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SharePoint Modernization Services 2026

EPC Group · SharePoint 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Modernize outdated SharePoint Server 2013/2016/2019 environments — migration to SharePoint Online, classic-to-modern site conversion, SharePoint Designer + InfoPath to Power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. 6,500+ SharePoint implementations.

Published June 25, 2026 · Updated continuously

Last updated 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EPC Group modernizes outdated SharePoint Server 2013/2016/2019/Subscription Edition environments to SharePoint Online via a structured 4-phase program: Discovery + Health Check (3 weeks),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 and 2019 reached end of extended support on July 14, 2026 — modernization is now time-critical. Documented engagement experience: 6,500+ SharePoint implementations including National Archives + FRBNY TARP + U.S. intelligence community + multi-hospital health systems. Founder Errin O'Connor co-authored 4 published 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EPC Group modernizes outdated SharePoint Server 2013/2016/2019 environments to SharePoint Online via 4-phase structured program.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. 6,500+ implementations. Senior-architect-led.

Key Facts

  • SharePoint Server 2013 support ended Apr 2023; SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 support ended Jul 14, 2026
  • 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 scoped on site count + content size + workflow complexity + custom code + regulatory scope
  • 6,500+ SharePoint implementations including National Archives + FRBNY TARP + intelligence community + multi-hospital health systems
  • Founder Errin O'Connor co-authored 4 published books including SharePoint titles

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.

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 (SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 both reached end of extended support on July 14, 2026).

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

Decide every legacy customization before its site moves

Several legacy customizations have been retired or are being removed in SharePoint Online: SharePoint 2013 workflows were removed on April 2, 2026, and Microsoft announced that InfoPath Forms Services would be removed after July 14, 2026. Each item gets one decision — retire, rebuild or replace — with an owner and an acceptance test before its wave is scheduled.

Download the legacy customization disposition register (CSV): one row per workflow, form, solution, script or branding item, with its usage, dependents, Microsoft status, disposition, target, owner, acceptance test and evidence. The example rows are synthetic, not client data. Sources: Microsoft’s SharePoint 2013 workflow retirement notice and the SharePoint Server 2016 lifecycle page.

How to modernize an outdated SharePoint environment

To modernize an outdated SharePoint environment, EPC Group rebuilds the structure as well as moving the files, in this order:

  1. Decide every customization with the disposition register above, so nothing that has stopped working in SharePoint Online is carried across.
  2. Move the content with Microsoft's SharePoint Migration Tool (SharePoint Server 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019, SharePoint Foundation 2010 and 2013, and file shares) or Migration Manager for file shares and cloud sources, planning waves around migration throttling, which cannot be disabled.
  3. Rebuild navigation as hub sites (shared navigation, branding, content roll-up and search scope) under a SharePoint home site, which global navigation in the SharePoint app bar requires.
  4. Put the intranet in Teams with the SharePoint app in Teams, formerly Viva Connections: News, dashboard, announcements and resources.
  5. Govern the content with content types published from the content type gallery, global term sets, and Microsoft Purview retention labels for records.

Sources: SharePoint Migration Tool, Migration Manager, hub sites, SharePoint app in Teams, records management (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-11-07).

SharePoint Online performance optimization for large sites

SharePoint modernization consulting does not end when the content lands. Performance optimization of large SharePoint Online sites is its own workstream, because a legacy SharePoint upgrade that carries heavy classic pages and very large lists across also carries the slowness.

  • Measure every key page. Page Diagnostics for SharePoint, Microsoft's extension for Edge and Chrome, checks modern pages and classic publishing pages against Microsoft's performance rules (it does not run on system or app pages). Its web part test flags any custom web part that takes more than 2 seconds to load in the viewport, or more than 4 seconds below it.
  • Serve static files from the CDN. The Office 365 CDN is included with SharePoint Online and caches static assets closer to users; Microsoft calls it required for optimal static resource download. It is available only in the worldwide cloud, not the US Government or China clouds.
  • Design large lists for the threshold. Views and queries that cross the 5,000-item list view threshold return the “exceeds the list view threshold” error. A list can hold up to 30 million items and a site up to 25 TB, but once a list, library or folder holds more than 100,000 items its permission inheritance can no longer be broken, so permissions are set at the site or library level before content grows.
  • Replace classic pages. Microsoft's page transformation converts classic wiki and web part pages to modern pages; it is open-source PnP Framework code with no Microsoft support SLA. The SharePoint Modernization Scanner is a legacy tool that is no longer maintained, so assessments now start from the Microsoft 365 Assessment tool.
  • Keep records out of the way. Microsoft Purview retention labels can be applied by default to a library, folder or document set and can mark items as records; retained copies sit in the Preservation Hold library and count against the site's storage.

Sources (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-11-07): Page Diagnostics for SharePoint, web part optimization, Office 365 CDN with SharePoint Online, list view threshold, SharePoint limits, modernizing classic pages, SharePoint Modernization Scanner, retention in Microsoft Purview.

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Frequently asked questions

What does enterprise content management in SharePoint use now?

Microsoft Purview retention labels and records management for retention and disposition (a regulatory record label cannot be removed, not even by a global administrator), content types published from the content type hub, managed metadata term sets for tagging, navigation and search refiners, and version history limits set at organization, site or library level, with the automatic setting recommended. The pay-as-you-go services once offered under Microsoft Syntex are now called document processing services, covering features such as autofill columns, OCR and taxonomy tagging. Enterprise content management on SharePoint is designed from those controls before content moves (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-11-07).

How do you optimize SharePoint Online performance on large sites?

Measure each key page with Page Diagnostics for SharePoint, which flags custom web parts that take more than 2 seconds to load in the viewport or more than 4 seconds below it; serve static files from the Office 365 CDN; design large lists around the 5,000-item list view threshold and set permissions before a list, library or folder passes 100,000 items, after which inheritance cannot be broken; and convert classic pages to modern pages (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-11-07).

How do you modernize an outdated SharePoint environment?

Decide every legacy customization first, move content with the SharePoint Migration Tool or Migration Manager in planned waves, rebuild navigation as hub sites under a SharePoint home site, bring the intranet into Teams with the SharePoint app in Teams (formerly Viva Connections), and govern content with published content types, term sets and Microsoft Purview retention labels (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-11-07).

When does SharePoint Server 2013/2016/2019 reach end of support?

SharePoint Server 2013 reached end of extended support in April 2023. SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019 both reached end of extended support on July 14, 2026; their mainstream support ended in July 2021 and January 2024. None of the three receives security updates now. SharePoint Server Subscription Edition (released 2021) follows the Modern Lifecycle Policy. If a 2013, 2016 or 2019 farm is still running, the move to SharePoint Online or Subscription Edition is overdue rather than something to schedule against a future date.

What does it cost to modernize a SharePoint 2016/2019 environment to SharePoint Online?

EPC Group fixed-fee SharePoint modernization engagements are scoped 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 is scoped separately 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 published 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: 6,500+ 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 one-hour SharePoint Modernization call with a senior architect. 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.

1.888.381.9725 contact@epcgroup.net EPC Group credentials

Deep-Dive Guides

Related enterprise references from the EPC Group knowledge base:

Documented and anonymized engagements

Named engagements come first; anonymized summaries follow under the anonymized-engagement rule — the client is not named and every statement is EPC-reported. Documents behind named engagements are in the Evidence Center.

More engagements: NASA (agency-wide, across the NASA Centers) — Agency SharePoint Phase 1 Initiative: needs assessment, architectural review, governance, and a global SharePoint Center of Excellence for knowledge management, intranet and enterprise content management across the NASA Centers (2009–2010) · National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) — SharePoint records management and Center of Excellence advisory and implementation support (2010) · National Institutes of Health — SharePoint Center of Excellence design (2010) · Northrop Grumman — 'Finance I.R.M. Automation Process' statement of work on SharePoint (2010) · NASA Johnson Space Center — SharePoint Site Provisioning Solution (2009) · YMCA (Houston) — Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 implementation (2007) · SharePoint Support and Custom Apps: Professional Services · SharePoint 2010 to 2019 Migration: Regional Bank (2020) · SharePoint Online Document Management: Transportation (2020) · SharePoint 2010 to Online Design: Global Law Firm (2018) · SharePoint 2016 Intranet Redesign: Energy Company (2018) · SharePoint Intranet Redesign: Financial Services · SharePoint Migration: Major Healthcare Network

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