The Challenge
- Decade of project folders on an aging on-prem file server with no version history
- Field staff using personal cloud accounts to share drawings because head-office access was too slow over VPN
- No clear ownership of estimating templates, contract documents, or as-built drawings
- Backups were configured but had never been test-restored
Assessment
- Inventoried 4.3 TB of file-server data and classified it by project status, owner, and sensitivity
- Mapped how each role (estimator, PM, site supervisor, accounting) actually used the data day-to-day
- Reviewed Microsoft 365 licensing, identity, and existing tenant security baseline
- Documented current backup configuration and recovery objectives
The Solution
- Designed a SharePoint architecture aligned to project lifecycle (Estimating, Active Projects, Closeout, Archive)
- Migrated 4.3 TB of historical data with metadata, retention, and access controls
- Rolled out OneDrive Known Folder Move so personal work files are protected without retraining staff
- Deployed Microsoft 365 MFA, conditional access, and external-sharing controls
- Added independent Microsoft 365 backup so deletions and ransomware events are recoverable
- Trained estimators, PMs, and site staff on the new structure with quick-reference guides
Results
60%
faster drawing access for field staff replacing VPN with SharePoint sync
4.3 TB
of project data migrated with metadata and retention applied
0
external personal-cloud accounts still being used to share drawings
100%
of mailboxes and OneDrive accounts now under MFA + independent backup
Technologies Used
- Microsoft 365
- SharePoint Online
- OneDrive
- Intune
- Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365