Office 365 Tenant-to-Tenant Migration Checklist (Step-by-Step)

Migrating data from one Microsoft 365 tenant to another tenant might be a tedious task, but it is a necessary one for many organizations. Whether you’re handling a company merger, rebranding, or restructuring, the Microsoft 365 tenant-to-tenant migration process involves many steps. Without a clear plan, it’s easy to lose important data. That’s where an Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration checklist becomes necessary.

Now, you don’t need to worry because we are here to help you out. In this article, you will get the Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration checklist essentials. Let’s begin now!

Importance of Office 365 Tenant-to-Tenant Migration Checklist

An O365 tenant-to-tenant migration checklist serves as a blueprint plan for your project. Here’s why it’s important:

• Helps to prevent data loss or downtime.
• Keeps you organized, ensuring you don’t miss critical steps.
• Streamlines Microsoft 365 migration tasks without delays.
• Minimizes risks and keeps business workflows running smoothly.
• Improves communication and makes it easier to share progress with your team.

Step-by-Step Office 365 Tenant-to-Tenant Migration Checklist

Follow this simple checklist to plan, execute, and verify your Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration smoothly:

Step 1. Office 365 Pre-Migration Checklist

Before you start Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration, make effective plans.

Checklist below may help you out:

1. Understand your objective clearly, whether you’re merging tenants, changing company names, or moving to a new Office 365 environment.
2. Audit your current Office 365 tenant, mailboxes, SharePoint sites, Teams, and OneDrive.
3. Make sure the target tenant has enough Microsoft 365 licenses for all users.
4. Delete old accounts, unused groups, and unnecessary files.
5. Review the retention policies, MFA settings, and security groups before the O365 tenant-to-tenant migration.

Step 2. Keep Everyone Informed

Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration affects almost everyone in the company.

Add the following points to the Microsoft 365 migration checklist:

• Provide support and help guides for common questions.
• Provide clear dates for downtime or access changes.
• Notify employees when the Office 365 migration will happen and what will change.

Step 3. Set Up the Target Tenant

Your destination Office 365 tenant must be ready before moving the source data.

Include these tasks in your O365 migration checklist:

1. Add custom domains and verify them.
2. Set up global admin accounts.
3. Configure security and compliance settings.
4. Create user accounts and assign licenses.
5. Test the setup and make a group of users for trial migration.

Step 4. Do Office 365 Tenant-to-Tenant Migration

Now, let’s come to the actual stage. Migrate all your Office 365 tenant data using the right strategy and Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration tool/method.

Here’s what to include in your Microsoft 365 tenant-to-tenant migration checklist:

• Migrate mailboxes, including emails, calendars, and contacts, smoothly.
• Move OneDrive and SharePoint data and check permissions after migration.
• Transfer Teams data like channels, chats, and files carefully.
• Migrate a small group first before migrating the full Office 365 tenant data.

Step 5. Office 365 Post Migration Checklist

After a successful Microsoft 365 tenant-to-tenant migration, it’s important to check that everything works and is accessible.

Consider the Office 365 post-migration checklist below:

1. Check that all users can sign in.
2. Test email flow and calendar sharing.
3. Check OneDrive and SharePoint file access.
4. Review Teams functionality in the destination tenant.

Step 6. Train and Support Your Users

Once you have verified the Office 365 post-migration checklist, you should help your user get familiar with the new tenant and the migrated data.

For the same, do consider the following points:

• Share simple guides on logging in, accessing files, and using Teams.
• Provide help guides, training sessions, or quick video tutorials.
• Monitor feedback and resolve issues quickly.

Common Mistakes You Need to Escape

When working with an Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration checklist, you need to avoid the following mistakes:

• Skipping the Office 365 unnecessary data cleanup step.
• Forgetting to test DNS changes before the cutover.
• Ignoring Office 365 tenant compliance policies.
• Not planning enough downtime or after-hours migration.

Winding Up

A well-planned Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration checklist can make your migration smooth and easy. Opting for the best Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration methods also plays a crucial role. While manual methods are tedious and not suitable for less technical or novice users, choosing a powerful automated Office 365 migration tool is recommended.

However, many Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration tools come with a free trial version, allowing you to test your migration task for free before purchasing the full version. If you’re looking to migrate Office 365 from one tenant to another, follow the above checklist, choose a top Office 365 Tenant to Tenant migration tool, and test your migration now!