We recently completed a data migration for one of our clients from Dynamics CRM to SharePoint, and what a journey it was! Picture this: data flying across systems like moving boxes on a truck, some landing perfectly, others teetering on the edge of disaster. It was a rollercoaster of planning, testing, and problem-solving, but we made it to the finish line with valuable insights to share.
Migrating data to a new platform is like moving houses—if you don’t plan properly, you’ll end up with lost boxes, broken furniture, and a lot of stress. A well-executed migration ensures your data arrives safely, in order, and ready to be used. However, challenges abound. Here are some of the most common ones and how to avoid turning your migration into a horror movie.
1. Incomplete Data Assessment
Challenge: Imagine packing your entire house without checking what’s inside the boxes. You end up moving junk you don’t need while misplacing valuable items. The same happens with data migration—without a thorough assessment, you risk moving outdated files, duplicate records, or even data that has no relevance to your new system. Worse still, you might leave behind crucial information, like trying to unpack only to realize you left your charger (or worse, your pet!) in the old house.
One particular challenge we encountered during our CRM-to-SharePoint migration was dealing with choice fields and lookups. In Dynamics CRM, data fields can contain predefined choices or reference other records. However, when moving this data to SharePoint, we had to anticipate how it would land. SharePoint has a field type called Managed Metadata, which posed a challenge when writing data into it. Unlike CRM, which seamlessly handles lookups, Managed Metadata requires proper term sets to be configured beforehand, or else the data doesn’t map correctly—like trying to move your wardrobe into a house with no closet space.
Solution: Conduct a comprehensive data audit before migration. Identify and eliminate redundant, obsolete, and trivial (ROT) data. Use automated tools to analyze and categorize data, ensuring only relevant files make the cut. For structured fields like choices and lookups, plan how they will map in the destination system and create necessary metadata configurations in advance. Think of it as measuring your furniture before moving—it saves you the headache of realizing your king-sized bed won’t fit through the door.
2. Lack of a Clear Migration Strategy
Challenge: Moving without a plan means misplaced boxes and last-minute chaos. In the digital world, this translates to prolonged downtimes, operational disruptions, and unanticipated costs. Imagine waking up on moving day with no packing materials, no moving truck, and no idea where anything goes. You’ll end up shoving everything into random boxes and hoping for the best—except in data migration, that approach leads to serious inefficiencies and potential failure.
During our CRM-to-SharePoint migration, we had to determine whether all data migration could be handled through Power Automate or if some of it would need to be done manually. As we analyzed the process, we realized that troubleshooting how to feed certain data structures into SharePoint could take significantly longer than simply entering the missing pieces manually. It was a balancing act—automate where possible, but don't let automation slow down progress when a manual approach could be faster and more efficient.
Solution: Develop a structured migration plan with clear goals, timelines, roles, and responsibilities. Consider phased migration to minimize risks and ensure business continuity. Identify potential bottlenecks early—like complex data structures—and decide whether to invest time in automation or opt for selective manual intervention. It's like color-coding your moving boxes—you’ll know exactly where everything goes while also keeping a toolbox handy for last-minute adjustments.
3. Data Integrity and Loss Risks
Challenge: Ever had a moving company lose your stuff? Now imagine if, instead of a missing coffee table, it was critical customer data, financial records, or key operational files. Data corruption, loss, or inconsistencies during migration can disrupt business operations, cause compliance issues, and erode trust with customers and stakeholders.
In our migration process, one of the biggest challenges was handling massive data sheets. Some files were so large that they couldn't be processed in one go. We had to cut them into smaller, more manageable chunks for upload via Power Automate. Keeping track of all these sheets, ensuring none were missed, and verifying that only the most pertinent client data was entered was an exercise in patience and precision—like assembling a 10,000-piece puzzle with no reference picture.
Solution: Perform pre-migration backups to secure critical data. Use robust migration tools that maintain data integrity and log errors for quick resolution. Implement a structured approach to breaking down large datasets, ensuring each piece is accounted for. Validate data post-migration to confirm that everything is where it should be. This is the equivalent of taking inventory before and after the move—no surprises!
4. Compatibility and Integration Issues
Challenge: Your old couch may not fit through the door of your new place, just like migrated data may not be compatible with the new system’s structure. Formatting issues, metadata loss, or software incompatibility can render data useless, like buying a new fridge only to realize it doesn’t fit in the kitchen.
During our migration, one of the trickiest challenges was transitioning data from a multiple select choice field in Dynamics CRM to a Managed Metadata field in SharePoint. Unlike CRM, which allows users to select multiple values easily, SharePoint's Managed Metadata field required a different approach to updating values. Figuring out how to handle this mapping was a task that took careful planning, testing, and adjustments—like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Solution: Ensure data is structured and formatted correctly before migration. Use appropriate migration tools that retain metadata and permissions. Conduct compatibility tests before full-scale migration. If necessary, “resize” your data structure so it fits into the new system seamlessly.
5. Performance Issues
Challenge: Ever tried moving an entire house in one trip? Spoiler: It doesn’t work. Large-scale data migrations can slow down systems, disrupt normal operations, and cause unexpected failures if not managed properly. We encountered this when moving bulk records from CRM to SharePoint—some jobs took forever, while others failed mid-transfer, forcing us to restart the process.
The system’s performance took a hit, and we had to decide whether to migrate everything in one go or break it down into smaller, manageable chunks. It was like trying to transport all your belongings in a tiny hatchback—either make multiple trips or risk overloading and stalling mid-journey.
Solution: Plan for staged migration by transferring data in batches to reduce strain on the system. Optimize migration scripts and workflows to handle bulk operations efficiently. Test system performance under load before full-scale migration to prevent unpleasant surprises. Think of it like pacing yourself during a move—don’t carry all the boxes at once if you want to avoid a back injury.
Conclusion
Data migration doesn’t have to be a nightmare. With careful planning, the right tools, and a proactive approach, you can ensure a smooth transition—without lost data, security risks, or confused employees. Address these challenges head-on, and your migration will be more like a well-orchestrated move rather than a chaotic scramble. Happy migrating!
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