We love a good DIY—home transformations, car restorations, the works. They can help you save some money and learn a new skill, and as a business owner, you don’t want to pass those opportunities up.
But there are a few projects that Youtube videos can’t teach, things like pouring a foundation, whole-house electricity work, or replacing a roof. Instead of saving money, you could end up with a lot of wasted time, added stress, and paying the professionals to do it in the end.
We’re sure you can see where we’re going here, so we’ll cut to the chase! Although there are lots of tech problems you can troubleshoot, Microsoft 365 migration isn’t one of them. So, not to be a negative Nancy or anything, but we’re going to walk through some of the most common M365 migration mistakes and why you should leave the heavy lifting to the experts.
Mistake 1: Underestimating … Everything
Many business owners don’t account for the complexities involved in such a large-scale project and the technical know-how needed for a successful transition. They often overestimate their own capabilities (we all do it) or lack a full understanding of M365’s compatibility and the hidden costs like training, support, or risk.
Transferring massive amounts of information also takes a very powerful internet connection and existing IT infrastructure. Without the hardware that can support a full migration, you could find yourself in the midst of a frustrating and expensive technical headache.
Mistake 2: Throwing Caution to the Wind and Ignoring Security
It feels like cyberattacks get more sophisticated every day. So, if you’re not already familiar with M365’s security features (and you don’t have a team of experts to help you manage them), your business could be at risk.
For example, M365 includes device management options that will help you lock down access and protect your data from breaches and unauthorized users. But if you put off migrating for too long or ignore the security protocols, it’s like those features never existed. It’s also vital to have a backup system in place while you do your migration so you can catch anything that falls through the cracks.
When it comes to security, it’s like the phrase, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Without the experience, it’s impossible to know all the little nitty-gritty details that go into an M365 migration.
Mistake 3: Relying On a Vague Plan
Some people can wing it and that’s awesome. But when it comes to cloud migration, winging it is a recipe for downtime and lots of money.
M365 is a complex system and every business has different needs, so developing a strategy that caters to your specific situation is crucial. Without careful planning or someone experienced in migration, you could make mistakes when mapping on-premises data to the cloud. Missing steps or doing things out of order can cause serious consequences like lost emails or documents, compromised security, and more.
Not having a clear plan can also mean that you choose the wrong M365 plan for what your business needs. That could look like paying far too much or not getting the space and security that you really need to run your business. It’s a dangerous world out there with the wrong security—employees at small and medium-sized businesses are targeted 350% more than workers at large organizations.
Mistake 4: Creating a Major Security Risk: Your Employees
One of the biggest M365 migration mistakes? Failing to train your team.
All of those security features and data management tools are useless if your employees aren’t using them properly or can’t access them easily. Employees are the ones that will be using M365 every single day, so they have to be onboard. Without a digital adoption plan, you could be leaving your business exposed to cyberattacks, data breaches, and other vulnerabilities.
And just as importantly, your employees might be unsatisfied with the lack of training and feel overwhelmed or unsupported. Human error is the cause behind 95% of data breaches, so it’s vital that you get your team on board before, during, and after the M365 migration process.
Partnering With an MSP for Microsoft 365 Migration Does More Than Save You Money
There are a lot of M365 migration mistakes, but there are also a lot of people who have dedicated their professional life to learning the ins and outs of cloud migration. But it’s not just about the migration itself—it’s also about your entire digital transformation strategy. If you decide to work with an MSP for your M365 migration, you’ll benefit from:
1. Training, support, and guidance from experts who know M365 inside and out (not to mention all of its security features).
2. A clear, personalized strategy that’s tailored to your unique business needs and goals.
3. Ease of use and knowledge that you’re always covered by an expert support team and your data is always secure.
Avoid Every M365 Migration Mistake With Stability Networks
Your time, employees, and data are your most valuable assets, so a Microsoft 365 migration shouldn’t take away from any of those. But without the know-how to work around these M365 migration mistakes, you could be looking at a long and painful transition process.
Your cloud migration success is the most important thing to us because without you, there’s no us! We started Stability Networks because we saw a need to help small and medium-sized businesses make the move to innovative technologies smoothly, affordably, and with minimal disruption.
At Stability Networks, our team of experts is here to guide you through every step of your migration so that you can focus on what really matters: running your business and serving your customers. Schedule a consultation today to see if we’d be a good fit for your Microsoft 365 migration.
