5 Questions to Ask About Office 365 Migrations Before You Make the Move

Transitioning to Office 365 Offers Several Advantages for Your Business

There are a lot of benefits just waiting for you when you make the switch to the Office 365 platform. Once you’ve made the move and are running on this platform, you’ll see a big change in the way you do business. Your employees will be able to work from almost anywhere with an internet connection thanks to cloud technology and the added mobility features of Microsoft Office 365. 

Your operations will be behind new layers of security that will provide possibilities like email encryption, mobile device management, and multifactor authentication. Your business might not be at the level where you need all of these features, but they are there if you choose to use them. You’ll experience simple budgeting with 365’s subscription-based services. The monthly fee will be a routine expense that you can plan ahead for in your budgeting. 

The collaboration between your team members will be even stronger and more effective with new tools, Office applications, and file-sharing options. Everyone with authorization will be able to make real-time changes to documents and stay up to date on the latest stages of a project. Office 365 for business has all of these advantages and more, but there are still some questions that you need to answer before jumping in with both feet.   

Questions to Answer Before Migrating to Office 365 

What are you currently using for applications and email?

Many offices are already using Windows applications like Outlook, but it is vital to establish what systems you depend on and what is necessary for your daily work. There are ways to migrate or integrate almost any service, such as user mailboxes, but knowing this answer is an excellent place to start for any business.   

Do you have other devices that depend on your current setup?

Do you have devices like scanners or printers networked into your current system? If you don’t address this when you’re planning your migration, you can end up with devices that are unresponsive. You’ll waste time wondering what went wrong and you’ll watch the productivity of the organization slip. SBT wants your migration to be seamless so you can hit the ground running.  

Do you have strict password regulations in place already? 

The rules about passwords vary from workplace to workplace, but if you are moving your system online, you need strict rules in place. More importantly, you need to prepare your staff for a move to stricter and more complex passwords. Office 365 allows for excellent mobility and access, but that also means every cyberthreat and hacker gets a better shot at guessing your password. Your workforce might need to be trained on what constitutes a strong password and how to look out for email scams like social engineering and phishing.

Is calendar sharing a significant part of your operations?

There is no need to worry if calendar sharing is essential to your workflow. Calendars can be migrated too, but they are often forgotten in the roadmap template that some offices create for their migration. Make sure you stay on schedule and have your office migration handled by the experts at SBT Partners. 

What new features are you looking to take advantage of?

What office apps are you excited to use? Are you looking forward to greater collaboration with Microsoft Teams? Curious to see what cloud storage options are right for your business? We can help you answer these high-level questions before the migration ever starts. Knowing your goals beforehand is an essential part of planning your successful migration. 

Get a Product Roadmap From the Professionals at SBT

The best way to answer questions like this and more is to partner with an experienced team like SBT. We’ve performed these migrations across multiple industries in various types of offices. We’ll ask all the questions we need to know your goals and expectations. From there, we’ll create a plan that accounts for your current operations and your future goals. Then you can have the peace of mind that your transition is in the best hands. We’ll migrate mailboxes and applications so that your operations never miss a beat. 

To learn more about Office 365 migrations, contact SBT Partners today.