By Daniel Banon, Consultant | February 9, 2024
Imagine: you are traveling for work and need to check a document. First you must log into your VPN or your virtual machine. Then, wait while your file share loads. Finally, navigate to the correct folder, wait for it to load, and determine which file is the most recent version. Twenty minutes have passed, and you are in a hurry! Sound familiar?
It doesn’t have to be this way. Whether you are in the office, working from home, traveling, on a mobile device, or in a conference room, you need to do the same tasks the same way. It is possible to easily access your stuff anywhere you go. The right technology enables you to do your work – focus on the work, not the how. That’s the Unified Work Experience!
Welcome to the Unified Work Experience
The Cloud-based Unified Work Experience of Microsoft SharePoint Online is a digital environment where employees seamlessly collaborate, communicate, and access their work tools and resources from anywhere via cloud-based technologies. The key features usually include:
- Cloud-based Collaboration Tools: Microsoft Teams enable real-time communication, file sharing, and project collaboration among team members.
- Unified Communications: Integrate voice, video, and messaging services with Microsoft-based conference room solutions to facilitate effective communication within teams and across the organization.
- Document and Content Management: The cloud-based document management system in SharePoint Online empowers employees to securely store, access, and collaborate on documents and files from any device with an internet connection.
- Mobile Accessibility: Access work tools and resources from smartphones and tablets via Microsoft Intune, enabling employees to stay connected and productive even when away from their desks.
- Security and Compliance: Microsoft’s suite of robust security measures and compliance controls ensure protection of sensitive data and regulatory compliance, especially when accessing and sharing information over the internet.
- Customization and Integration: You have the flexibility to customize all of the above to align to how your organization operates. Microsoft offers many adaptable, out-of0the-box configurations to serve a variety of business needs and preferences. We strongly advocate leaning into Microsoft’s stable and scalable out-of-the-box configurations first.
Overall, a Cloud Unified Work Experience aims to provide employees with a consistent and seamless digital workspace that fosters collaboration, enhances productivity, and supports flexible work arrangements.
So, how do you get there? Step 1: Migrate to the Cloud
The Time is Now
If you’re still operating on-premises versions of SharePoint or other software, you’re not alone. But migration to SharePoint Online is rapidly becoming mandatory. As of April 2023, Microsoft ended support for SharePoint 2013. It is the latest iteration of SharePoint On-Prem to reach its sunset, and in the next two years both 2016 and 2019 versions of SharePoint will also reach their sunset.
When a SharePoint version reaches end of support, called sunset, Microsoft no longer provides technical counsel or updates.
This means if any issues or bugs arise in the software, Microsoft will not release any update to address them. Security updates and patches are no longer provided, leaving the system vulnerable to new threats. Organizations running an unsupported version of SharePoint may also face compatibility issues with other software and applications, as software may not be designed to work seamlessly with the unsupported versions of SharePoint.
It is crucial to upgrade to a supported version of SharePoint to ensure continued technical support, security, and compatibility.
Businesses need to begin planning now for these eventualities and planned obsolescence, but planning this change can be daunting! For the smoothest possible transition, you need a partner who understands how your organization does business and has the technical expertise to design your Unified Work Experience to be uniquely fit into your business processes and needs.
Success Begins with Strategy
Pico Logic partners with our clients to create a customized Cloud Migration strategy and compelling case for change. A strong migration strategy must be a culmination of your business requirements, an understanding of Microsoft’s best practices, and must consider future scalability. We call this your business “Point of View”, or POV.
There are many factors to consider, starting with organizational maturity. See our article “Technical Maturity Organizational Assessment, and Readiness for Change” for more information on this topic.
Migration planning must be clear and concise and involve all departments to ensure everyone’s needs are discovered.
Taking the time to discover these needs will help create a compelling case for change, optimize the solution design, and result in stronger and smoother adoption process by end users.
The Pico Logic strategy for SharePoint Migrations includes:
- Understanding business processes, needs, and current pain points.
- Articulating a vision statement with specific goals and outcomes.
- Identifying out-of-the-box solutions, with recommended configurations.
- Taking a phased approach to implementation.
- Considering the end-user experience.
- Preparing for training for all users.
- Providing change management tools and communications.
Migrating to a Smoother Future
Our goal is to bring our clients into the most up-to-date and modern experience within the Microsoft 365 environment so they can experience greater security, user satisfaction, scalability, and access to the latest functionality.
Migrating to the Cloud often solves many business problems. In addition to increased productivity, collaboration, and end-user satisfaction, our clients often realize long-term cost savings.
- Unearth previously hidden challenges during the discovery phase, such as old software or hardware, to identify cost savings.
- Interview each of your departments to obtain an understanding of essential work processes within an organization and how they are affected by SharePoint.
- Evaluate your M365 and third-party application licensing requirements to avoid paying twice for the same technology.
- Address application incompatibility issues associated with on Premises vs Cloud based applications.
- Recommend out of the box (OOTB) configurations versus customizations, wherever practical, to ensure easy and low-cost maintenance of your solution.
- Incorporate change management, communications, and training into your SharePoint Migration plan.
Step 1: Run Towards Migration!
Migrating from SharePoint On-Premises to SharePoint Online offers major benefits to organizations. SharePoint Online offers a wide range of features and capabilities, and the platform’s robust and enhanced security measures protect your data. By taking advantage of these benefits now, your organization can streamline operations, realize increased efficiency and long-term cost savings, and avoid the pitfalls of being entrenched in outdated and unsupported technology.
There’s no better time than the present to offer your employees a Unified Working Experience. Step one begins now – and Pico Logic would be honored to be your partner in making this goal a reality.