SharePoint Modernization: 5 Things to Consider Before Moving to a New Environment

Application Modernization | Microsoft 365 | Enterprise Technology

Moving to a newer SharePoint environment may seem like a straightforward technology upgrade. In practice, it can uncover years of accumulated content, outdated workflows, complex permissions, and design decisions that no longer fit the way an organization works.

The challenge is not simply moving information from one place to another. It is understanding what should move, what needs to change, and what can be improved along the way.

Here are five important considerations for organizations planning a SharePoint modernization project.

1. Start with the content, not the migration tool

Over time, SharePoint environments can become digital archives of everything an organization has ever created. Old project folders, duplicate files, outdated documents, and inactive sites can accumulate for years.

Migrating everything without reviewing it first can carry unnecessary complexity into the new environment.

A content assessment helps organizations identify which information is actively used, which records must be retained, and which content can be archived or removed in accordance with applicable retention policies.

The key question: Does every document need to move, or does some of the content simply need a proper disposition plan?

2. Modernize the structure instead of copying it

A SharePoint environment that made sense several years ago may no longer reflect the organization’s current structure.

Departments change. Teams reorganize. New business processes emerge. Yet the underlying site architecture may remain untouched.

A modernization project offers an opportunity to reconsider site organization, navigation, document libraries, and collaboration spaces.

The aim is to make information easier to locate and manage without creating unnecessary complexity. A well-planned structure should reflect how people work today while remaining flexible enough to accommodate future changes.

3. Review permissions before they become a problem

Who can access a document? Which teams have permission to modify it? Are former employees or external collaborators still included in access groups?

These questions are easy to overlook in a large SharePoint environment.

Permissions may have accumulated through years of team changes, shared folders, unique access rules, and external collaboration. Moving content without reviewing these settings can carry existing access problems into the new environment.

Organizations should map identities, examine inherited and unique permissions, identify sensitive content, and test access after migration.

Security should be considered throughout the project, rather than treated as a final checklist item.

4. Identify workflows and customizations that depend on legacy SharePoint

Some of the most complicated parts of a SharePoint modernization project are not visible in the document libraries.

An existing environment may contain approval processes, customized forms, web parts, integrations, and older workflows that employees rely on every day.

These components need to be assessed individually. Some may work in the target environment with minimal changes. Others may require redesign, replacement, or redevelopment.

For example, an older approval workflow might be a candidate for rebuilding with Power Automate, depending on its requirements and dependencies.

Identifying these components early helps prevent unexpected disruptions after the migration.

5. Plan for the way employees will use the new environment

A technically successful migration does not automatically create a better user experience.

Employees may be accustomed to particular document locations, navigation patterns, and approval processes. If these change, people need to understand where information has moved and how their everyday tasks will be affected.

Pilot migrations, user testing, clear communication, and practical training can help uncover problems before the entire organization transitions.

Adoption should be treated as part of the modernization plan, not an activity that begins after the technical work is complete.

What should a SharePoint modernization plan look like?

A structured approach can help organizations manage complexity without attempting to change everything at once.

• Assess: Inventory sites, content, permissions, workflows, customizations, and integrations.
• Prioritize: Identify business-critical content, technical dependencies, and areas that need immediate attention.
• Design: Define the target architecture and decide what should be migrated, redesigned, replaced, or retired.
• Migrate and validate: Move content in planned phases and test permissions, workflows, integrations, and content integrity.
• Optimize: Review the new environment after deployment and address usability, governance, and maintenance needs.

The exact approach will depend on the existing SharePoint version, the target environment, business requirements, and the complexity of the organization’s customizations.

One important consideration: SharePoint Server lifecycle

Microsoft lists July 14, 2026, as the end-of-support date for SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019. Organizations still running these versions should review Microsoft’s lifecycle guidance and evaluate their available options.

Reference: Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019 lifecycle.

Final thought

SharePoint modernization is an opportunity to reconsider how information is organized, how business processes operate, and how employees collaborate.

The most useful outcome is not necessarily the fastest migration or the largest reduction in stored content. It is an environment that meets current business needs, maintains appropriate access controls, and remains manageable as those needs evolve.

A question for IT professionals: What tends to create the biggest challenge in SharePoint modernization projects: content sprawl, permissions, legacy workflows, or user adoption?

#SharePoint #Microsoft365 #ApplicationModernization #DigitalTransformation #ITStrategy

About the author

A, Anil (27/10/2026) (5) SharePoint Modernization: 5 Things to Consider Before Moving to a New Environment | LinkedIn