How to Choose a SharePoint Migration Consultant
A SharePoint migration involves more than transferring files. Before migrating, teams need to plan the destination, permissions, and content structure. But in many projects, this planning happens when migration has already started. Teams choose a migration tool before analyzing their data. This, in turn, makes them face problems like missing permissions, lost file versions, and more.
It’s exactly here that a SharePoint migration consultant can help. They assess your source data, plan the destination, and choose the right migration strategy according to your goals.
Key Takeaways
What Does a SharePoint Migration Consultant Do?
A consultant plans and manages the migration. They check and validate the final result of the move, as well. Before preparing a quote, they first analyze your source data. They map permissions, and segregate content into migration batches. Finally, they schedule the cutover.
While migration is underway, they closely track progress. This lets them proactively resolve any issues that arise during this time. Once migration ends, a SharePoint consultant compares source counts with the destination counts and provides the required project documentation.
What Is SharePoint Migration?
A SharePoint migration moves files, folders, and permissions into or out of SharePoint Online. For example, teams can migrate content from their cloud platform like Box, Dropbox, Egnyte, among others into SharePoint Online.
Some migrate from SharePoint to Google Workspace. Others may migrate from on-premises SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 to SharePoint Online. This is the most common scenario today. It’s happening because Microsoft ended the support for SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 on July 14, 2026.
We have recently conducted a webinar where we have extensively covered how large enterprises and SMBs can navigate SharePoint 2016 and 2019 end of life by migrating to SharePoint Online. Watch the full webinar here.
Running these older on-premises versions means your organization won’t receive security patches, bug fixes, or compliance updates. Thus, it makes you vulnerable to serious cybersecurity risks.
Every SharePoint migration route comes with its own challenges. Source platforms use different permission models. Migration tools map these to SharePoint roles. Shared link formats change during the move. Links embedded inside documents will break unless fixed with specialized tools.
Also, while standard file extensions migrate smoothly, this isn’t the case with proprietary cloud-native formats (such as Google Docs or Box Notes). They must first be converted into standard Office formats during the migration process.
Consultant, Tool, or In-House? Compare the Options
You have four main options. Assess your needs and resources to make the right choice.
| Option | Who runs it | Who owns failures | Cost shape | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consultant-led service | The provider | The provider | Project fee | Complex or regulated moves |
| Tool plus internal team | Your IT team | Your IT team | License fee | Small, simple estates |
| Microsoft FastTrack | Guidance only | Your IT team | Included, if eligible | Teams with spare capacity |
| Hybrid approach | Mixed | Shared | Day rates | Wider transformation programs |
In all of these options, the main difference lies in who takes care of the migration. A license provides your team the necessary tools required for migration. A consultant-led service handles the migration for you.
Microsoft FastTrack provides guidance, and not migration implementation. The process is still performed by your IT team. For organizations with teams that have enough time and internal resources, this option is suitable.
An in-house migration is ideal for small environments with simple permissions. Your internal team should have optimal capacity to manage the project. In case any of these conditions are unfulfilled, this approach can become costly.
A hybrid approach involves both your team and the provider. Both parties share migration tasks. This model is suited for broader transformation programs.
Our guide on cloud migration consulting explains how consulting differs from execution. The guidance applies across cloud platforms, not just SharePoint.
What Happens Before the Migration
Before the migration starts, it’s important to complete several key tasks. They prepare the data, permissions, destination, and migration schedule for smooth transfer to SharePoint Online.
Content assessment
A SharePoint migration consultant measures item counts, overall data volume, and folder depth. They check file names for unsupported characters. The consultant also checks all file paths against the stringent 400-character limit of SharePoint.
Permission mapping
The consultant maps source permissions to SharePoint roles. They clearly document any broken inheritance. Before migration commences, they identify external collaborators.
Destination design
It’s critical to create SharePoint sites and libraries before any data transfer occurs. The consultant finds out how many sites and libraries are needed. Complex folder structures are simplified when they can hinder migration.
Batch planning
A key part of pre-migration is segmenting users into several migration batches. A definite date is fixed for the migration of each batch. First, a consultant runs a pilot wave. This is the migration of a small batch. It’s mainly used to test the migration process and identify issues.
Sign-off
The organization approves the migration plan prepared by the consultant before data transfer. This plan states the conditions that must be met for a successful migration.
To learn about these preparation steps in detail, read our comprehensive SharePoint Online migration checklist.
How CloudFuze Handles This Stage
CloudFuze assigns a dedicated migration manager and a team. Our pre-migration analysis reports item counts, folder depth, and path lengths. File names are scanned for characters SharePoint does not support.
The permission map shows how source roles convert at the destination. Our consultants offer continuous migration planning assistance to your IT team. You approve the scope, wave size, and the migration dates before the transfer begins.
What Happens During Migration
During migration, the SharePoint migration consulting team monitors the transfer. They fix issues as they arise.
Pilot first
The migration consultants run a pilot migration before going full scale. This helps them verify whether migration mapping works as intended.
Waves follow
Migration batches run as per the schedule defined during pre-migration preparation. The consultants check each batch before running the next one.
Delta passes catch changes
While migration is underway, users can continue working in the source platform. A delta pass transfers files that have changed since the earlier migration pass. This lets users continue working without a long period of restricted access.
Failures get remediated
Certain files may fail to migrate. The reasons can be anything like long file paths, unsupported characters or oversized files. A SharePoint migration consultant fixes all these issues and reruns the failed items.
Users get told what changes
After every migration wave, users are told when their data will move. They also receive communication regarding where they can find it post migration.
It’s critical to ask the consultants how they handle migration failures. Some may report failures weekly, while others report on the very same day. If your project has a strict timeline, knowing this reporting difference is critical.
How CloudFuze Handles This Stage
CloudFuze offers daily reporting and status updates during migration. Unsupported characters are replaced by supported ones, so the transfer happens without glitches.
Files with long paths move to a separate destination folder. Delta migration runs until the customer, so nothing disrupts existing user workflows. We offer 24/7 enterprise support at all stages of migration.
What Happens After Go-Live
A SharePoint migration consultant continues working after the last migration wave. Before calling a project complete, they do the following:
Reconciliation
Consultants match the source data with the destination data. Any differences found are investigated and explained. This creates an audit trail for future use.
Post-Migration Support
After go-live, consultants provide additional support. During the first week after migration, they address user questions and answer support requests. For organizations choosing a consultant, it’s important to ask how long they can get this support for and exactly what it includes.
Handover
Consultants hand over the documentation, migration reports and administrator training. This gives an organization’s internal team all the knowledge it needs to manage the new SharePoint environment without provider support.
Source decommissioning
Decide the right time to shut down the old platform. If both platforms remain active, there’s a high risk of duplicate versions of data. It also affects your costs as you need to pay for both platforms. Thus, it’s critical to fix decommissioning data during migration planning.
How CloudFuze Handles This Stage
CloudFuze provides reports that compare source and destination counts at handover. These reports bring to your notice any differences which your compliance team can review. CloudFuze also provides post-migration support, user training, and onboarding.
CloudFuze’s SharePoint migration consultants support your in-house team at every stage of the migration, from pre-migration assessment, migration validation, to post-migration integration.
Migrating to SharePoint Online From Other Platforms
In this type of migration, the source platform determines the amount of planning needed for the transfer.
| Source | Main challenge | The decision our consultants make |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Collaborator roles and folder-level access | Which SharePoint level each Box role becomes |
| Dropbox | Team folder structure | Whether a team folder becomes a site or a library |
| Egnyte | Hybrid on-premises and cloud content | How to plan both locations as one project |
| ShareFile | Deep permission nesting | Where to keep permission breaks and where to flatten |
| Google Workspace | Shared drive mapping | Which destination site each shared drive belongs to |
| SharePoint 2016 and 2019 | Customizations and workflows | What gets rebuilt and what retires with the server |
Out of all the source platforms above, Egnyte and older SharePoint servers require more planning.
Egnyte uses both on-premises and cloud storage. So, it’s possible that some content may be on local servers and some in the cloud. CloudFuze migration consultants plan both sources as a single migration project.
Check out our guide on migrating from Egnyte to SharePoint Online to learn about this migration route in detail.
Older SharePoint servers may contain custom workflows and third party add-ins. In SharePoint Online, many of these features won’t have a direct counterpart. During assessment, our consultants identify these features and document them to you. Thereafter, you can decide which ones to rebuild and which ones to retire.
Migrating From SharePoint to Google Shared Drives: Our Approach
This migration needs a different strategy. The structures and permission models in Google Shared Drives differ greatly from SharePoint. It’s critical to take into account each of these differences for a smooth migration.
Nesting
It’s not possible to nest Shared Drives inside other shared drives. There’s no direct match to a deep SharePoint site structure. Our consultants redesign the hierarchy and map every folder to its new location.
Membership
SharePoint can grant access at the folder and item levels. In Google Shared Drives, access is managed through drive membership. Our team converts complex SharePoint permissions into a workable Google membership structure.
Capacity
Each drive can have over 400,000 files and folders. It’s critical to divide big SharePoint libraries across numerous shared drives.
Metadata
There’s no matching feature for SharePoint content types and managed metadata in Google Shared Drives. Our migration consultants discover these values and decide on the appropriate mapping with you.
Google also restricts uploads to 750 GB per day for each user. This limit can impact the number and timeline of migration waves. Our SharePoint Online to Google Shared Drives guide covers this migration route in detail.
What to Ask Before You Sign
Use these ten questions with every provider you shortlist.
- Who is on my project team by name?
- What does the assessment produce, and when?
- Who remediates content that fails to transfer?
- Is the migration software included in the fee?
- What service levels apply to the completion date?
- Where does my data travel during transfer?
- What security certifications cover your infrastructure?
- How long does post-migration support last after go-live?
- Can you share comparable projects by size and source?
- What documentation do I receive at handover?
Check out this resource on choosing SharePoint migration services. It tells you how to run discovery sessions with vendors.
How SharePoint Migration Consulting Is Priced
There are four common pricing models for SharePoint migration consulting.
- Fixed project fee: You pay one price for a defined scope of work.
- Per user: The cost is based on the number of user accounts. This model is suited for mid-size migrations.
- Per terabyte: The cost accrues from the amount of data being migrated. Large data estates use this model.
- Time and materials. You pay based on the time that consultants take on the project. This model works when the scope is not fully defined.
Numerous factors shape the final cost. The two major ones are total data volume and user count. Complex permissions need more consulting time and effort. In older on-premises servers, the discovery work stretches for a long time. Projects with tight timelines can be more expensive. This is because more migration runs are needed at once.
That’s why experienced providers deeply assess the source environment before quoting a specific price. For the organization, it’s also important to examine what the price includes. Things like remediation, extra delta passes and longer post-migration support increase the cost.
Why Enterprise Teams Choose CloudFuze
CloudFuze has 12 years of experience in enterprise cloud migrations. We have worked on countless projects of all sizes, from small business moves to multi-terabyte estates.
The migration software is included with the service. You do not need to license a separate SharePoint migration tool. You also do not receive a separate bill for help with the software.
Migrations run through data centers with SOC 2 Type 2 certification. CloudFuze complies with ISO 27001 and GDPR. Transfers use OAuth 2.0 authentication and RSA 2048 encryption.
CloudFuze is a listed technology partner of Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Egnyte. These partnerships provide direct access to the relevant platforms.
IT Teams comparing native migration options can read why businesses choose CloudFuze over Migration Manager. CloudFuze combines migration consulting with its own migration platform. Thus, organizations receive support throughout the project.
Start With the Assessment, Not the Tool
For a successful SharePoint migration, choosing a migration tool isn’t the first step. It’s critical to understand your data and migration requirements before anything else. Item counts, permission levels, and path lengths influence the migration plan.
Once these details are clear, you can choose the right approach and prepare for the migration. A SharePoint migration consultant assesses all these factors and builds a plan around your environment.
A pre-migration assessment gives you:
- Item counts and volume measured against SharePoint limits
- A permission map showing how access converts at the destination
- File names flagged for blocked characters and long paths
- A wave plan with realistic dates
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need a consultant if I already have a migration tool?
Not always. It’s possible to move small estates with simple permissions internally. Consultants are important when permissions are complex or volumes are large.
2. Which migration tool is best for SharePoint migration?
The answer depends on your source platform and fidelity needs. Check which sources your SharePoint online migration tool supports first. Only after that compare the features. Confirm whether it preserves permissions, versions, and shared links.
3. How long does a SharePoint migration take?
Timelines depend on volume, user count, and source platform. Small projects end in a few weeks. Multi-terabyte estates take up several months. Assessment before SharePoint migration gives you a realistic schedule before the actual move.
4. Can a consultant migrate from SharePoint to Google Workspace?
Yes, though fewer providers support this direction. For this migration, they need to redesign the structure for shared drives. If you want to move to Google Workspace from SharePoint, ask about item limits and membership mapping.
5. What does a SharePoint migration consultant cost?
The consultant’s price depends on the data volume, users, and complexity. You can only get a fixed quote after content assessment. A price quoted before is only an estimate.
About the Author: Preksha Joshi
