Workstream 01
Translate transfer reports into user tasks
Test external mail delivery and replies; searches for agreed historical messages; the right Outlook calendar and delegation; Microsoft 365 and Entra sign-ins on desktop and mobile; and access to a representative set of team files. For users moving from Google, test converted documents, Shared Drive replacements and important shared calendars rather than assuming copied files are functional.
Record actual results from the people who use each system. A migrated file can have a valid object count yet break a calculation or disappear from a familiar shared link. Assign an owner and severity to every exception and make sure the business accepts any temporary workaround.
| User journey | Acceptance evidence | Typical owner |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming and outgoing mail | External round trip plus trace if needed | Messaging specialist |
| Executive delegation | Assistant sends and updates actual item | Mailbox and executive owners |
| Shared document workflow | User edits target file at correct permission | SharePoint / team data owner |
| New-device sign-in | Representative desktop and phone work | End-user support / identity |
| Application notification | Critical system delivers mail after DNS change | Application owner |
Workstream 02
Agree escalation and issue priorities before users return
An organisation-wide mail outage warrants a different response from an individual missing an old folder. Categorise business-impacting service failures separately from data exceptions, training requests and enhancements. Make the primary contact and backup contact explicit, and state the staffed hours and handover expectations.
An automated monitoring dashboard cannot replace an accountable human response. Record acknowledgement, investigation, workaround, resolution and user validation separately. Avoid publishing unsupported blanket resolution-time guarantees.
Workstream 03
Hand over tenant control safely
Provide a current inventory of tenants, verified domains, administrator roles, mail-flow connectors, migration tooling and key service accounts, along with evidence of completed changes. The client should retain ownership of its billing, domains and emergency access. Supplier privileges should be reviewed and revoked when no longer required.
Include end-user instructions for new sign-ins, file locations and permission requests, plus the organisation's agreed retention arrangement for the legacy platform. A final migration report must distinguish what is preserved for compliance from what may be decommissioned.
What to capture before the decision
- Client-controlled emergency administrator access
- Named post-migration service owner
- Migration exceptions with business decisions
- Updated mail and identity architecture records
- Source-platform retention and shutdown approvals
Workstream 04
Turn the first month into operational stability
Schedule an early review of support tickets, mail-flow incidents, shared access changes and unexpectedly high licence or storage costs. A recurring managed service may be appropriate once the migration project is accepted, but it should have its own contract and responsibilities rather than inheriting vague cutover promises.
Before closing, reconcile the agreed acceptance sheet and give the client a clear path for unresolved defects. Record whether each item is fixed, accepted with a workaround, or deferred with an owner and target review date.
What to capture before the decision
- Post-cutover review scheduled with customer owner
- Critical functions re-tested after first normal working day
- Outstanding exceptions retained and assigned
- Service ownership/retainer decision explicit
- Closure report and support contact delivered
A trustworthy migration provider does not measure success only in copied gigabytes; it demonstrates that people can work normally and that their new environment has clear ownership.
Source documents and limitations
These references establish current vendor behaviour; they do not verify an individual customer's configuration or imply Microsoft affiliation. Technical claims should be rechecked before execution.