Step 1: Assess and Plan the Migration Strategy
Evaluate the M&A situation before scoping anything. Determine the domain consolidation strategy, account for total user count and workloads, and identify every stakeholder who has a dependency on the migration outcome. Build the project schedule after the assessment is complete, not before. Timelines set before discovery finishes are guesses.
Step 2: Build the User Communication Plan
Work backwards from migration day and build a T-minus communication schedule. Most environments need at minimum a communication three days before cutover, one the day before, and one on cutover day. Each message should tell users specifically what access changes to expect and what actions they will need to take after migration. Assumed communication is not communication.
Step 3: Prepare the Destination M365 Tenant
Create user accounts in the destination tenant using PowerShell scripts, CSV bulk import, or directory synchronization. Assign licenses in Azure AD or Entra ID before migration runs. Confirm the destination environment is clean and ready to receive data before the first migration pass touches it. Accounts without licenses assigned generate access failures that look like migration errors. They aren’t.
Step 4: Create the MigrationWiz Project
Log in to MigrationWiz and create a new tenant-to-tenant project. Configure source and destination endpoints using the appropriate API credentials for each tenant. Verify both endpoint connections before moving to workload configuration.
Step 5: Configure Domain Mapping and Mail Routing
Map the source domain to the destination tenant. Configure mail routing and install connectors to maintain email flow during the coexistence period if the migration is running in phases. Test mail flow in both directions before cutover. Silent routing failures during coexistence are among the hardest problems to diagnose after the fact.
Step 6: Add Users and Select Workloads
Add the users being migrated to the project. Migrate workloads in this order: Exchange Online mailboxes first, then OneDrive and SharePoint, then Teams. This sequence matters. Teams dependencies on SharePoint and Exchange mean migrating out of order creates access failures that appear unrelated to the workload that caused them.
Step 7: Run the Pre-Stage Migration Pass
Execute the pre-stage pass to complete the initial data transfer before cutover. This moves the bulk of data without affecting user access, reduces the data volume that needs to move during the cutover window, and gives the team an early read on data integrity before the window opens.
Step 8: Execute the MX Record Cutover
Update DNS records to point to M365. Update the Autodiscover CNAME at the same time. Schedule this during off-hours. MX propagation can cause temporary mail delivery delays and those delays need to resolve before business hours start. Confirm mail flow in both directions before closing the cutover window.
Step 9: Validate and Resolve Errors
Review migration logs for failed items before declaring the migration complete. Verify user access in the destination tenant across all migrated workloads. Resolve every data transfer issue that surfaced during the migration pass. A green dashboard at cutover does not mean the migration worked. Validation against a pre-migration baseline does.
Step 10: Deploy Outlook Profiles
Use BitTitan DeploymentPro to configure Outlook profiles automatically on user devices. If automation isn’t being used, provide users with written step-by-step instructions for manual profile setup before they attempt to reconnect. Users who can’t get into Outlook generate help desk volume that a pre-configured profile or clear instructions would have prevented.
Step 11: Complete Post-Migration Cleanup and User Handoff
Once validation is confirmed, decommission the source tenant and remove any residual vanity domains from the source environment. Communicate remaining open items to end users before closing the project. Don’t decommission the source until validation is complete and signed off. Decommissioning before that removes the ability to recover anything that was missed.
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