Complete Microsoft Teams Migration Checklist and Best Practices

Quick Overview: Whether you have just thought about transferring data between MS Teams or are about to begin the process, you will need a Microsoft Teams migration checklist to keep things organized & execute a smooth migration. Moreover, this checklist will be updated oftentimes in order to recollect the latest developments in Microsoft Teams. So, stay tuned.

In today’s fast-evolving digital world, every business seeks a flexible communication platform that provides plenty of scopes for customization and integration. Certainly, Microsoft Teams provides the same.

However, with the frequent merger & acquisition(M&A) activity happening, the company going through the same has to implement data migration along with other IT infrastructure changes. 

And, when talking about data migration, involves the migration of every single piece of information of the organization from source to destination. You just can’t risk skipping any sensitive data, and MS Teams data is one of them. So, Teams migration is also crucial after a successful M&A activity.

To break the truth, Teams data migration is not an easy task. So, a complex migration project like Teams migration needs careful planning.

Why?

Let’s find out.

Why Do You Need a Microsoft Teams Migration Project Plan?

Transformation in the workplace is not always easy. And, ensuring user acceptance and adoption is also a part of the migration one should not ignore. So, if you have a proper checklist to follow then conveying the required changes to the users won’t be difficult.

On the other hand, having a migration checklist by your side will come in handy to tackle any technical glitches or mitigate any errors. And, undoubtedly, it’s gonna guide you through the process to make this mission ‘Teams data migration’ a success.

So, now, let’s get to know the necessary factors you should consider while performing MS Teams migration.

What Are The Key Elements Of The Microsoft Teams Migration Checklist?

Every project is incomplete without planning. And, it is essential to have a proper strategy before performing the actual migration to eradicate possible challenges. The second element is to prepare a pre-migration checklist to make sure that you are equipped with everything you need and ready for the process.

Then, comes the important component i.e. choosing the suitable migration method that meets your organizational needs. Ascertaining you have the correct support to handle your sensitive data is crucial. Last but not least, ensuring successful execution of migration at the end.

So, you must have figured out that the Teams migration will be carried out in four stages. That is planning, pre-migration checklist, selecting appropriate methods, and proper execution.

Now, without delay, let’s discuss them in detail.

Stage #1 of Microsoft Teams Migration Checklist: Set Goals and Objectives with Proper Planning

When you migrate Microsoft Teams from one tenant to another, it’s critical to plan thoroughly. Such as;

• The steps you want to follow
• When and how you are going to get through the steps
• The users who will finish the steps

So, planning is one of the important aspects of the checklist.

Besides, planning will help you identify the key objectives of the Teams migration project. And, you can refer back to it if you think something is missing out.

Also, through accurate strategy, you can almost nullify the possible challenges of Teams migration.

The planning stage includes;

• Deciding when you want to execute the process
• Assigning an estimated time frame for completion
• Scheduling meetings with the concerned staff to execute an error-free migration

Once you are ready with the road map, now it’s time to proceed toward the next phase.

Stage #2 of Microsoft Teams Migration Checklist: Prepare a Pre-migration Checklist

There are a ton of things you need to consider before the migration and for that, you have to make a list. The components of the list are as follows. You can use this checklist to create a migration project plan.

1. Establish Clear Communication: Well, you are taking such an important step like data migration which involves moving channels, files, channel chats, etc. Hence, you should let the staff know about the project scope, period, and what could impact work.
2. Know and Examine Your Current Environment: This involves:
   • Make a list of the number of servers and active users.
   • Check the method for creating accounts.
   • No. of licenses required by user accounts.
   • Network capacity is suitable or needs improvement.
   • Whether there’s a need for arranging training sessions for end-users or not.
3. Analyze Inventory: When you break down the elements and prepare the inventory, then it becomes easier to execute the migration.
   1. Make a list of all the existing Teams content
   2. Check for duplicate content or content that is no longer required.
4. Define List of Data to be Migrated: After analyzing inventory, it’s time to prepare the data for migration. For that,
   1. Make sure to update the active directory.
   2. Get rid of all the unnecessary and unused Teams content.
   3. Match the UPN of the source and destination Teams.
5. Hold the Teams Usage For Some Time: To make the migration process go in the right direction, a non-altered Teams Migration environment is required. Since Teams usage during migration can lead to data alternation in users, group names, channel permissions, etc,  it is always a good practice not to use or update the Teams during the migration process.

Also Read About: Quick Fixes for Microsoft Teams Chat Disappeared Issue – Complete Explanation

Once you ensure that you are all set to migrate your data to the desired destination, then follow the next step.

Stage #3 of Microsoft Teams Migration Checklist: Choosing the Right Method for Data Migration

You know when you have the right support, even a complex task becomes easier. And, Teams migration is no easy task. Since your sensitive data and other important files are involved in the migration process, it is crucial to choose a tried and tested software.

This is why many IT experts recommend opting for the automated solution, i.e. Migrator Wizard Teams Migration Software. Through this, you can quickly and securely migrate teams, channels, groups, channel chats, etc. without any data loss.

Also, at the end of the migration, you will have peace of mind for completing the procedure. Hence, be practical and begin your Teams data migration with the right option. Once the data migration is complete, refer to the next phase.

Follow the Tool Working Guide:-

Step 1. Begin by downloading the software from the provided link and launching it on your desktop.

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Step 2. Configure the Source and Destination settings to Office 365, ensuring that you select the ‘Teams’ checkbox.

Step 3. Provide the Admin Email and Application IDs for both the Source and Destination, and proceed to ‘Validate’ all the necessary permissions.

Step 4. You can move Teams from one tenant to another by specifying the Source users through options such as ‘Fetch Users,’ ‘Import Users,’ or ‘Download Template.’

Step 5. After retrieving the users, set mappings between the Source and Destination users, and once again confirm the permissions.

Step 6. Specify the Teams using options like ‘Fetch Teams,’ ‘Import Teams,’ or ‘Download Template,’ then map them with the corresponding Destination Teams. Validate permissions by clicking the ‘Validate’ button.

Step 7. Finally, initiate the migration process by clicking on the ‘Start Migration’ button to transfer Teams data.

Stage #4 of Microsoft Teams Migration Checklist: Finish it By Properly Executing the Process

The last step is to execute the process by referring to the planning and pre-migration checklist that you prepared. However, before performing the migration, make sure that all the permissions are applied to kick off a successful data migration.

Once you are certain that the Teams environment is ready and everything is in place, you can begin the process with the help of the professional tool.

Also, while executing the process, side-by-side monitor whether the channels, groups, teams, etc are successfully being moved to the destination or not. And, if you find any issue in between then simultaneously resolve the same and carry on with the process.

Post-Migration Support and Optimization

It is crucial to ensure all the checklists for the post-migration stage too, you should create a dedicated platform such as a helpdesk, knowledge base, etc, that can answer the end user query and resolve issues instantly. Post-migration not only involves support, additionally, you also have to ensure that all the important data is migrated successfully. This further includes the integrity of migrated data, and whether the data migrated is intact or not.

You will find it helpful:  Office 365 Tenant to Tenant Migration Simplified

Final Verdict

Since change is the constant growth in the field of technology, it will not gonna be a surprise that Microsoft Teams will come up with new features and designs. However, when it does, you need to be ready to keep up with the changes and make decisions according to them. And, if that decision involves Teams data migration then you can sit back & relax cause now you have the Microsoft Teams migration checklist to refer to. 

FAQs

Q1. Why is Teams migration checklist the need of the hour?

A comprehensive checklist offers a structured approach that guides the administrators to undertake the entire migration process without any downtime. With the help of a Teams migration project plan, not only the administrator but also the naive users can execute the migration project smoothly, hence, a Teams migration checklist is the need of the hour.

Q2. How can I choose the right approach for migration for my organization?

When it comes choosing the right approach for migration, depends upon several factors that need to be assessed such as:

• Migration workload 
• The size of the data to be migrated
• The number of users
• Existing infrastructure 
• Downtime tolerance 

Once, you figure out all the above-listed points then you can choose the right migration method that can fit your needs. However, if go use the above-mentioned software solution, then you can easily cater to all the migration needs and perform a smooth and safe migration operation.

Q3. How to perform the data transfer without any downtime or data loss?

If you want to eliminate the potential data loss or business downtime scenarios, then you can opt for the automated software discussed above. Using the software you need only below 5 steps to execute the entire process effortlessly. 

• Step 1. Download install and run the software on PC.
• Step 2. Enable Teams and Groups from the workload.  
• Step 3. Log in with an admin account to validate permissions.
• Step 4. Create mapping for Users, Teams, and Groups. 
• Step 5. Select Teams and click on the start button.