EXPAND YOUR MIGRATION CAPABILITIES
SMART Migration helps consulting teams deliver complex, data-driven migration projects with less custom scripting. Combine external metadata with documents, transform content structures, distribute files across destinations and document the results through centralised reporting.
The challenge consulting companies face
Section titled “The challenge consulting companies face”When migration becomes a data transformation project
Established migration tools support many straightforward file transfers and SharePoint migration scenarios. Complex projects introduce additional requirements for data integration, metadata transformation, destination logic and consolidated tracking.
- Combine metadata from CSV files or SQL databases with binary files.
- Create SharePoint document library items with calculated metadata and folder structures.
- Distribute content across large numbers of site collections.
- Maintain file-level tracking and exception reporting.
- Migrate legacy document and case management content, including version history where available and configured.
The commercial and delivery trade-offs
Without a suitable platform, consulting companies may need to decline the project, invest in bespoke PowerShell development or negotiate a reduced scope. Each option affects revenue opportunities, delivery effort or the customer’s intended outcome.
SMART Migration: your complex migration specialist
Section titled “SMART Migration: your complex migration specialist”The one-line pitch
SMART Migration simplifies complex, data-driven migrations through configurable automation, scalable execution and file-level reporting, reducing the need for extensive custom scripting.
Complement your existing tool stack
Use established tools where they fit the requirements, and add SMART Migration for advanced metadata integration, content transformation and data-driven distribution. Both approaches can form part of the same customer engagement.
Our mission is to help consulting teams execute tasks that would otherwise require substantial development, manual coordination and bespoke reporting.
What makes the approach different
- Data-driven migration: Combine external data with files to control selection, destinations and metadata.
- Configurable automation: Build migration logic using reusable steps, with scripting available for specialised requirements.
- API-based execution: Use asynchronous SharePoint transfer with throttling and exception handling.
- Granular tracking: Monitor individual files through consolidated SQL Server reporting.
- BI-supported decisions: Analyse content before migration and review results afterwards using Power BI.
Customer reference cases
Section titled “Customer reference cases”thansen / WorkPoint — 11 million files
The challenge: Combine 11 million files from file shares with metadata held in SQL Server and distribute the content across 5,000 SharePoint site collections.
Migration approach: Use external metadata to associate files with their destination and create the required SharePoint document library items through data-driven distribution.
Relevant consulting capability: High-volume file migration combined with database metadata and destination mapping.
BEUMER Group — 4 million encrypted files
The challenge: Combine 4 million encrypted files in Azure Blob Storage with SQL Server metadata and distribute decrypted content across multiple SharePoint site collections.
Migration approach: Coordinate source-file retrieval, the required decryption process, metadata association and destination distribution within the migration workflow.
Relevant consulting capability: Integration of specialised content processing with external metadata and large-scale migration.
Esbjerg Kommune / WorkPoint — 300,000 cases
The challenge: Migrate 300,000 cases from two legacy case management systems to 300,000 SharePoint site collections, combining documents with complex metadata.
Migration approach: Use case information and metadata to map documents to their destination site collections and apply the required document categorisation.
Relevant consulting capability: Legacy case-system migration with complex metadata and extensive destination mapping.
Region Syddanmark — 250 million source files
The challenge: Analyse a file share estate containing 250 million files, make selective migration decisions and enrich metadata for content distribution across 25,000 SharePoint site collections.
Migration approach: Build an inventory for analysis, define the selected content and use metadata and destination rules to guide migration.
Relevant consulting capability: Large-scale discovery, content selection, metadata enrichment and dynamic distribution.
Momentum — BI analytics and content governance
The challenge: Establish a comprehensive overview of existing tenant content, develop a restructuring plan and involve multiple teams in content decisions.
Project approach: Use BI analysis to support planning and coordinate a new file structure, offload and deletion activities according to the agreed scope.
Relevant consulting capability: Discovery-led content governance and collaborative restructuring.
RES — BI analytics and file offload
The challenge: Establish a comprehensive overview of tenant content, offload Microsoft 365 files to Azure Blob Storage and set up automatic version-offload logic.
Project approach: Use content analytics to define offload scope and configure automated processing of files and versions.
Relevant consulting capability: BI-supported storage optimisation and recurring offload.
The business case for consulting companies
Section titled “The business case for consulting companies”Expand your service offering
- Address complex projects requiring external metadata and content transformation.
- Offer discovery, selective migration, restructuring and offload services.
- Differentiate through specialist delivery capabilities and documented results.
- Build higher-value proposals around the customer’s required outcome.
Reduce development effort and project dependencies
- Replace suitable bespoke scripts with configurable migration steps.
- Reuse configurations across project phases.
- Reduce manual reporting consolidation.
- Make configurations easier to review and maintain across the team.
The effect on cost, staffing and delivery time depends on the source systems, project scope and required transformations.
Implementation approach
Section titled “Implementation approach”From assessment to repeatable delivery
- Assess: Identify requirements for data integration, content transformation, destination mapping and reporting.
- Select the approach: Use SMART Migration alongside other tools where each addresses a defined part of the engagement.
- Validate: Test representative content, metadata mappings, destination rules and reporting before scaling execution.
- Execute: Run the configured migration and use consolidated results to manage exceptions.
- Document and reuse: Deliver the project reporting and retain reusable configurations for future work.
Value for each stakeholder
Section titled “Value for each stakeholder”Technical teams
Reduce bespoke scripting, configure reusable processing steps and access file-level results for investigation and remediation.
Project managers
Plan around tested configurations, reduce fragmented reporting and monitor progress and exceptions through a shared dataset.
Sales teams
Address a broader range of migration opportunities and use relevant customer references to demonstrate capabilities that match the prospect’s requirements.
For customer conversations
“We select the tools that fit your requirements. For complex data integration, metadata transformation and content distribution, we use SMART Migration to reduce custom development and provide consolidated tracking. Our reference projects cover large-scale file migration, legacy case systems, encrypted content, governance and offload.”
SMART Migration: Making complex migrations manageable through data-driven automation and documented results.
See also