Moving to the cloud should make work simpler, not messier. Done well, Microsoft 365 means working securely from anywhere; done badly, it means duplicated files, surprise bills and security gaps. Here is the checklist we work through with clients.
Before you move
- Map what you actually have. Email, files, line-of-business apps, shared drives, that one spreadsheet the whole business secretly runs on.
- Tidy up first. Migrating years of junk just moves the mess. A clear-out before migration pays off.
- Right-size your licences. Microsoft 365 has several plans. Paying for features you will never use, or under-licensing and missing security tools, are both common and avoidable.
During the migration
- Move email and files with overlap, so nothing goes dark mid-switch
- Set up Teams, SharePoint and file sharing deliberately, with a structure people will actually follow
- Turn on the security that comes with the platform from day one, not "later"
The security bit people skip
The cloud is not automatically secure out of the box. At minimum, switch on multi-factor authentication for everyone, control who can access what, and set up cloud backup. Microsoft keeps the service running, but recovering your data is your responsibility, and the built-in retention is not a real backup.
After you move
Review licences every so often to cut wasted spend, keep an eye on access as people join and leave, and make sure someone is actually watching for security alerts. This is the ongoing work that our cloud consulting and managed security services cover.
Planning a move off an old server, or inherited a messy 365 setup? Get in touch and we will help you plan it properly.
