Why businesses are moving to SharePoint? Here’s what you need to know

On-premises file servers were once the go-to for business file storage. But today, as more of these traditional file servers cause accessibility issues and security concerns, many companies are moving to Microsoft SharePoint.

If you’re wondering whether it’s time to migrate your business file server to SharePoint, this article will help you decide.

5 signs your business needs SharePoint

1. Your team struggles with remote access – SharePoint allows employees to securely access files from anywhere, on any device. No more slow VPNs.
2. Your current system lacks collaboration tools – With real-time co-authoring and Microsoft Teams integration, SharePoint makes teamwork a dream.
3. Security is becoming a concern – Built-in encryption, access controls, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) protect your business data.
4. You’re spending too much on server maintenance – SharePoint eliminates the need for physical storage, backups, and server upgrades.
5. Your disaster recovery plan is weak – SharePoint’s cloud-based backup and recovery protects you from data loss due to cyberattacks or hardware failures. Your backup and recoverability should be further enhanced with additional tools.

But what about migration challenges? The common concerns we hear

Many businesses hesitate to migrate because they fear:

• Downtime disrupting business operations
• Losing important files or folder structures
• Employees struggling with the new system
• The good news? These risks are completely preventable with a structured migration plan.

How to migrate to SharePoint without disrupting your business

At Weston Analytics, we recently helped a business successfully migrate to SharePoint without downtime or disruption. And here’s how we did it:

• Pre-migration planning – We ran an audit of the existing file server, identifying active files, archiving old data and removing duplicates, before reorganising folder structures and setting up permissions.
• Setting up the SharePoint environment – We created department-specific document libraries and integrated SharePoint with Microsoft Teams and Office 365
• Phased migration approach – We migrated active files first to cause minimal downtime for the team and moved the archived files later. We also used native Microsoft migration tools to keep any metadata and file history.
• Employee training and post-migration support – We provided hands-on SharePoint training to help employees adapt quickly, and ongoing IT support for a completely smooth transition.

Want to see how this worked in practice? Read our full case study here.