Client Overview

A mid-sized professional services firm with over 150 staff across multiple departments was managing documents through a mix of on-premise SharePoint 2013, file shares, and third-party collaboration tools. They experienced:

• Document duplication and version confusion
• Security issues with outdated permission models
• Disconnected teams due to siloed systems
• Difficulty accessing files remotely and securely

The goal was clear: move all document management into SharePoint Online — with a clean structure, better permission governance, and no disruption to business operations.

Challenges Identified

• Fragmented data across file shares, Dropbox, and SharePoint 2013
• Deep folder hierarchies and inconsistent naming conventions
• Broken and over-permissioned access structures
• Minimal documentation on what content was current, active, or redundant
• Pressure to complete migration without affecting live operations

HarjTech’s Migration Strategy

1. Discovery & Pre-Migration Audit

We began by running a full content and permission audit across:

• Network drives and mapped folders
• Legacy SharePoint sites and libraries
• Dropbox and third-party storage

We categorized content into:

• Critical content for migration
• Archived content to store elsewhere
• Redundant or obsolete files to remove

2. Architecture & Site Planning

SharePoint Online uses a flat architecture, which differs significantly from nested folder structures or sub-sites used in legacy systems.

We designed a structure based on:

• Function and department (e.g., HR, Projects, Finance)
• Use of hub sites to consolidate navigation
• Clear separation of internal and external collaboration areas

3. Permission Modeling

Legacy systems had untracked and over-permissioned access — often by individual user.

We rebuilt permissions using:

• Microsoft 365 security groups tied to departments and roles
• Role-based access models applied at the site and library level
• Clear ownership per site with limited admin rights
• Ongoing governance through SharePoint groups and Azure AD

4. Tool-Based Migration with ShareGate

We used ShareGate to manage the end-to-end migration:

• Pre-migration simulation and reporting
• Migration of document libraries, metadata, and version history
• Incremental (delta) migrations to minimize downtime
• Mapping old structures to new SharePoint locations

Delta migrations allowed us to move active content after hours and cut over seamlessly with zero business disruption.

5. Automating Site Setup with PowerShell

To support scalability and repeatability, we scripted the following using PowerShell and PnP:

• Site collection creation
• Permission group assignment
• Folder structure templating
• Library configuration and default metadata setup

This saved weeks of manual configuration and ensured consistent standards.

6. Navigation & User Experience Design

We implemented:

• Global navigation using hub site menus
• Local site links using Quick Launch and Call-to-Action tiles
• Department homepages with recent files, calendar links, and how-to resources
• Search tuning with metadata and managed properties

Outcomes

• Migrated over 2.5TB of data to SharePoint Online
• Reduced average folder depth by 60% using metadata and views
• Established governance-first permissions model across all sites
• Enabled mobile, remote, and secure access for 150+ staff
• Completed full cutover with zero data loss or downtime

Client Feedback

“The HarjTech team brought both technical depth and strategic clarity to our migration. They didn’t just move our data — they rebuilt the way our teams collaborate and access information. We’re now faster, more secure, and ready to scale.”
— Director of IT, Professional Services Firm

How HarjTech Can Help

At HarjTech, we specialize in helping organizations migrate to SharePoint Online with confidence and clarity. We bring:

• Deep experience across government, enterprise, and SMB migrations
• Proven tools and scripts to accelerate delivery and reduce risk
• Governance-first design to ensure long-term scalability
• Post-migration support, training, and optimization packages

Whether you're moving from file shares, Dropbox, Google Drive, or on-prem SharePoint — we can help you modernize your digital workplace and avoid the common pitfalls.

Ready to start your SharePoint migration?
Contact HarjTech for a discovery session and customized migration plan.