IT Agility AbilityTM
IT Agility AbilityTM
Case Study
Client: Central Government Department
Service Provided: Data Migration & Knowledge and Information Management (KIM)
Background
A central government client embarked on a major digital transformation initiative aimed at modernising how information is stored, accessed, and governed across the organisation. Historically, teams relied on traditional network drives with deeply nested folder structures and decades of accumulated content.
As part of the move towards a modern Microsoft 365 environment, the client required experienced KIM and data migration specialists to support the transition from legacy storage to SharePoint Online. The goal was not only to migrate content but also to improve information governance, user experience, and long‑term operational efficiency.
Certes IT KIM specialists were engaged to provide hands‑on expertise in data migration, metadata creation, tagging, archiving, and change support.
Objectives:
The digital transformation programme was designed to achieve the following:
- Modernise information management practices across the department.
- Migrate all legacy network drive content into SharePoint Online.
- Replace outdated, folder-heavy structures with a simplified flat architecture using metadata.
- Improve searchability, transparency, and cross‑department collaboration.
- Reduce legacy clutter by archiving out‑of‑date content.
- Support employees in adopting new digital ways of working.
- Provide additional capacity to accelerate the programme and reduce pressure on internal teams.
Challenges
Legacy Storage Structure
- Decades of historic files stored across deep, inconsistent folder hierarchies.
- Personal folder structures, outdated documents, and duplicate content.
- A long-standing culture of retaining everything, generating extremely large volumes of data.
User Adoption & Change
- Staff were unfamiliar with metadata-driven SharePoint sites.
- The transition from folders to a flat, search-based model required a mindset shift.
- Existing change fatigue made adoption support essential.
Volume & Complexity
- Individual departmental migrations ranged from 90,000 files to 400,000+.
- Over the programme duration, more than one million files were processed.
- Organisational differences across departments affected complexity and workload.
Limited Internal Capacity
- Prior to Certes IT’s support, an internal technical lead was solely responsible for delivery.
- Immediate additional capacity was required to keep the transformation on track.
The Solution
The Certes IT team, made up of KIM and data migration specialists, worked alongside the client’s internal architecture and change teams to deliver a structured, scalable migration approach.
SharePoint Architecture & Site Preparation
- The client’s internal technical lead designed each SharePoint site.
- Certes KIM specialists ensured sites aligned with governance, metadata, and tagging requirements.
End‑to‑End Data Migration Delivery
The team took full ownership of the migration lifecycle, including:
- Reviewing and analysing legacy folder structures
- Identifying and archiving historical or redundant content
- Creating metadata models and controlled vocabularies
- Tagging and categorising files
- Bulk migrating content into SharePoint Online
- Applying appropriate access controls
This approach delivered consistency across all sites and significantly reduced the burden on internal teams.
Modern Flat Architecture & Metadata Strategy
The specialists implemented a streamlined SharePoint model focused on metadata rather than folders, enabling staff to:
- Search by category, theme, or keyword
- Filter and refine large datasets quickly
- Avoid navigating outdated and complex folder structures
Change & Adoption Support
Close collaboration with the client’s internal change function ensured:
- Consistent training and communication
- Awareness and support sessions
- User‑friendly guidance materials
- Alignment between technical delivery and end‑user expectations
Results & Outcomes
Modernised Information Environment
The client now benefits from a modern SharePoint Online ecosystem with improved visibility, access, and governance.
Streamlined and Reduced Legacy Data
Systematic archiving removed years of outdated material, reducing clutter and simplifying user experience.
Over One Million Files Successfully Migrated
The additional capacity provided by specialists allowed the programme to progress at pace and scale.
Reduced Pressure on Internal Teams
The client’s technical lead was able to move away from unsustainable workloads, with the external team absorbing day‑to‑day migration activities.
Consistent, Searchable SharePoint Sites
The new flat architecture and metadata model empower staff to locate information quickly and intuitively.
Improved User Adoption
With structured change support, staff have embraced the modernised way of working and are increasingly confident using the new digital environment.
Who We Work With
