As businesses grow, the need to store, secure, and manage crucial information becomes increasingly important. Microsoft SharePoint is a cloud-based system that has gained a reputation for being a reliable and powerful tool to meet collaboration needs.
With enterprises discovering that SharePoint comes included with their Microsoft Office licenses and seamlessly integrates with Active Directory, migrating from legacy systems to SharePoint has become an attractive option to consolidate intranet and collaboration information.
If you are currently using Confluence as your system for wiki-based corporate reference information, transitioning to Microsoft SharePoint might be a wise choice.
In this article, we offer insights into a smooth and successful Confluence to SharePoint migration.
Benefits of Confluence to SharePoint Migration?
There are a range of benefits to SharePoint over Confluence that are worth exploring. Let’s consider some of the benefits:
1: Effortless Integration
SharePoint, as part of Microsoft 365, offers incredible integration with other Microsoft applications, like Microsoft Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and Office.
This means smoother collaboration, higher productivity, and better shared access to files and documents.
For example, access to documents shared on Teams via SharePoint and OneDrive accounts, alerts, tasks, versioning, and approval workflows become available to team members.
2: Enterprise-grade Features
Enterprise-level features like search, customizable workflows, advanced security and permissions, and integration with other Microsoft tools are offered by Office 365 in general and SharePoint in particular
3: Flexibility and Scalability
Being highly flexible, SharePoint allows for customization according to business needs and processes.
In addition, it boasts excellent scalability, ensuring that vast data shared by users can be accessed across geographical locations, devices, and browsers without requiring third-party tools.
Metadata can be centrally defined across the organization, ensuring organization-wide search capabilities.
4: Support and Community
With an enormous user community and support resources, technical and support issues quickly and efficiently.
An array of online communities, online user group channels, forums, and online documentation are all available to seek quick and effective resolutions to issues, with a range of vendors offering Microsoft product support.
Steps For Confluence to SharePoint Migration
Step 1: Documenting the Information Architecture
We start by analyzing the file types and sizing, including wiki pages and their relationship to corporate divisions and departments.
We define the site hierarchy, structures, and metadata, as well as any necessary features, customizations, and workflow.
Finally, the correct permissions are required for exporting from Confluence and uploading to SharePoint, with security being a critical dimension of the information architecture and its alignment with Active Directory.
Step 2: Choose the Right Migration Tool for Your Business
Choosing a migration tool that meets specific business requirements is essential for a seamless migration.
We consider factors like whether the Confluence instance is migrated from a cloud, server, or data center.
Data size, space requirements, and throughput all need to be evaluated to decide whether cloud or on-premises migration tools are required.
Customizable migration tools using configuration and mapping options are recommended for hassle-free migration.
In migrating a large dataset from Confluence, we would want a customizable migration tool for hassle-free migration that allows for a maximum of options and mappings and configuration for an optimal migration.
There are advanced options and capabilities to consider, such as URL redirection, that can allow existing legacy URLs to be handled seamlessly going forward so embedded links can still work post-migration in SharePoint.
Step 3: Mapping
Metadata must be selected to preserve from the source and how each field will map to the destination.
Mapping subsets of content, such as departmental content, to structures in the destination lets us refine migration to compensate for organic growth at the source.
Select content can be excluded from migration to only migrate the latest and most relevant content, allowing select fields to be mapped, including “Creator,” “Creation Date,” Editor, Author, timestamps, and other fields.
Step 4: An initial migration
Load the initial dataset from Confluence to SharePoint for consideration. Mapping is refined iteratively, and objects are mapped for optimal usability in the destination.
Once the initial migration is complete, even for just one department, delta migrations and cutover can be done.
Are you in need of assistance? We can help!
Step 5: Delta Migration to SharePoint
Using a sophisticated migration tool to identify what was already migrated and what is remaining for migration becomes necessary in a delta migration. Mappings are crucial for data subsets in a usable format on the destination.
The mapping is the key, so each type of content at the source is mapped to a usable type of content on the destination, with the result being coherent and usable by end users. Note that migrating pages from Confluence takes effort.
Step 6: Train users for quick adoption
To ensure quick adoption of the new productivity platform, training users is crucial. Training resources are tailored to meet specific business requirements, with 1-1 training, group training, how-to-reference guides, and other approaches, including “Train the Trainer.”
Training for in-house support and administrators is also essential. Consequently, you need to determine suitable training resources for your organization.
Conclusion
Confluence to SharePoint migration is a stride towards consolidating business systems, centralizing control, and management of information.
Enhanced productivity, successful collaboration, and efficient data management can be achieved with SharePoint’s enterprise-grade features.
When you opt for migration, hire an experienced partner for seamless migration and training.
A dedicated team can help plan and execute a successful migration while providing training to ensure effortless platform adoption by users.
Want to talk?
Drop us a line. We are here to answer your questions 24*7.