SharePoint modernisation projects fail most often because they are defined as migrate everything rather than design the future state and build it.
The inventory first
Run a SharePoint site inventory before planning anything: how many sites, who owns them, when last modified, what they do, and what custom code exists.
The migration decision framework
- Is it still used? No activity in twelve months → archive, not migrate.
- What is it doing? Pure document storage → modern library. Form-based data → Power Apps. Approval workflow → Power Automate.
- Does the custom code still make sense? InfoPath forms should be rebuilt in Power Apps.
- Is there a better home? Some SharePoint content belongs in Teams, OneDrive, or a Power Platform solution.
SharePoint Designer workflows
End-of-life. Migration path is Power Automate. Use the migration as an opportunity to simplify rather than directly replicating every workflow.
The most successful modernisation projects ran a user research phase before migration planning — asking people how they actually use SharePoint, not how the architecture diagram says they use it.
The technical migration is half the project. The change management is the other half. Plan for both from the start.
