SMART Migration: Partner Use Cases and Customer Value
Section titled “SMART Migration: Partner Use Cases and Customer Value”Turn file discovery, migration and storage challenges into customer services.
SMART Migration gives partners a platform for delivering file discovery, migration, reorganisation and storage offload services. It supports both Microsoft environments and migration to Nextcloud Files, combining Business Intelligence, data-driven file selection, metadata handling, execution and project documentation.
Assess and Plan
Use discovery and BI to understand the customer’s content and agree what should migrate, remain, be reorganised or be considered for offload.
Configure and Deliver
Translate customer requirements into content selection, metadata mapping, destination structures and configured execution.
Document and Support
Use file-level reporting to review results, support project acceptance and provide documentation for handover and subsequent support.
A Platform for Multiple Partner Services
Section titled “A Platform for Multiple Partner Services”For partners, the opportunity extends beyond moving files. The platform can support an initial assessment, a migration project, content restructuring or an ongoing offload service. Partners add value by interpreting the customer’s requirements, configuring the solution and managing delivery.
The approach starts with understanding the content. Analyse the source environment, agree what should happen to the files, execute the selected actions and document the results.
Discovery and Assessment Before a Migration Decision
Section titled “Discovery and Assessment Before a Migration Decision”Establish a factual basis for the customer’s next decision
Customers do not always have a reliable overview of their SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive and file-share content. They may know their storage consumption without knowing which files, versions or locations account for it.
How partners use the platform: Use SMART Migration’s discovery and Power BI capabilities to assess file volumes, age, activity, metadata, structures and version history. Work with the customer to decide what should migrate, remain, be reorganised or be considered for offload.
Customer and partner value: The customer receives a factual basis for planning. The partner can deliver discovery as a standalone assessment or use it to define a subsequent project. This is particularly relevant when the customer needs to understand the scope before committing to a migration.
Migrating Microsoft Files to Nextcloud
Section titled “Migrating Microsoft Files to Nextcloud”Deliver a controlled transition to Nextcloud Files
For customers moving file content to Nextcloud, partners can use SMART Migration to migrate from SharePoint Online, Teams file locations, OneDrive, SharePoint Server and file shares.
How partners use the platform: The native Nextcloud App provides the management interface. A separate SMART Migration Server running on Windows reads the sources, executes migration work and produces reporting data. Partners configure the connections, help define the destination structure, manage migration jobs and review the results.
Discovery supports selective or phased migration. Partners can establish a pilot scope, review the outcome with the customer and proceed with further content. SharePoint columns and metadata can be transferred using Nextcloud tags or MetaVox, depending on the destination configuration. Validate metadata mappings and version requirements during the pilot.
Customer and partner value: The customer receives a controlled transition based on agreed content and documented results. Partners can combine migration with Nextcloud deployment, hosting, configuration, training and support, according to their own service offering.
Delivery requirement: Source permissions are not migrated. Configure access rights separately in Nextcloud and verify destination access before completing the migration.
Establishing a Parallel Nextcloud File Environment
Section titled “Establishing a Parallel Nextcloud File Environment”Support contingency planning and future transition
Some customers want an alternative file environment while continuing to use Microsoft 365. SMART Migration supports an initial copy followed by incremental runs to maintain selected source content in Nextcloud.
How partners use the platform: Define the content scope, configure recurring jobs, review processing results and help the customer test how the parallel environment would be used during a disruption or future transition.
Customer and partner value: The customer gains an additional environment containing the selected file content, together with documentation of the copying process. Partners can support the configuration, testing and operation of this environment as part of a wider continuity service.
Delivery requirements: This use case requires destination access, operating procedures, testing and an agreed continuity plan. The platform should not be presented as automatic failover or as a guarantee of regulatory compliance.
Moving File Shares and Legacy Systems into SharePoint
Section titled “Moving File Shares and Legacy Systems into SharePoint”Combine documents, metadata and business rules
Customers may need to move documents from file shares, legacy document management systems or case management systems into SharePoint Server or SharePoint Online.
How partners use the platform: Combine files with external metadata and distribute the content across the required sites and libraries. Migration Automation provides visual building blocks for file operations, data transformation and repeated processing. PowerShell can be included where project-specific logic is needed.
This is useful when the destination must reflect business information rather than reproduce the original folder structure. For example, metadata from SQL Server can determine where documents belong and which values should accompany them.
Customer and partner value: The customer gains a migration aligned with the intended information structure. The partner contributes source-system understanding, mapping, transformation rules, workflow configuration and validation.
Project planning: Assess source volumes, metadata complexity and destination structures before agreeing the delivery plan. Validate the configured approach in a representative pilot and size the project for the customer’s environment.
SharePoint Consolidation, Reorganisation and Business Separation
Section titled “SharePoint Consolidation, Reorganisation and Business Separation”Translate organisational changes into content decisions
Migration requirements also arise within Microsoft environments. Customers may need to consolidate SharePoint estates, reorganise Teams file areas, or separate content during an acquisition or divestiture.
How partners use the platform: Use discovery to identify relevant files and metadata, agree selection rules and configure the destination structure. Selective migration allows the project to focus on content belonging to the relevant business unit or entity.
Customer and partner value: The customer gains a clearer connection between business requirements and the content being moved. Partners translate those requirements into selection and mapping rules, resolve exceptions and document the outcome.
Delivery requirement: The customer and partner must agree the ownership and scope decisions that govern the migration.
Reducing SharePoint Storage Through Offload
Section titled “Reducing SharePoint Storage Through Offload”Move selected content to external storage
SMART Migration supports offloading selected file content from SharePoint to blob storage, with restore and incremental offload capabilities. Destinations include Azure Blob Storage and AWS storage. Refer to the current SMART Offload documentation to confirm destination requirements, restore configuration and licence coverage.
How partners use the platform: Begin with discovery to identify storage consumption, large files and extensive version histories. Agree the offload scope, configure jobs and help the customer establish restore procedures. Version offload can form part of the selected configuration.
Customer and partner value: The customer reduces storage consumption in SharePoint. Partners can deliver assessment, implementation and ongoing operational support.
Financial assessment: The outcome depends on the customer’s storage arrangements, destination costs and access requirements. Savings should be calculated for the specific environment rather than promised as a fixed percentage.
Project Documentation and Handover
Section titled “Project Documentation and Handover”Provide evidence the customer can retain
Across these scenarios, partners can use BI reporting to monitor progress, investigate issues and document which files were processed and where they went.
Project documentation can be delivered in a Power BI .pbix report that remains usable independently of SMART Migration after the project. This supports handover, file lookup, audit activities and project sign-off.
Customer and partner value: Customers receive evidence they can retain and consult. Partners gain a concrete deliverable that supports acceptance discussions and subsequent support.
Reporting can contribute to governance and compliance documentation. Overall compliance also depends on the customer’s access controls, retention arrangements, processes and operations.
Structure Your Partner Service Around Four Deliverables
Section titled “Structure Your Partner Service Around Four Deliverables”Discovery Assessment
Provide an overview of the source content and the findings that inform the customer’s decisions.
Agreed Content and Destination Plan
Define the selected content, destination structure, metadata requirements and actions agreed with the customer.
Configured Execution
Configure the platform, run the agreed jobs and review results and exceptions during delivery.
Documented Results
Provide reporting that supports project acceptance, handover and subsequent file lookup.
SMART Migration supplies the platform. The partner supplies the expertise needed to turn its capabilities into a customer outcome.
See also