Enterprise migration experts with 29 years and 11,000+ enterprise engagements. On-prem to Online, tenant-to-tenant, cross-platform. Fixed-fee accelerators from $35,000.
EPC Group is an enterprise SharePoint migration consulting firm with 29 years of experience and 11,000+ completed engagements. We run on-premises to SharePoint Online migrations, tenant-to-tenant migrations, and cross-platform migrations from Google Drive, Box, and Dropbox. All migrations include compliance architecture for HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and GDPR. Free migration assessment available.
By Errin O'Connor, Founder & Chief AI Architect, EPC Group
What does SharePoint migration consulting include? SharePoint migration consulting is a structured process that involves several key steps:
Enterprise engagements focus on compliance with key regulations, including HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and GDPR. They also emphasize user adoption and change management for a smooth transition.
EPC Group offers this service through a proven five-phase methodology. This approach has been refined over 29 years and more than 500 enterprise migrations.
SharePoint migration consulting is not a simple service. It is not just about running a tool and copying files. Enterprise migrations involve:
The difference between a successful migration and a failed one lies in the consulting methodology that supports the technology.
Organizations that try SharePoint migrations without expert consulting often encounter several issues. These include:
The cost to fix problems after a failed migration is usually 200-400% higher than the cost of doing it right the first time.
EPC Group has delivered SharePoint consulting services for over 29 years, starting with SharePoint 2003 and continuing through every version to SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365. Our migration methodology has been refined across 500+ enterprise engagements, including Fortune 500 organizations with 50,000+ users, regulated healthcare systems with millions of PHI documents, and government agencies requiring FedRAMP-aligned consulting expertise environments. We wrote the book on Power BI and SharePoint — literally, through our Microsoft Press publications covering enterprise SharePoint architecture.
The sections below cover all aspects of enterprise SharePoint migration consulting. This includes everything from the initial assessment to post-migration optimization.
Whether you are:
this guide outlines the methodology, scenarios, and decision frameworks that distinguish successful enterprise migrations from costly failures.
Every migration source presents unique challenges. EPC Group has executed each of these scenarios hundreds of times across regulated industries.
Migrate from SharePoint 2013, 2016, 2019, or Subscription Edition to SharePoint Online. Includes permission remediation, workflow conversion, and custom solution migration. Most common enterprise scenario.
Complexity: Medium-HighMove network file shares and mapped drives to SharePoint document libraries and OneDrive. Requires folder structure redesign, permission mapping from NTFS ACLs to SharePoint groups, and metadata enrichment.
Complexity: MediumMigrate Google Drive, Shared Drives, and Google Docs to SharePoint Online and OneDrive. Handles format conversion (Google Docs to Office), sharing permission translation, and folder structure optimization.
Complexity: MediumMove content from Box Enterprise or Dropbox Business to SharePoint Online. Includes Box metadata mapping, Dropbox folder structure conversion, and external sharing policy migration.
Complexity: MediumConsolidate or split Microsoft 365 tenants during mergers, acquisitions, or divestitures. Includes identity mapping, domain consolidation, Exchange migration, and SharePoint content transfer.
Complexity: HighEstablish SharePoint hybrid with on-premises and Online coexisting. Federated search, hybrid taxonomy, OneDrive redirection, and phased content migration over extended timelines.
Complexity: HighEvery successful SharePoint migration starts with a detailed assessment of the source environment. This is more than just a quick check of site collections and storage volume.
A proper migration assessment includes:
The assessment phase produces three critical deliverables:
EPC Group assessment engagements usually take 2 to 4 weeks. The exact duration depends on the size of the environment.
We utilize automated scanning tools, such as the SharePoint Migration Assessment Tool and ShareGate Discovery. These tools are supported by manual reviews from our senior consultants.
Our experts have a deep understanding of the business context behind the technical artifacts.
The assessment offers significant value. Many organizations choose to work with us on assessment-only projects before deciding to proceed with full migration.
A content migration strategy outlines what content will be moved, what will remain, and what will be archived or deleted. Our experience with over 500 migrations indicates that 30-40% of enterprise content is ROT — Redundant, Obsolete, or Trivial. Migrating ROT content can lead to:
The first strategic decision in any migration is content disposition.
Active content migrates to SharePoint Online. It keeps all metadata, version history, and permissions intact. Archival content moves to Azure Blob Storage or Azure Archive Storage.
This process includes:
Content under legal hold is managed using Microsoft Purview retention policies. These policies are applied in the target environment before migration begins.
Content identified as ROT goes through a stakeholder review process. If no owner claims it within 30 days, it will be removed from the migration scope.
Migration execution uses a wave-based approach. Each wave focuses on a logical grouping of sites, usually by department or business unit. The process includes:
Incremental sync is crucial for multi-week migrations. It captures content changes in the source environment after the initial migration. This process helps ensure that no documents are lost during the transition.
EPC Group uses parallel migration streams to reduce timelines. Our dedicated quality assurance engineers validate each wave before moving on to the next.
Metadata is the hidden framework that allows SharePoint content to be found, organized, and compliant. If metadata is lost during migration, it can lead to serious issues. These include:
For regulated industries, losing metadata can cause compliance violations. This happens if retention labels, sensitivity classifications, or audit properties are not maintained.
EPC Group preserves metadata through a systematic process. This includes:
For cross-platform migrations from Google Drive or Box, we create metadata enrichment rules. These rules add classification to previously unstructured content.
Many migration tools preserve document-level metadata. However, they often fail to migrate important elements such as:
Without these elements, migrated metadata values become orphaned text strings instead of linked taxonomy terms.
It is important to:
Custom solutions pose the highest risk during a SharePoint migration. Items that do not transfer to SharePoint Online include:
Each of these items needs assessment, conversion, or retirement before migration can start.
Organizations that find custom solution incompatibilities after starting migration may face:
EPC Group conducts a custom solution inventory during the assessment phase. This inventory categorizes every solution by type, complexity, business criticality, and conversion path.
Our assessment report provides time and cost estimates for each conversion. This enables informed decisions about which solutions justify the investment and which should be retired.
Testing is a crucial part of migration projects. Unfortunately, it is often rushed or ignored when deadlines are tight. This can lead to serious problems. Issues that are not tested after migration can cost 5-10 times more to fix than those found during validation.
EPC Group incorporates testing into every migration wave. We do not treat it as a single phase at the end.
Our validation framework includes five key dimensions:
Each dimension features automated checks, along with manual spot-checks conducted by senior consultants.
| Validation Dimension | Automated Checks | Manual Checks | Acceptance Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Integrity | File count and size comparison | Spot-check critical documents | 100% file count match, 99.9% size match |
| Metadata Accuracy | Field-by-field value comparison | Content type inheritance validation | 100% metadata field preservation |
| Permission Correctness | User/group access enumeration | External sharing policy review | Zero unauthorized access grants |
| Functionality | Search query result comparison | Workflow execution testing | All business-critical functions operational |
| Compliance | Retention label and sensitivity scan | Audit log verification | Regulatory requirements fully met |
Cutover is the moment when users stop using the source environment and start working only in SharePoint Online. If cutover planning is poor, it can lead to:
These issues can harm user adoption. EPC Group approaches cutovers with the same care as the migration process. We create detailed runbooks, communication schedules, and rollback procedures.
Our cutover methodology employs incremental sync to minimize the final delta window. Content migrates gradually over several days or weeks. This method enables users to continue working in the source environment.
The final cutover only syncs changes made since the last incremental pass. This process typically completes in hours instead of days.
We schedule cutovers during low-activity times, such as evenings and weekends. Our war room support includes:
These teams are ready to address user issues in real time.
For multi-site enterprises, we conduct cutovers in waves. These waves correspond to business units or geographic areas. Each wave uses the same validated runbook and has go/no-go checkpoints at every stage.
If a wave faces blocking issues, we implement the rollback plan. This enables us to restore source access within 30 minutes. Our wave-based method limits the blast radius. This way, a problem in one department does not hold up the entire organization.
Migration does not end at cutover. The 30 to 90 days after cutover are crucial. This period affects whether users will accept the new environment or return to old habits. Common issues during this time include:
Post-migration support helps bridge the gap between technical completion and organizational adoption.
EPC Group post-migration support includes three tracks: technical stabilization (performance tuning, search optimization, permission adjustments, issue resolution), user adoption (training sessions, quick reference guides, champions network activation, feedback collection), and governance activation (retention policy enforcement, sensitivity label deployment, external sharing monitoring, storage quota management). Our standard engagements include 30 days of post-migration support, with extended support available through our managed services offering.
30 Days
Included post-migration support
Issue resolution, performance tuning, user questions
90 Days
Extended stabilization period
Adoption tracking, governance activation, optimization
24/7
Managed services available
Ongoing administration, monitoring, and support
Not all SharePoint migration consulting firms offer the same quality. The difference between a vendor using a migration tool and a consultancy that guarantees success can be found in three key areas:
When choosing SharePoint migration partners, consider the following criteria:
Ask for references from organizations of similar size, industry, and source platform. A firm with 500 migrations from file shares is not qualified for a complex SharePoint 2013 to Online migration with InfoPath forms and custom workflows.
If you operate in healthcare, financial services, or government, your migration partner must demonstrate compliance methodology — not just claim awareness. Ask for their HIPAA migration checklist, SOC 2 control documentation, or FedRAMP tool authorization evidence.
Time-and-materials migrations incentivize slow work. Fixed-fee engagements with defined scope, deliverables, and timelines align the consultant incentive with your goal: completing the migration on time and on budget.
Migration partners that disappear after cutover leave you exposed during the most critical adoption period. Ensure your contract includes at minimum 30 days of post-migration support with defined SLAs.
Verify the firm holds current Microsoft Solutions Partner designations. Check their Microsoft Partner page directly — many firms claim partnerships they no longer hold or never had.
EPC Group meets every criterion above. We are a Microsoft Solutions Partner with 29 years of SharePoint migration experience, published Microsoft Press authors, and specialists in regulated industry migrations. Our enterprise SharePoint migration services page provides detailed methodology and pricing. For a comprehensive comparison of migration providers, see our SharePoint migration decision guide.
11,000+ engagement scale
Users migrated to SharePoint Online
500+
Enterprise migrations completed
25+
Years of SharePoint expertise
99.97%
First-pass content accuracy rate
Full-spectrum SharePoint consulting including architecture, governance, and custom development.
Read moreCompare enterprise SharePoint migration providers, pricing, and methodologies.
Read moreOn-premises vs. Online decision framework for enterprise SharePoint environments.
Read moreSharePoint migration consulting includes a comprehensive assessment of your current environment (on-premises SharePoint, file shares, or third-party platforms), migration architecture and planning, content migration strategy with metadata preservation, custom solution migration (InfoPath forms, SharePoint Designer workflows, custom web parts), testing and validation, cutover planning, and post-migration support. A qualified consultant also addresses permission remediation, compliance requirements (HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP), and user adoption planning to ensure a smooth transition with a 5-day average cutover.
Enterprise SharePoint migration timelines depend on data volume, source complexity, and compliance requirements. Small migrations under 1TB typically complete in 4-6 weeks. Mid-scale migrations of 1-10TB with multiple sources and custom workflows take 8-16 weeks. Large enterprise migrations exceeding 10TB with regulated data, complex permissions, and legacy custom solutions require 4-8 months. Tenant-to-tenant migrations during M&A scenarios add 2-4 weeks for identity mapping and domain consolidation. EPC Group compresses timelines by 30-40% through parallel migration streams and automated validation.
SharePoint migration moves existing content, metadata, permissions, and customizations from one platform to SharePoint Online. SharePoint implementation builds a new SharePoint environment from scratch, including information architecture, governance, security configuration, and custom development. Most enterprise projects combine both: migrating existing content while implementing modern features like hub sites, document libraries with AI classification, Power Automate workflows, and SharePoint Premium document processing. EPC Group provides both migration consulting and implementation services as integrated engagements.
Yes. EPC Group migrates from Google Drive, Google Shared Drives, Box, Dropbox Business, and other cloud platforms to SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. Cross-platform migrations require special handling for permission mapping (Google sharing models differ from SharePoint), metadata conversion (Google Docs to Office formats), and folder structure redesign. We use Mover (Microsoft-native for Box, Dropbox, Google) and specialized tools like ShareGate and AvePoint for complex scenarios. Typical cross-platform migration success rate: 99.9% content integrity with full audit trail.
Metadata preservation is critical for compliance and findability. Our approach: 1) Pre-migration metadata audit to identify all custom columns, content types, managed metadata, and taxonomy terms, 2) Metadata mapping between source and target schemas, 3) Automated metadata transformation rules for format differences, 4) Managed metadata term store migration and consolidation, 5) Post-migration validation comparing source and target metadata field-by-field. For regulated industries, we maintain chain-of-custody documentation proving metadata integrity throughout the migration process.
InfoPath forms and SharePoint Designer workflows do not function in SharePoint Online. They must be converted before or during migration. InfoPath forms convert to Power Apps with Power Automate backend logic. SharePoint 2010 and 2013 workflows convert to Power Automate cloud flows. Complex multi-step workflows with custom code require redesign. EPC Group provides a workflow assessment report identifying direct conversions (typically 60-70% of workflows), redesigns (20-30%), and retirements (5-10%). We prioritize business-critical workflows and provide parallel running during transition.
SharePoint migration consulting costs depend on scope. Assessment-only engagements run $10,000-$25,000 and deliver a migration roadmap, risk analysis, and timeline. Full migration projects: under 1TB from $25,000-$50,000, 1-10TB from $75,000-$200,000, 10TB+ from $200,000-$500,000+. EPC Group offers fixed-fee SharePoint Migration Accelerators starting at $35,000 that include assessment, planning, execution, validation, and 30 days of post-migration support. Tenant-to-tenant migrations during M&A carry a 20-30% premium due to identity consolidation complexity.
Regulated industries must address specific compliance requirements during migration. HIPAA: encrypted PHI transfer, BAA coverage for migration tools, audit logs of all data movement, post-migration access validation. SOC 2: documented migration controls, chain of custody, access control verification. FedRAMP: GCC/GCC High tenant targeting, FedRAMP-aligned consulting expertise tools only, CUI handling procedures. GDPR: data residency during migration, processing agreements, right-to-erasure compliance. EPC Group includes compliance validation as a standard phase and provides audit-ready documentation for all regulated migrations.
Most organizations should NOT migrate everything. Our assessment typically identifies 30-40% of content as ROT (Redundant, Obsolete, Trivial) that should be archived or deleted before migration. Active content goes to SharePoint Online. Archival content goes to Azure Blob Storage with metadata indexing for retrieval. Legal hold content requires special handling with Microsoft Purview retention policies applied post-migration. Migrating ROT content wastes budget (migration cost scales with volume), inflates storage costs, and degrades search quality. EPC Group content classification saves clients 20-35% on migration costs.
Zero data loss requires a multi-layer validation approach: 1) Pre-migration inventory with file counts, sizes, and checksums per library, 2) Incremental migration with delta sync to capture changes during multi-week migrations, 3) Automated post-migration comparison reports matching source vs. target (file count, size, metadata, permissions), 4) User acceptance testing with business owners validating critical content, 5) Parallel access period where users can verify content in both environments before source decommission. EPC Group maintains a 99.97% first-pass accuracy rate across 500+ enterprise migrations.
Our assessment includes environment analysis, migration roadmap, timeline estimate, and fixed-fee pricing. No obligation, no sales pressure — just expert guidance from consultants who have done this 500+ times.
EPC Group is a consulting firm specializing in SharePoint migration. We have 29 years of experience and over 11,000 completed projects.
Our services include:
All migrations ensure compliance with:
A free migration assessment is available.
EPC Group follows a 6-phase methodology for every enterprise migration. Each phase ends with a signed-off deliverable.
Data loss is the primary migration risk. We use a multi-layer validation process to prevent it.
Metadata loss is the most common migration quality failure. EPC Group preserves metadata through a systematic process.
Regulated organizations must maintain compliance during migration — not just after go-live.
Small migrations, which are under 1 TB and involve a single site, start at $25,000.
Mid-size migrations, ranging from 1 to 10 TB across multiple sites, cost between $50,000 and $150,000.
Large enterprise migrations exceed 10 TB and serve over 10,000 users with multi-compliance needs. These migrations range from $150,000 to over $500,000.
Pricing is influenced by several factors:
Small migrations typically take 4–6 weeks. Mid-size migrations usually require 8–12 weeks. Large enterprise migrations can take 12–16 weeks and often involve phased wave rollouts.
The timeline for migrations depends on several factors:
We choose the migration tool based on the specific scenario. Here are our preferred options:
We utilize all three tools for large engagements.
We utilize a 5-dimension validation framework that includes:
During multi-week migrations, we perform incremental delta syncs to capture changes. We also maintain a 30-day parallel run before decommissioning the source.
We migrate from multiple cloud storage platforms to SharePoint Online. These platforms include:
During the migration, we ensure that folder structures, permissions, and version history are preserved.
We also apply SharePoint metadata and content types during the migration process, ensuring everything is organized from the start.
Talk to a SharePoint migration architect about your source environment, compliance requirements, and timeline. Call (888) 381-9725 or request a free migration assessment.
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