The 4-phase SharePoint Modernization program
Every EPC Group SharePoint Modernization engagement follows the same 4-phase structured program with named deliverables, named owner accountability, and named outcomes per phase.
EPC Group · SharePoint Services · 2026
SharePoint Modernization Services 2026
Modernize outdated SharePoint Server 2013/2016/2019 environments — migration to SharePoint Online, classic-to-modern site conversion, SharePoint Designer + InfoPath to Power Platform modernization, custom-code rebuild to SharePoint Framework, governance refresh, Copilot-ready content classification. 5,200+ SharePoint implementations.
Published June 25, 2026 · Updated continuously
Last updated June 25, 2026 by Errin O'Connor, Founder & Chief AI Architect, EPC Group
EPC Group modernizes outdated SharePoint Server 2013/2016/2019/Subscription Edition environments to SharePoint Online via a structured 4-phase program: Discovery + Health Check (3 weeks), Migration Architecture + Wave Planning (3 weeks), Migration Execution + Classic-to-Modern Conversion (12-30 weeks across 5-15 waves), and Copilot-Ready + Governance Refresh (6-10 weeks). The program covers content migration via Microsoft SharePoint Migration Tool + Migration Manager + AvePoint + Metalogix + ShareGate (selected per workload), SharePoint Designer + InfoPath modernization to Power Platform, custom code rebuild from server-side full-trust + sandbox solutions to SharePoint Framework (SPFx), classic-to-modern site + Hub Site + Communication Site IA design, and Microsoft Purview + Microsoft Copilot governance configuration. SharePoint Server 2016 mainstream support ended April 2026 — modernization is increasingly time-critical. Documented engagement experience: 5,200+ SharePoint implementations including National Archives + FRBNY TARP + U.S. intelligence community + multi-hospital health systems. Founder Errin O'Connor co-authored 4 Microsoft Press books including SharePoint titles. High-touch, senior-architect-led delivery without junior consultants learning on the engagement.
EPC Group modernizes outdated SharePoint Server 2013/2016/2019 environments to SharePoint Online via 4-phase structured program. Covers content migration + classic-to-modern conversion + SharePoint Designer/InfoPath → Power Platform + custom code → SharePoint Framework + Copilot-ready governance. 5,200+ implementations. Senior-architect-led.
Key Facts
- SharePoint Server 2013 EOS reached Apr 2023; SP 2016 mainstream support ENDED Apr 2026; SP 2019 mainstream ends Jul 2027
- 4-phase program: Discovery + Health Check → Migration Architecture + Wave Plan → Migration Execution + Classic-to-Modern → Copilot-Ready + Governance Refresh
- Migration tools: Microsoft SPMT + Migration Manager + AvePoint FLY + Quest Metalogix Content Matrix + ShareGate (selected per workload + scale)
- SharePoint Designer + InfoPath workflows modernized to Power Automate + Power Apps
- Custom code (server-side full-trust + sandbox + script-injection web parts) rebuilt as SharePoint Framework (SPFx) web parts + extensions
- Classic-to-modern site conversion: Modern Team Sites + Communication Sites + Hub Sites + Microsoft Lists
- Microsoft Copilot-ready: Purview sensitivity labels >85% coverage + clean permissions + modern IA + retention labels
- Fixed-fee engagements $250K-$2M+ based on site count + content size + workflow complexity + custom code + regulatory scope
- 5,200+ SharePoint implementations including National Archives + FRBNY TARP + intelligence community + multi-hospital health systems
- Founder Errin O'Connor co-authored 4 Microsoft Press books including SharePoint titles
Phase 1 — Discovery + Health Check (Weeks 1-3)
EPC Group assesses the current SharePoint environment (Server 2013/2016/2019/Subscription Edition or hybrid), inventories sites + lists + libraries + workflows + InfoPath forms + custom code + 3rd-party web parts + sandbox solutions, identifies regulatory + compliance posture (HIPAA, SOX, NYDFS, FedRAMP, CMMC, GDPR), measures content sprawl + duplicate-content + permission-inheritance health, and produces a prioritized modernization roadmap aligned to End-of-Support timelines (SP 2016 mainstream support ENDED Apr 2026; SP 2019 mainstream ends Jul 2027).
Output
SharePoint Modernization Roadmap + Health Score + Risk Register
Phase 2 — Migration Architecture + Wave Planning (Weeks 4-6)
EPC Group designs the migration architecture: tenant target (commercial M365 / GCC / GCC High / DoD), per-wave migration sequence (typically 5-15 waves of 50-500 sites each), source-target mapping for site collections + libraries + lists + workflows + permissions, identity mapping (Active Directory → Microsoft Entra ID), content type + metadata harmonization, in-flight vs delta vs cutover migration patterns per wave, rollback procedures, and Hypercare staffing per wave.
Output
Migration Architecture + Wave Plan + Rollback Runbooks
Phase 3 — Migration Execution + Classic-to-Modern Conversion (Weeks 7-36)
EPC Group executes waves using Microsoft SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) + Migration Manager + AvePoint FLY/Cloud Backup + Quest Metalogix Content Matrix + ShareGate (selected per workload + scale). Classic SharePoint sites are converted to modern SharePoint Online sites with modern pages + News + Hub Sites + Communication Sites + Microsoft Lists. SharePoint Designer workflows + InfoPath forms are modernized to Power Automate flows + Power Apps. Custom code (server-side full-trust solutions, sandboxed solutions, JavaScript-injection script editor web parts) is rebuilt as SharePoint Framework (SPFx) web parts + extensions.
Output
Migrated + modernized sites per wave + workflow modernization + SPFx custom code
Phase 4 — Copilot-Ready + Governance Refresh (Weeks 30-40)
EPC Group ensures the modernized SharePoint Online tenant is Microsoft Copilot-ready: Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels applied to >85% of in-scope content, retention labels aligned to per-industry regulatory requirements, External Sharing posture appropriate to data classification, Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access tightened, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps integration for SaaS app discovery, and the Microsoft 365 Center of Excellence operating model with named accountable roles. Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 grounding configuration ensures Copilot can accurately answer questions from the modernized content without exposing sensitive data.
Output
Copilot-ready tenant + Purview governance + M365 CoE operating model
Related EPC Group services
- SharePoint consulting — flagship SharePoint pillar
- SharePoint Online Consulting Services 2026
- What Is SharePoint? Complete 2026 Guide
- M&A Microsoft 365 Tenant Migration
- M365 Modern Work Enablement
- Microsoft 365 + Azure Backup & DR
- Governed AI on Microsoft Framework
- EPC Group facts — source-linked credentials
Frequently asked questions
When does SharePoint Server 2013/2016/2019 reach end of support?
SharePoint Server 2013 has reached end of extended support (April 2023) — running it now is unsupported and high-risk. SharePoint Server 2016 mainstream support ENDED April 2026; extended support runs through April 2029 but with no new features + security-only updates + paid Custom Support Agreements required. SharePoint Server 2019 mainstream support ends July 2027; extended support runs through July 2030. SharePoint Server Subscription Edition (released 2021) has rolling Modern Lifecycle Policy support tied to feature releases. EPC Group recommends planning SharePoint modernization 12-18 months ahead of the relevant mainstream support end date — actually executing migration in the last 6 months creates substantial business risk.
What does it cost to modernize a SharePoint 2016/2019 environment to SharePoint Online?
EPC Group fixed-fee SharePoint modernization engagements typically range $250K-$2M+ based on: number of site collections (typical enterprise: 200-5,000), total content size (typical: 1-50 TB), workflow count + complexity (SharePoint Designer + InfoPath migration to Power Platform is the most expensive line item), custom code volume (server-side full-trust solutions cost 5-10x sandbox solutions to rebuild as SPFx), regulatory scope (HIPAA + NYDFS + FedRAMP add 20-40% to engagement cost), and Hypercare duration. The 3-week Discovery + Health Check produces a fixed-fee scope quote with milestone-based billing.
Should we migrate to SharePoint Online or SharePoint Server Subscription Edition?
For 90%+ of enterprises, SharePoint Online (within Microsoft 365) is the right target. SharePoint Server Subscription Edition is appropriate when: regulatory requirements explicitly forbid public-cloud SaaS (rare — most regulators accept Microsoft 365 GCC / GCC High / DoD); the organization has substantial on-prem investments in adjacent infrastructure (custom 3rd-party integrations) that cannot move; or the organization has air-gapped or disconnected operational requirements. EPC Group runs a decision-framework during Discovery to recommend the right target — defaulting to SharePoint Online unless specific blockers exist.
How does EPC Group handle SharePoint Designer workflows + InfoPath forms during modernization?
Microsoft retired SharePoint Designer workflows (2010 + 2013) and InfoPath. EPC Group modernizes them to Power Automate flows + Power Apps using the following pattern: (1) Workflow inventory + criticality scoring; (2) Per-workflow decision: retire (low-use legacy), recreate in Power Automate (active workflows), or rebuild as Power Apps + Power Automate combination (form-heavy workflows). (3) For InfoPath forms specifically, EPC Group typically converts them to Power Apps Canvas apps + Power Apps Form (depending on complexity). (4) The recreated workflows + apps are deployed alongside the migrated SharePoint content so business processes continue uninterrupted. Documented enterprise experience: thousands of workflow + InfoPath migrations across financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, federal.
How does Classic SharePoint convert to Modern SharePoint during migration?
Classic SharePoint sites (Team sites with classic experience, Publishing sites, Wiki sites) are converted to Modern SharePoint Online: classic Team sites → Modern Team sites + Microsoft 365 Group + Microsoft Teams (where appropriate); Publishing sites → Communication Sites + Hub Sites; Wiki sites → Modern Pages + News + Microsoft Lists. The conversion is not automatic — every site requires architectural decisions: modern page layout, web part selection, navigation IA, branding application. EPC Group uses the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) for any custom web parts + extensions that need to carry forward. Hub Sites + Communication Sites provide modern navigation + branding that scales — replacing the classic master pages + custom navigation that don't exist in modern SharePoint.
Will Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 work against my modernized SharePoint content?
Yes — and the modernization process is the right time to prepare. Copilot grounding accuracy depends on: (1) Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels applied to in-scope content (>85% coverage target); (2) clean permission inheritance (no overshare via "Everyone except external users" or broken inheritance); (3) modern site structure (Hub Sites + clean navigation IA); (4) metadata + content types properly applied; (5) deprecated content archived or retired. EPC Group includes Copilot-readiness as Phase 4 of the modernization program — by go-live, the tenant is configured so Copilot can accurately answer questions without exposing sensitive data or overprivileged content. Documented engagement experience includes Microsoft Copilot grounding configuration for healthcare PHI + financial services + federal CUI environments.
How does EPC Group handle SharePoint custom code (server-side full-trust solutions, sandbox solutions, script-injection web parts) during modernization?
Custom code modernization is the highest-effort line item. EPC Group inventory + decision per custom component: (1) Server-side full-trust solutions (WSP files) cannot run in SharePoint Online — must be rebuilt as SharePoint Framework (SPFx) web parts + extensions, or Power Apps + Power Automate, or Azure-hosted apps with SharePoint integration. (2) Sandbox solutions (with code) are deprecated — same rebuild path. (3) JavaScript-injection script editor + content editor web parts are blocked by modern SharePoint security model — must be rebuilt as SPFx. (4) 3rd-party web parts must be confirmed compatible with modern + SharePoint Online before relying on them. EPC Group SPFx + Power Platform development team handles the rebuilds as part of the engagement. Custom code modernization typically adds $100K-$500K to engagement scope depending on volume.
What is EPC Group's delivery model for SharePoint Modernization?
High-touch, senior-architect-led delivery without junior consultants learning on the engagement. Named EPC Group senior SharePoint architect (founder Errin O'Connor co-authored 4 Microsoft Press books including SharePoint titles) responsible end-to-end. 3-week Discovery + Health Check (fixed-fee), then 12-40 week Migration + Modernization (fixed-fee accelerator with milestone-based billing per wave), then ongoing Microsoft Cloud Orchestrator Practice retainer for run-state operations. Documented engagement experience: 5,200+ SharePoint implementations including National Archives, Federal Reserve Bank of New York TARP eDiscovery, U.S. intelligence community, multi-hospital healthcare systems, financial services + manufacturing + energy enterprises.
Ready to modernize your SharePoint?
Reach EPC Group for a 30-minute SharePoint Modernization discovery call. We'll review your current SharePoint Server environment, identify the highest-impact modernization moves, and outline the fixed-fee 3-week Discovery + Health Check scope.