GTconsult - Blog #supportGTconsult - Blog #supporthttps://www.gtconsult.com/blogs/tag/supportWed, 01 Apr 2026 02:54:04 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA["We'll Deal With It When the Time Comes" — The SharePoint Strategy That Always Backfires]]>https://www.gtconsult.com/blogs/post/we-ll-deal-with-it-when-the-time-comes-—-the-sharepoint-strategy-that-always-backfiresWhy delaying your SharePoint migration could cost you more than you think — and what to do before the 2026 deadline hits.]]>

Every IT leader has said some version of this at some point. You're managing a full pipeline, your team is stretched, the system is still working fine, and the deadline feels like it's far enough away to worry about later. So you shelve it.

Until it's not later anymore. Until it's now. And by then, the timeline that would have been comfortable has become a crisis.

We see this pattern repeatedly with SharePoint migrations. And with the July 14, 2026 end of support for SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 fast approaching — along with an April 2 deadline for classic workflows and Add-Ins — the gap between "we'll get to it" and "we're out of time" is closing faster than most organisations realise.

Why Migrations Take Longer Than Anyone Expects

Here's something that surprises people who haven't been through a full SharePoint migration: the actual moving of data is often not the hardest part.

Before you migrate a single document, you need to know what you have. That means auditing every site collection, every document library, every custom permission level, every workflow, every Add-In, every integration that touches SharePoint. In environments that have been running for five or ten years, that audit alone can take weeks.

Then comes the conversation about what to bring across, what to rebuild, and what to retire. Classic SharePoint Designer workflows won't survive the migration to SharePoint Online as-is. They need to be rebuilt in Power Automate. Add-Ins built on the retiring framework need to be redesigned using modern solutions. InfoPath forms need to be replaced.

None of that is technically impossible. All of it takes time.

"Migrations can take 6 to 18 months depending on complexity. A last-minute migration is a recipe for budget overruns, data loss, and business disruption."


The Two Deadlines Running in Parallel

One of the things that catches organisations off-guard is that there are effectively two separate timelines to manage, not one.

  • April 2, 2026: SharePoint Add-Ins and classic SharePoint 2013 workflows retire. Any business process built on these frameworks stops working. This isn't a 'soft' retirement with a grace period — it's a hard cutoff.
  • July 14, 2026: SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019 lose all support. Security patches stop. Bug fixes stop. Vendor-assisted support stops.

If you're planning a migration and only thinking about July, you may already be behind. If your environment has classic workflows or Add-In dependencies, April is the real pressure point.

What a Late Start Actually Costs You

Let's talk about what happens when organisations start their migration planning in Q1 2026 instead of now. A few things tend to happen:

  • The migration gets compressed. Work that should take six months gets squeezed into three. Corners get cut. Testing is abbreviated. Change management gets dropped entirely because there isn't time.
  • Business disruption goes up. A rushed migration means more unexpected issues, more downtime, more user confusion, and more IT firefighting during the transition.
  • Cost increases. Emergency timelines require more resources. What would have been a measured, well-planned project becomes an expensive sprint.
  • Post-migration problems linger. Without proper testing and user adoption planning, teams end up with a technically completed migration and practically no adoption. You've moved the files but nobody knows how to work in the new environment.

What a Well-Planned Migration Actually Looks Like

A properly planned SharePoint migration isn't just a technical exercise. It has several distinct phases, and each one has genuine business value:

  • Environment assessment: Understanding exactly what you have — content, customisations, permissions, integrations, and ROT (redundant, obsolete, and trivial) content that doesn't need to move at all.
  • Workflow and Add-In inventory: Cataloguing every automated process and identifying what needs to be rebuilt in modern tools like Power Automate and Power Apps.
  • Migration path decision: Choosing between SharePoint Online, SharePoint Subscription Edition, or a hybrid approach based on your compliance requirements and cloud strategy.
  • Phased execution: Running pilot migrations, validating, then executing in phases with proper testing at each stage.
  • Change management and adoption: Making sure your users understand what's changed, why it changed, and how to work effectively in the new environment.

Start that process now and you have time to do each of those things properly. Start it in January 2026 and you're making hard choices under pressure.

The Honest Conversation Your Team Needs to Have

If your organisation is still on SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019, there's a conversation that needs to happen — and it shouldn't be between the IT team and the calendar. It needs to involve business leaders, finance, compliance, and operations, because this decision affects everyone.

The questions are straightforward:

  • How much of our business depends on SharePoint working reliably?
  • What happens to our compliance posture if we're running unsupported software?
  • What's the real cost of disruption if something breaks post-July 2026 with no Microsoft support?
  • What would a controlled, planned migration cost compared to a reactive one?

Those aren't questions IT can answer alone. And the longer they stay in the IT queue without executive visibility, the more limited your options become.

At GTconsult, we help organisations answer these questions before the pressure builds. An environment assessment gives you the real numbers — what you have, what it'll take to move it, what the sensible timeline looks like.
]]>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 03:44:10 +0000<![CDATA[Your SharePoint Has an Expiry Date. It's July 14, 2026.]]>https://www.gtconsult.com/blogs/post/your-sharepoint-has-an-expiry-date.-it-s-july-14-2026.Microsoft ends support for SharePoint Server 2016 & 2019 on July 14, 2026. No more patches, no safety net. Here's what it means, what's changing in April, and what your options are before the clock runs out.]]>

Let's be honest — most people don't think about their SharePoint server the same way they think about their laptop or their phone. Those things feel personal. When they slow down or get old, you notice. SharePoint though? It quietly sits in the background, doing its job, and nobody gives it much thought.

Until one day, it becomes a very expensive problem.

That day is getting closer. On July 14, 2026, Microsoft officially ends support for SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019. Both versions. At the same time. No extensions. No emergency patches. No safety net.

If your organisation is still running either of those versions, and there are a lot of organisations that are, this is the conversation you need to be having right now.

What Does "End of Support" Actually Mean?

It's a fair question because the phrasing can feel a bit abstract. Here's what it means in plain language:

After July 14, 2026, Microsoft will no longer release security updates for SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019. They won't fix bugs. They won't patch vulnerabilities. If a cyber threat specifically targets your version of SharePoint, Microsoft will not respond. You're on your own.

Your server won't suddenly shut down. Everything will look exactly the same the morning of July 15. Files will still open. Sites will still load. But underneath that familiar interface, you'll be running a platform that no longer has anyone watching its back.

The April Deadline Most People Are Missing

Here's what makes this even more urgent: July isn't the only deadline you need to worry about.

On April 2, 2026, Microsoft is retiring the SharePoint Add-In model and classic SharePoint 2013 workflows- permanently. If your environment relies on workflows built in SharePoint Designer, approval processes tied to the Add-In framework, or third-party add-ins using Azure ACS authentication, those things will stop working before July even arrives.

April 2, 2026. That's less than a year away as you're reading this.

This affects more organisations than you'd think. A lot of business-critical processes, finance approvals, HR routing, records management, procurement sign-offs, were built on classic SharePoint workflows. When these retire, they don't just slow down. They break.

The Full Timeline at a Glance

Who Should Be Concerned About This?

You should be concerned if:

  • Your organisation runs SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 as your intranet or document management platform
  • You have workflows built on SharePoint Designer or classic SharePoint approval processes
  • Your business uses custom Add-Ins or third-party integrations built on the Add-In framework
  • You handle regulated or sensitive data that requires you to run supported, patched software
  • Your IT team manages the SharePoint environment with limited capacity to respond to incidents without vendor support

What Are Your Options?

The good news is that you have choices. You're not being forced into one path. But each path takes time to execute properly, and that time is the thing most organisations underestimate.

  • SharePoint Online (Microsoft 365): The cloud-first path. Continuous updates, automatic security patches, Copilot AI integration, and the ability for your team to collaborate from anywhere. Microsoft's preferred destination.
  • SharePoint Server Subscription Edition (SE): The on-premises path for organisations with compliance requirements or data sovereignty constraints. Released in 2021, it runs on Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle — no fixed end-of-life date.
  • Hybrid approach: Combining on-premises SharePoint SE with SharePoint Online for organisations that need a phased transition or have specific data that must remain local.

The right path depends on your environment, your data, your compliance requirements, and your team's capacity. What's universal is this: migrations of meaningful size take anywhere from three months to well over a year, depending on complexity. If you haven't started planning, the window is narrowing.

The Question Worth Asking Right Now

If your SharePoint environment went down tomorrow, not a migration, just an unplanned outage after July 2026, how long could your business operate? Who would you call? What would your IT team do without a Microsoft support ticket to open?

That's the risk you're accepting by waiting.

At GTconsult, we've spent 15 years helping organisations navigate SharePoint migrations. We know what a well-planned migration looks like, and we know what a rushed one costs. The difference is almost always time — specifically, how much of it you have left when you start.

Want to estimate the cost of your migration?

Use our free Migration Cost Calculator to get an estimate based on your environment size.  It takes a few minutes and gives you a starting point for your planning conversations.

Access the Free Calculator
]]>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:11:22 +0000<![CDATA[The Hidden Cost of Cheap Migrations: Why Low Budgets Lead to Expensive Failures]]>https://www.gtconsult.com/blogs/post/the-hidden-cost-of-cheap-migrations-why-low-budgets-lead-to-expensive-failuresYou know that moment in a meeting when someone suggests cutting the migration budget by half? Everyone shifts uncomfortably. The IT director's eye sta ]]>

You know that moment in a meeting when someone suggests cutting the migration budget by half?


Everyone shifts uncomfortably. The IT director's eye starts twitching. Someone mumbles something about "efficiencies." 


And you sit there thinking, "This is how projects die."


But you can't quite articulate why it's a bad idea. You just know it is.


Here's what you're sensing: the value of a migration isn't in doing it cheaply—it's in doing it right. And doing it right costs what it costs.


Cut the budget too much, and you're not saving money. You're just choosing when and how you'll spend more later. Let me show you what I mean.

The Seductive Logic of Low Budgets

The appeal of a low migration budget makes perfect sense on paper.


"The files just need to move from Point A to Point B, right? How hard can it be? Surely we can do this for half of what they're quoting."


It's tempting. You want to be a good steward of company resources. You want to prove you can deliver results efficiently. You want to avoid that conversation with the CFO about why this is so expensive.

So you shop around. You find a vendor who'll do it for 40% less. You convince yourself that the expensive quote was padded anyway. You feel smart for negotiating such a good deal.


And then reality hits.

What "Cheap" Actually Means

Here's the uncomfortable truth about migration budgets: when someone offers to do your migration for significantly less than everyone else, they're not just being more efficient. They're cutting corners you didn't know existed.


Think about it this way: If five contractors quote you $30,000 to renovate your kitchen and one quotes you $12,000, you don't think "wow, what a deal!" You think "what are they not doing?"


Same principle applies to migrations.


A suspiciously low budget usually means:

Less planning and assessment

They're skipping the discovery phase and just moving everything as-is. Your messy folder structure? Moving. Your duplicate files? Moving. Your permission chaos? Moving. Congratulations, you've just paid to migrate your problems to a new location.

Minimal testing

They'll do a quick test with a small dataset and call it good. The issues that only show up at scale? You'll discover those on go-live day. In front of your entire company.

No change management

Training? Communication plan? User support? Those cost money. You'll get a "here's the new system, good luck" email and that's it.

Bare-bones technical work

They're using the fastest, cheapest migration tools and methods. If something doesn't transfer correctly, if metadata gets lost, if permissions break—well, that's what support tickets are for, right?

Zero contingency planning

Things will go wrong. They always do. But contingency planning, rollback procedures, and backup strategies cost money. A low-budget migration assumes nothing will go wrong. Ever.

The Real Cost: What You Pay Later

Here's where the "savings" from a low-budget migration evaporate.


Let's say you "saved" $50,000 by going with a bare-bones migration. Sounds great, until:

Add it all up, and your $50,000 in savings just cost you $150,000 in fixes, plus six months of reduced productivity, plus damage to IT's credibility, plus a workforce that resents the change.


Was it worth it?

Skimp Now, Pay Later: The Sunk Cost Trap

Here's the really painful part: once you're in the middle of a failing migration, you can't just stop.

You've already invested the money. You've announced the change. You've started moving files. Your old system might already be decommissioned.


So now you're stuck in what economists call the "sunk cost fallacy." You have to keep investing to fix the problems created by underinvesting in the first place.


It's like buying cheap tires for your car. Sure, you saved $400 upfront. But when they blow out on the highway, the tow truck, the emergency replacement, the missed meeting, and the stress all cost way more than just buying good tires in the first place.


Except with migrations, the stakes are higher. You're not just dealing with one car—you're dealing with your entire company's ability to work.

The Potential to Never Complete

Let's talk about the darkest timeline: the migration that never finishes.


This happens more often than you'd think. You start with a low budget, run into problems, patch things together, run out of money, pause the project "temporarily," and suddenly it's been 18 months.


Now you're in migration purgatory:

  • Some files are in the new system, some in the old
  • Some users are using the new system, some aren't
  • Nobody knows where anything is for sure
  • You can't move forward without more budget
  • You can't go back because you've already invested too much
  • Every day of limbo costs you in productivity and morale


This is the worst possible outcome. You've spent money, disrupted your organization, and you don't even have a completed migration to show for it.


And it all started with "let's save some money on this."

Why Proper Budgets Actually Save Money

Here's the counterintuitive truth: spending appropriately on your migration is the most cost-effective choice you can make.


A proper budget allows you to:

Assess before you act
​

Actually understand what you're migrating, what needs fixing, and what the scope really is. No surprises on go-live day.

Plan for reality, not fantasy
​

Build in time for testing, training, communication, and contingency planning. When (not if) something unexpected happens, you're ready.

Use the right tools and expertise

Professional migration tools and experienced consultants cost more upfront but prevent expensive problems later.

Support your users

Training, documentation, and support during the transition keep productivity high and adoption smooth.

Build in buffer time

Rush jobs lead to mistakes. Adequate timeline and budget mean you can do things right the first time.

Test thoroughly

Comprehensive testing catches issues before they impact your business, not after.

Extend the Migration Over Time: The Smart Alternative

Now, here's the key insight that changes everything: you don't have to do everything at once.


If budget is a constraint (and it often is), the answer isn't to do the migration cheaply. It's to do it in properly-funded phases.

Think of it like renovating a house. You can't afford to do the whole thing at once? Fine. Do the kitchen this year and the bathrooms next year. But do each one properly.

Same with migrations:


Phase 1: Migrate your critical departments with proper planning, testing, and support. Get it right. Learn from it.


Phase 2: Use those lessons to migrate the next set of departments. Refine your approach.


Phase 3: Continue until complete, with each phase properly funded and executed.


This approach gives you:

  • Lower risk (you're not betting everything on one big rollout)
  • Better outcomes (each phase is done properly)
  • Manageable budgets (spread over time)
  • Learning opportunities (improve with each phase)
  • Easier rollback if needed (only one phase at a time)


Yes, it takes longer. But "takes longer" is infinitely better than "fails completely" or "never finishes."

The Real Question Isn't Cost—It's Value

Let's reframe this entire conversation.

The question isn't "How little can we spend on this migration?"

The question is "What's the value of doing this right?"

Consider:

  • What does one month of reduced productivity cost your company?
  • What does IT overtime and consultant firefighting cost?
  • What does damaged user trust and low adoption cost?
  • What does a failed project do to your team's credibility?
  • What does staying on your current inadequate system cost long-term?

When you look at it this way, the "expensive" migration quote starts looking like a bargain compared to the cost of a failed cheap one.

The Sunk Cost on Non-Completed Work

Let's talk about the money you literally throw away when a migration fails or stalls.


Every dollar/rand/pound you spend on migration work that doesn't result in a completed, functioning system is a sunk cost. It's gone. You got nothing for it.


  • Paid for partial data migration? Sunk cost if you have to redo it.
  • Paid for initial setup? Sunk cost if you have to start over.
  • Paid for training on a system you can't use yet? Sunk cost.
  • Paid for consulting to fix migration problems? Sunk cost you wouldn't have had with proper planning.


These costs add up fast. And they're completely wasted because you don't have a working system at the end.


A proper budget minimizes sunk costs because the work gets done right the first time. The money you spend actually delivers value instead of disappearing into a half-finished project.

How to Know What a Realistic Budget Looks Like

So what should a migration actually cost?


The frustrating answer is: it depends. But here are the factors that drive real costs:

Size and complexity of your data​

More data, more complex structures, more time and tools needed.

Quality of your current environment​

Messy data requires cleanup. Clean data migrates easier. You're paying either way—either to clean it first or to deal with the mess later.

Number of users and training needs

More users need more support, training, and change management.

Technical complexity
​​​

Custom integrations, special permissions, unique workflows—these all require expertise and time.

Timeline constraints
​​​

Need it done fast? That costs extra. Reasonable timeline? More affordable.

Support and contingency needs

Proper testing, backup plans, and post-migration support all cost money but prevent disasters.

As a rule of thumb: if you get quotes that vary by more than 25-30%, the low bidders are cutting something important. Find out what.

Your Next Step: Get Real Numbers

Look, I get it. You're reading this thinking either "I'm glad we budgeted properly" or "oh no, we're absolutely doing this wrong."


If it's the latter, don't panic. But do act.


You need to know what a proper migration actually costs for your specific situation. Not a wild guess. Not an artificially low number. Real costs based on real assessment.


That's why we created the Migration Cost Calculator.


It's a realistic calculator that helps you understand:

  • What factors actually drive migration costs
  • What a reasonable budget looks like for your situation
  • Where you might be underestimating costs
  • What happens if you try to cut corners
  • How phasing the project affects budget and timeline


Calculate Your Real Migration Cost →

Take 5 minutes to get real numbers. Even if they're higher than you hoped, it's better to know now than to discover it halfway through a failing project.

Because here's the truth: migrations aren't expensive. Failed migrations are expensive. Proper migrations are investments that pay off.

The question is whether you want to invest now or pay penalties later.

Look, I get it. You're reading this thinking either "I'm glad we budgeted properly" or "oh no, we're absolutely doing this wrong."

If it's the latter, don't panic. But do act.


You need to know what a proper migration actually costs for your specific situation. Not a wild guess. Not an artificially low number. Real costs based on real assessment.


That's why we created the Migration Cost Calculator.


It's a realistic calculator that helps you understand:

  • What factors actually drive migration costs
  • What a reasonable budget looks like for your situation
  • Where you might be underestimating costs
  • What happens if you try to cut corners
  • How phasing the project affects budget and timeline


Calculate Your Real Migration Cost →


Take 5 minutes to get real numbers. Even if they're higher than you hoped, it's better to know now than to discover it halfway through a failing project.

Because here's the truth: migrations aren't expensive. Failed migrations are expensive. Proper migrations are investments that pay off.

The question is whether you want to invest now or pay penalties later.

Calculate the Cost of Your Migration
]]>Mon, 24 Nov 2025 14:49:48 +0000<![CDATA[Why 83% of Data Migrations Fail: The Critical Phase Most Teams Skip]]>https://www.gtconsult.com/blogs/post/why-83-of-data-migrations-fail-the-critical-phase-most-teams-skipMost SharePoint migrations fail before they start because teams skip the assessment phase. Know your data, users, structure, and goals first to avoid chaos, poor adoption, and wasted money. Assess before you migrate — it’s the real foundation for success.]]>

Data migration projects have a troubling track record. According to Gartner research, 83% of data migration projects either fail outright or exceed their planned budgets and schedules. Understanding why can help organizations avoid becoming part of this statistic.

You know that feeling when you're about to pull the trigger on a major project?


Your palms get a little sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy... just kidding...but the opportunity comes once in a lifetime.

Okay okay, we're done with the Eminem puns/jokes...for now...


But seriously—you've got this nagging voice in the back of your head asking, "What if this doesn't work?" And if we're being honest, you've probably already mentally calculated how much time and money you're about to sink into this thing.


If you're planning a SharePoint migration, that feeling? It's not just pre-project jitters. It's your instincts telling you something important.

Because here's the truth: most SharePoint migrations don't fail during the migration itself. They fail long before anyone moves a single file.


Let me show you why—and more importantly, how you can make sure yours doesn't become another statistic.

Why You're Right to Be Nervous

That fear you're feeling about project failure and wasted investment? It's completely justified.

We've seen companies invest six figures into SharePoint migrations only to end up with:
  • A system nobody actually uses
  • Data that's somehow more disorganized than before
  • Teams that refuse to adopt the new platform
  • Leadership wondering why they greenlit this in the first place

The frustrating part? These weren't bad teams. They weren't lazy. They weren't incompetent.

They just skipped the one step that would have saved them from all of it.

The Step Everyone Skips (And Pays For Later)

Here's what typically happens:

You decide you need to migrate to SharePoint. Maybe your current system is outdated, or you're consolidating multiple platforms, or you're moving to the cloud. Whatever the reason, you know it needs to happen.

So what do most companies do?

They jump straight to vendors. They start comparing tools. They talk timelines. They build project plans.

And that's exactly where things go wrong.

Because you can't plan a successful journey if you don't know where you're starting from.

Think about it this way: If I asked you to pack for a trip, your first question would be "Where am I going?" But your second question should be "What do I already have that I can use?"

You wouldn't pack your entire closet. You'd assess what you have, figure out what you need, and pack accordingly.

Yet when it comes to SharePoint migrations, companies skip that assessment phase entirely. They pack everything (or worse, they pack nothing and figure it out as they go).

What Really Happens When You Skip the Assessment

Let me paint you a picture of how this plays out:

Seem familiar?


The painful part is that all of this was preventable. Not with better tools. Not with more budget. Not with a different vendor.


With a proper assessment phase.

What a Real Assessment Actually Does for You

Here's what changes when you start with a thorough assessment:

You know exactly what you're working with

Not a rough idea. Not a guess. You have a complete picture of your current environment—what data you have, how it's structured, who uses what, and where the problems actually are.

You can plan based on reality, not assumptions.

Assumptions are expensive. Every wrong assumption costs you time and money during the migration. An assessment eliminates the guesswork.

You avoid migrating your old problems to your new system

If your data is disorganized now, migration won't fix that. It'll just give you disorganized data in a new location. The assessment phase is where you identify and fix these issues BEFORE they become permanent.

You get buy-in from your team
​

When people see that you've taken the time to understand the current system and their needs, they trust the process. When you skip straight to migration, they feel like something is being done TO them, not FOR them.

You can actually estimate accurately

Want to know why most migrations go over budget and past deadline? Because they were estimated without proper information. An assessment gives you the data you need to create a realistic timeline and budget.

The Real Cost of Getting This Wrong

Let's talk numbers for a second.


The average SharePoint migration for a mid-sized company costs between $50,000 and $200,000. That includes tools, labor, consulting, and lost productivity.

But here's what companies don't calculate:

  • The cost of doing it twice when the first attempt fails
  • The productivity loss when employees can't find what they need
  • The IT time spent constantly troubleshooting and firefighting
  • The opportunity cost of NOT having an effective system
  • The cultural damage when "leadership's big initiative" becomes a running joke


When you add all that up, a failed migration doesn't cost $50K or $200K. It costs multiples of that, plus it sets your organization back months or even years.


And most of this could be prevented by investing 10-15% of your total budget upfront in a proper assessment.

What You Need to Know About Your Environment

Before you move a single file, you need clear answers to these questions:

About your data:

  • How much data do you actually have? (Not how much you think you have—how much you actually have)
  • What's actually being used versus what's just taking up space?
  • Are there duplicate files? Outdated versions? Content that can be archived or deleted?
  • What are the permission structures? Who has access to what?

About your users:

  • How do people actually use the current system? (Not how they're supposed to use it—how they actually use it)
  • What are the pain points they experience daily?
  • What features do they rely on?
  • What are they afraid of losing?

About your structure:

  • What's the current information architecture?
  • What naming conventions exist (or don't exist)?
  • How is content organized and categorized?
  • What metadata exists and is it useful?

About your goals:

  • What are you actually trying to accomplish with this migration?
  • How will you measure success?
  • What does "done" look like?
  • What's the business case for doing this?

If you can't answer these questions clearly and specifically right now, you're not ready to migrate. And that's okay! You only get one shot at this (sorry, had to), so it's better to be prepared. It just means you need to do the assessment first.

Here's What You Should Do Next

If you're reading this and thinking, "We were about to pull the trigger on a migration without doing any of this," don't panic.


You just saved yourself from a very expensive mistake.


The good news is that doing a proper assessment isn't as complicated or time-consuming as you might think. You just need the right framework and someone who knows what to look for.

I've put together a comprehensive SharePoint Migration Assessment Checklist that walks you through everything you need to evaluate before starting your migration. It includes:


  • The exact questions to ask about your current environment
  • A data audit framework you can use immediately
  • User interview templates to understand actual needs
  • Risk identification worksheets
  • Timeline and budget estimation tools
  • A readiness scorecard to know if you're actually ready to proceed


This is the same assessment framework we use with clients who are investing six and seven figures in their SharePoint migrations. They use it because they can't afford to get it wrong. Neither can you.

Access The Free SharePoint Migration Assessment Checklist

Look, I get it. You want to move fast. You want to check "SharePoint migration" off your list and move on to the next thing. You've got one opportunity to do this right—don't let it slip.

But here's the truth: The fastest way to complete a successful migration is to start with a thorough assessment. The slowest (and most expensive) way is to skip it and try to fix problems as you go.

Your future self—and your CFO—will thank you for taking the time to do this right.

Grab the checklist, work through the assessment, and then move forward with confidence knowing you're building on a solid foundation instead of hoping for the best.

You've got this. Just don't skip the foundation.

]]>Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:40:22 +0000<![CDATA[Late Nights, Busy Weekends, & a Lot of Learning]]>https://www.gtconsult.com/blogs/post/late-nights-busy-weekends-a-lot-of-learningA write up about our, Support Engineer's, recent exam pass. She passed the SC-900 exam.]]>

Midnight’s Certification Journey

There’s a quiet kind of determination that often hides behind the scenes of IT support. It’s the kind that isn’t loud or boastful, but you see it in how someone shows up for the team, how they handle a difficult ticket, and how they quietly push themselves to grow. Midnight, one of our SharePoint Support Engineers, recently passed the Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals exam—and her story is a reminder that professional growth doesn’t always start with a formal plan. Sometimes, it starts with a nudge from leadership, a few too many tabs open, and a personal goal to prove something to yourself.


We sat down with Midnight to unpack her journey in full: the late nights, the surprises, the setbacks—and the sweet, surreal moment when she saw that she’d passed.

When you speak to Midnight about her latest achievement, her quiet confidence and curiosity shine through. As a SharePoint Support Engineer, she's always been interested in the mechanics behind her work—but now, with a new security certification under her belt, she’s got the theory to back it all up.

What exam did she pass?

The SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals exam is designed to assess your foundational knowledge of security, compliance, and identity (SCI) concepts and related Microsoft solutions.


The SC-900 exam is intended for individuals who are looking to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of SCI across cloud-based and related Microsoft services.This includes business stakeholders, new or existing IT professionals, and students.A basic understanding of Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 is recommended.


Key areas covered in the exam:

  • Concepts of security, compliance, and identity.

  • Capabilities of Microsoft Entra.

  • Capabilities of Microsoft security solutions.

  • Capabilities of Microsoft compliance solutions.

Why this exam?

The choice wasn’t random.


“It was part of the team's upskilling plan, identified by Brad for the support team.”


The certification was identified as a strategic step for the team, and Midnight leaned into it—recognizing that it wasn’t just about ticking a box, but about staying relevant and useful in a constantly evolving space.


Additionally, the certification wasn’t just a trophy; it was a tool. For Midnight, passing was just part of the mission. The real aim was to deepen her understanding of how security and compliance are embedded into hybrid infrastructure—something she works with every day.

Preparing for the exam

We asked how she prepared, and the answer was as real as it gets:


“A lot of sleepless nights, going through material on the laptop screen.”


No sugar-coating here. Midnight juggled her job and studies like many do—burning the midnight oil, quite literally. But the biggest challenge wasn’t the content itself.


“Sticking to the schedule and resisting the urge to play games.”


There’s something delightfully honest about that. When work and study take up all your hours, the call of an Xbox or a mobile game is loud. But she powered through.

Staying motivated

Every study journey has that moment where you ask, “Why am I doing this again?” For Midnight, the motivation came in an unexpected form:


“The upcoming long weekend and the prospect of rest.”

Sometimes, it's not a deep philosophical answer—it’s knowing that if you just keep going a little longer, there’s rest on the other side. That’s more relatable than most of us would like to admit.

Finding out she passed

When asked how it felt when she saw that “pass” on her screen.


“It felt unreal and surprising.”


“I gained the certification and more experience about the infrastructure being deployed for security and compliance.”


It’s more than just a certificate. For Midnight, it’s validation of her knowledge and a clearer understanding of the behind-the-scenes structure that supports secure business operations. It also deepens her ability to troubleshoot and support clients confidently.

How do you plan to apply what you’ve learned in your current role?

“Like I say, it's now—we're already working with these things. So now I just have a better understanding of why we implement these things.


Whereas, like I say, sometimes it was a case of your—management wants us to implement these things.


There's a very good reason why, but obviously I don't know quite the reason why beforehand.


And now I can actually know that this is—we need to implement this and do this because it can help us with this and this.”


“So yeah, I would say it helps identify why we have certain technologies in place—and rules as well—for the company environment.”


Her answer shows how impactful training can be when it’s tied to real-world application. She’s not just doing the work—she now understands the why behind it.

What’s your next goal after this awesome win? What are you looking to achieve next?

“The next goal I would say being the best auntie to my brother's child because it's only—they're only like 6 weeks away.

But yeah… my next goal would be, I would like to, and I'll ask whether this would be possible, but I would like to get more experience in being able to assist the devs with support tickets that need to be escalated to the devs—not only to help them with their workload and all of that, but because I find it extremely interesting. So I would say that would be my next goal. But that is now not a certification goal. The certification goal—I’ll find out which one is next.”

Midnight’s passion for deepening her knowledge is contagious. Whether it’s supporting her family or her dev team, she’s all-in.

Advice for anybody who wants to pursue this exam

“Yes, I would actually say it's worthwhile to do it because in this day and age, security is everything.
Even like—for a very stupid example, but a very real one that I feel like everyone can resonate with—is you have a security gate or a security alarm in your house, or something, something to secure your physical environment.”


“So with this, it just—it gives you a better understanding of how to secure—basically how to understand the security system within your, obviously, your business environment.”


“So yeah, that's why I would say this is definitely a good one to do. And yeah, I'm actually very glad I did it.”


Midnight keeps it real—and relevant. Whether you’re in IT or just securing your home Wi-Fi, she makes the importance of this exam easy to relate to.

Final Thoughts

Midnight’s achievement is more than a line on her résumé—it’s a stepping stone to what’s next. From becoming the best auntie to diving deeper into technical support, she’s embracing the opportunity to grow, ask questions, and lift others while she learns.

“I'm actually very glad I did it.”

And so are we.

Congratulations, Midnight!

]]>Thu, 15 May 2025 09:21:33 +0000<![CDATA[Is Your SharePoint Ready for Microsoft Copilot? 5 Key Factors You Need to Check ]]>https://www.gtconsult.com/blogs/post/is-your-sharepoint-ready-for-microsoft-copilot-5-key-factors-you-need-to-checkMicrosoft Copilot is only as powerful as the data it processes. Ensuring security, data quality, compliance, metadata, and cleanup prevents data exposure and improves AI insights. This blog covers the 5 key factors to check for Copilot readiness, ensuring a secure and effective AI experience.]]>

Before enabling Microsoft Copilot, ensure your SharePoint environment is AI-ready. Learn the 5 critical areas to assess for better security, compliance, and efficiency.

Why SharePoint Readiness is Critical for Copilot Success 

Microsoft Copilot is revolutionizing workplace productivity by integrating AI into everyday tools. But here’s the catch: AI is only as good as the data it learns from. 

 

If your SharePoint environment is cluttered, unstructured, or has poor governance, Copilot could surface outdated, irrelevant, or even sensitive data to the wrong people. Before enabling Copilot, you need to assess your SharePoint environment to avoid security risks and inefficiencies. 

 

So, how do you know if your SharePoint is AI-ready? Let’s get into the five critical areas you need to check before rolling out Copilot. 

1. Permissions & Security: Who Has Access to What? 

The Risk: 

Imagine Copilot suggesting a confidential HR file to the entire company- because of overly broad permissions. 

When Microsoft Copilot processes data, it follows SharePoint’s existing permissions model. If access controls are too broad or misconfigured, users might get AI-generated insights based on sensitive or confidential data they weren’t supposed to see. 


What to Check: 

  • Are permissions properly assigned, or do too many people have access? 

  • Are there anonymous or guest links that could expose sensitive data? 

  • Are security groups structured correctly, or do users have unintended access? 


 Remember: A permissions audit helps ensure Copilot only pulls data from the right sources. 

2. Data Quality: Cleaning Up Before AI Takes Over 

The Risk: 

AI learns from all your data, including outdated, duplicate, and irrelevant files- leading to poor recommendations. 

Copilot relies on existing SharePoint content to generate responses. If the data is outdated, duplicated, or poorly structured, Copilot’s recommendations may be incorrect, misleading, or incomplete. 

 

What to Check: 

  • How much redundant or outdated content is in your SharePoint? 

  • Are there duplicate files that could cause confusion? 

  • Is content properly tagged and structured for easy retrieval? 

 

 Tip:A structured, well-maintained SharePoint ensures AI serves useful and relevant insights. 

3. Compliance & Governance: Avoiding Costly Mistakes

The Risk: 

AI-driven search and automation can accidentally expose non-compliant data, leading to legal and regulatory risks. 


What to Check: 

  • Are documents stored in compliance with data protection regulations (GDPR, POPIA, etc.)? 

  • Do you have retention policies to prevent unauthorized exposure? 

  • Are sensitive documents properly labelled with compliance tags? 

 

 Tip:Strong governance ensures Copilot aligns with your compliance strategy. 

4. Metadata & Content Organization: AI Needs Structure

The Risk: 

If files aren’t properly categorized, Copilot won’t understand what’s relevant- leading to unhelpful results. 


What to Check: 

  • Are files consistently labelled with metadata for easy discovery? 

  • Do you have a clear folder structure that aligns with business needs? 

  • Is SharePoint search optimized with keywords and content types? 

 

 FYI:AI works best when content is organized, searchable, and well-tagged. 

5. Migration & Cleanup: Preparing for the Future 

The Risk: 

If your SharePoint is full of legacy data, orphaned files, and old SharePoint workflows, Copilot might surface information that’s no longer relevant. 


What to Check: 

  • Are there orphaned files left behind from past projects? 

  • Is old data archived properly instead of cluttering active sites? 

  • Are there unused workflows or outdated automation that need removal? 

 

 Tip:Decluttering SharePoint before enabling Copilot prevents unnecessary AI distractions.

In Summary

Final Thoughts: Protect Your SharePoint Before Deploying AI 

Microsoft Copilot is a powerful tool, but AI is only as good as the data it accesses. By addressing permissions, data quality, compliance, metadata, and cleanup, you can ensure that: 

  • Copilot respects security policies and only provides relevant results.

  • Employees get accurate AI-generated insights instead of outdated information. 
     

Ensuring your SharePoint is ready for Copilot can feel overwhelming- but you don’t have to do it alone. 

Want to test your SharePoint readiness? 

Get a Sharegate Copilot Readiness Assessment. 

The Assessment: 

  • Audits your permissions & security gaps 

  • Identifies outdated & duplicate content 

  • Ensures compliance & governance best practices 

  • Optimizes metadata & SharePoint structure 

  • Helps you prepare for AI-driven productivity 

 

Before you enable Copilot, let’s make sure your SharePoint is secure, optimized, and AI-ready. 

Get The Assessment
]]>Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:49:10 +0000<![CDATA[What is Vendifi?]]>https://www.gtconsult.com/blogs/post/what-is-vendifiA write up on Vendifi vendor management]]>

Understanding Vendifi: Your Comprehensive Solution for Vendor Management and Compliance

Introducing Vendifi: A vendor management and compliance solution that empowers businesses to streamline vendor onboarding, automate compliance checks, and maintain secure, centralized data within your Microsoft environment.

Book a demo
In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, companies are under immense pressure to manage and monitor their vendor relationships closely. From regulatory compliance and data security to operational efficiency, vendor management is no longer just a routine task—it’s a critical part of the business strategy. Yet, managing multiple vendors, staying compliant, and keeping sensitive data secure can be overwhelming.

This is where Vendifi comes in.

Maybe you've heard of Vendifi, through a friend, a colleague, or even a friend of a friend. Or maybe you’re entirely new here! However you've come across us, you might have questions—and we're here to answer them.

What is Vendifi? 

Vendifi is a Microsoft-based vendor management and compliance tool designed for businesses in regulated industries. Built on SharePoint and Azure, Vendifi ensures complete control over your data within your Microsoft environment, automates key compliance workflows, and integrates seamlessly with Office 365 and Teams to simplify vendor due diligence and regulatory checks.
Vendifi was created by PKF Digital, a joint venture between PKF Littlejohn and GTconsult. After many years of collaboration both parties identified a need in the market for a robust, enterprise-grade vendor management system that focused on governance, risk and compliance. With deep insights into auditing and due diligence, PKF Littlejohn, the 12th largest firm in the UK, brings multiple levels of expertise to the vendor management requirements. GTconsult is a global award-winning Microsoft Partner agency that has built multiple enterprise grade software solutions for some of the world’s largest companies. The joint venture ensures that both parties align to create the best possible solution.

Key features of Vendifi

VENDOR REGISTER

The Vendor Register within vendifi is a centralised platform designed to streamline and enhance the vendor management process. It serves as a comprehensive database for storing and managing all relevant vendor information, including contact details, certifications, insurance information, and performance history.

COMPLIANCE TEMPLATES

The Compliance Templates feature provides organisations with a valuable tool for ensuring adherence to industry regulations and best practices. These pre-designed templates offer standardised contracts, policies, and procedures that can be easily adapted to specific vendor relationships.

Spend Insights

The Spend Insights feature within vendifi provides organisations with valuable insights into their vendor spending patterns. By analysing historical data and identifying trends, this tool empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions and optimise their procurement processes.

Map Systems & Processes

The Map Systems & Processes feature within vendifi provides a visual representation of an organisation's vendor management workflows.

Automate Risk Identification

The Automate Risk Identification feature within vendifi leverages advanced analytics and machine learning to proactively identify potential risks associated with vendor relationships.

Vendor Lifecycle

The Vendor Lifecycle Management feature within vendifi provides a comprehensive framework for managing vendor relationships throughout their entire lifecycle.

Contract Management

The Contract Management feature within vendifi provides a centralised platform for managing vendor contracts throughout their lifecycle.

Internal Rating

The Internal Rating feature within vendifi provides a mechanism for collecting feedback from internal users of vendors' software or services. By conducting regular surveys, organisations can gain valuable insights into user satisfaction, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions regarding vendor relationships.

AI Document Identification

The AI-Powered Document Identification feature within vendifi utilises advanced artificial intelligence to streamline the due diligence process.

Vendor Email Domain Risk Check

The Vendor Email Domain Risk Check feature within vendifi provides a comprehensive analysis of vendor email domains, identifying potential security vulnerabilities and mitigating the risk of email fraud.

Learn more about our key features and benefits by listening to our audio whitepaper. Fun fact: None of these podcast hosts exist! What the AI!???

Why Vendifi? 

The modern supply chain is increasingly digital and, therefore, increasingly vulnerable. Vendor management is no longer just a best practice—it’s becoming a critical requirement as regulations like the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), set to come into effect in January 2025, place a strong emphasis on vendor oversight, data security, and operational resilience. These regulations require businesses to maintain strict compliance standards and proactively manage and monitor vendor relationships to ensure operational stability and cybersecurity.

Vendifi addresses these risks and requirements directly, equipping your team with the tools to monitor vendor compliance and ensure sensitive information remains secure and aligned with regulatory standards. By actively managing and mitigating supply chain risks, Vendifi acts as a first line of defence, helping your organization stay ahead of regulatory obligations and safeguard against potential vulnerabilities. And the best part? Your data, remains yours! It's really none of our business.

The business benefits of Vendifi

Cost Savings

By reducing the time and resources required for vendor management, Vendifi saves money while boosting efficiency.

Enhanced Compliance

Vendifi streamlines and automates regulatory processes.


Improved Efficiency

Automation and centralization make compliance and documentation management faster and simpler, freeing up your team to focus on high-impact work.

Reduced Administrative Burden

Vendifi’s user-friendly interface and seamless integration into your environment reduce the burden on your team, allowing them to quite literally, set it and forget it.

A Solution That Fits Your Bigger Picture

Vendifi is more than a vendor management tool—it’s part of a comprehensive approach to business efficiency and compliance. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Vendifi scales to meet your needs, supporting growth and minimizing risks in an ever-evolving landscape.

Ready to Get Started?

If you’re ready to streamline your vendor management and strengthen compliance, Vendifi is here to help. Let's simplify your vendor management and vendor compliance- book a demo now!

Discover how easy it can be to make vendor compliance and management work for you!
Book a demo
]]>Mon, 04 Nov 2024 14:38:03 +0000