance policies are enforced
User adoption metrics meet targets
System monitoring is operational
Documentation is complete and accurate
Stakeholder sign-off obtained

Hoping everything went well in the SharePoint Migration Checklist above a successful launch should be the final step.

Learn more about migrating SharePoint with GTconsult

Check out our migration page to learn more about GTconsult's SharePoint Migration Services

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Get in touch for a FREE Migration assessment.

CONTACT SHAREPOINT A-TEAM MIGRATION EXPERTS
Contact Info

Email

[email protected]


Telephone

South Africa: +27 87 655 5555
United Kingdom: +44 20 3965 4369
United States: +1 877 894 5594


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