Migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365

56% of those who migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365 fail to meet deadlines because they treat it like a ‘lift-and-shift.’ Spoiler: It’s not.  

To successfully migrate Google Workspace to Office 365, you need a strategy that addresses collaboration, permissions, and hidden costs—not just data transfer. 

The 3 Truths When You Migrate Google Workspace to Office 365 

Truth 1: Your Collaboration Workflow Will Break

A designer updates a Google Doc (version 12). You migrate it to Word. The team keeps editing the Google Doc (now version 15). Post-migration, the Word file is outdated. The team overwrites changes. The client receives conflicting drafts. The contract is voided. The deal collapses. All because you ignored version control. This is why migrating from Google Workspace to Office 365 demands more than just moving files—it requires rethinking how teams collaborate in real time. 

Why It Matters: 

• Google’s Real-Time Edits ≠ Office 365’s Co-Authoring:
• Google Docs auto-saves every keystroke. Office 365 requires manual saves (Ctrl+S) during co-authoring. 
• Impact: 22% more version conflicts during migration (Forrester). 
• Fix: Use Simultrans to lock Google Docs during migration and force Office 365 adoption. 

Collaboration chaos is just the start. Wait until permissions explode. 

Truth 2: Permissions ≠ Permissions 

Slippery Slope: 

 A Google Drive folder shared with “Anyone with the link” migrates to SharePoint. By default, SharePoint inherits permissions from the parent folder. The folder becomes public. A competitor finds it via Google Search. Trade secrets leak. Stock drops 8%. Permission mismatches are a silent killer when you migrate Google Workspace to Office 365, turning shared links into compliance nightmares. 

Why It Matters: 

• Google’s Model: Link-based sharing (no Active Directory integration). 
• Office 365’s Model: Azure AD-driven access (users must be in your tenant).  
• Risk: 40% of externally shared files break post-migration (Gartner). 
• Fix: Pre-migration audit with Varonis to map “Anyone with the link” to specific AD groups. 

Permissions are a minefield. But the financial bleed from redundant tools is worse. 

Truth 3: You’re Paying for Two Ecosystems (But Using Half) 

You keep Google Workspace for Docs and Microsoft 365 for Teams. Employees use both. A sales rep attaches a Google Doc to a Teams chat. The client can’t open it (no Google account). The deal stalls. The rep quits. Revenue misses target by 12%. Hybrid tool stacks drain budgets, which is why a full migration from Google Workspace to Office 365 often pays for itself in 18 months or less. 

Why It Matters: 

• Cost: $12/user for Google Workspace + $20/user for Microsoft 365 = $32/user. 
• Savings: Full migration to Microsoft 365 E5 ($38/user) lets you cut Slack ($8/user) and Zoom ($15/user).  
• ROI: 19% cost reduction over 3 years (Flexera). 

Now that we’ve exposed the landmines, let’s talk about the 4 decisions that make or break your migration. 

The 4-Decision Framework (What Consultants Charge $50k to Share) 

Your survival kit when you migrate from google workspace to office 365 

Decision 1: How to Handle Google Drive 

Migrate Drive to OneDrive. Shared folders break inheritance. Employees can’t access Q4 reports. The CFO panics. Auditors flag “inaccessible financial records.” The SEC fines you $500k. This is why migrating Google Workspace to Office 365 requires meticulous planning for Drive-to-SharePoint mapping—not just drag-and-drop transfers. 

Options: 

• Option A: OneDrive (simple, but loses folder structures).  
• Use Case: Small teams (<50 users). 
• Option B: SharePoint (complex, but enables metadata tagging for compliance).  
• Use Case: Enterprises needing audit trails. 
• Data: 68% of enterprises choose SharePoint (Microsoft). 

Drive is just the beginning. What about 500 hours of Google Meet recordings? 

Decision 2: What to Do with Google Meet Recordings 

Migrate Meet recordings to Teams. Internal training links pointing to Drive break. New hires can’t access onboarding videos. Ramp-up time doubles. HR misses hiring goals. 

Options: 

• Option A: Manual download/upload (time: 1 hour per recording). 
• Option B: Use Microsoft’s Data Import Service (bulk migration, but requires Azure Blob Storage). 
• Pro Tip: Update internal links post-migration with Redirector to avoid broken URLs. 

Recordings are tedious. But rebuilding workflows? That’s where blood is shed. 

Decision 3: How to Convert Google Workspace Scripts 

A logistics firm’s AppScript auto-generates invoices from Sheets. Post-migration, the script breaks. Invoices stall. Vendors halt shipments. Production stops. Loss: $1.2M/week. 

Options: 

• Option A: Rebuild in Power Automate (time: 3x longer, but scalable). 
• Option B: Keep Google Workspace for scripts (cost: $12/user/month for unused licenses). 
• Data: 70% of AppScripts require full rewrites (Nucleus Research). 

Scripts are a migraine. But licensing? That’s a heart attack. 

Decision 4: When to Kill Google Workspace Licenses 

You cancel Google licenses Day 1. A critical third-party app (e.g., Salesforce) still uses Google Auth. Logins fail. Sales can’t access CRM for 48 hours. Pipeline visibility drops to zero. 

Options: 

• Option A: Phase out licenses over 90 days (monitor app dependencies). 
• Option B: Cut licenses immediately (save $12/user, risk outages). 
• Pro Tip: Use Okta to migrate auth to Azure AD seamlessly. 

Decisions made? Good. Now let’s dodge the hidden traps. 

The Hidden Traps When You Migrate From Google Workspace to Office 365 

Trap 1: Google Sites Become Orphaned 

Your Modern intranet (Google Sites) isn’t migrated. Employees bookmark dead links. IT rebuilds it in SharePoint… in 6 months. Productivity drops 30%. Legacy Google Sites are often overlooked when teams migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365, creating intranet black holes that frustrate employees.  

Solution: 

• Use ShareGate to auto-convert Sites → SharePoint. 
• Cost: $3,000 (tool) vs. $50,000 (manual rebuild). 

Sites are obvious. But Shared Drives? That’s a ambush. 

Trap 2: Shared Drives ≠ SharePoint Libraries 

Shared Drives migrate as flat folders. Permissions reset. The legal team loses access to case files. A deposition is missed. The lawsuit is lost. Legal fees: $2M. 

Solution: 

• Pre-tag files with metadata (e.g., “CaseID=2024-05”) pre-migration. 
• Rebuild permissions via SharePoint’s column-based filtering. 

Shared Drives hurt. But compliance gaps? That’s extinction-level. 

Trap 3: Google Vault ≠ Microsoft Purview 

Legal places a hold on a departed employee’s emails in Vault. Post-migration, the hold isn’t replicated in Purview. The employee sues for wrongful termination. Their emails are purged. You lose. Settlement: $1.5M. 

Solution: 

• Manually recreate holds in Purview (time: 20 hours per hold). 
• Tool: Use AvePoint for automated policy migration.

Playbook When You Migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365 

A tactical 90-day roadmap to avoid becoming a cautionary tale when you migrate Google Workspace to Office 365

Phase 1: Pre-Migration (Days 1–15) 

Skip auditing Google Sites. Post-migration, the HR intranet breaks. New hires can’t access onboarding docs. Ramp time doubles. Talent acquisition misses Q2 hiring goals by 40%. 

Actions: 

1. Run Microsoft’s Cloud Readiness Checker (free tool) to flag:  
2. Google Forms (rebuild in Power Apps). 
3. Jamboard files (export as PDFs). 
4. Create a “Kill List”: Sunset redundant apps (e.g., Google Keep, Chat). 
5. Lock Google Docs: Use Simultrans to freeze edits during migration. 

Pre-migration prep is your armor. Now, let’s talk about the battle plan. 

Phase 2: Execution (Days 16–45) 

Migrate emails first. Shared calendars break. The CEO’s keynote timezone shifts from PST to UTC. Investors miss the live stream. Stock dips 5% overnight. Execution is where most migrations from Google Workspace to Office 365 unravel—prioritize emails first to avoid calendar chaos. 

Actions: 

Migration Order:  

1. Priority 1: Emails/Calendars (least disruption). 
2. Priority 2: Drive → OneDrive/SharePoint (use BitTitan for metadata retention). 
3. Priority 3: Meet recordings → Teams/Stream (update links with Redirector). 
4. Comms Plan: Send daily Slack/Teams updates to avoid “Where’s my data?” panic. 

Execution is chaos managed. But the real test begins post when you migrate Google Workspace to Office 365 

Phase 3: Post-Migration (Days 46–90) 

Ignore Teams training. Employees default to emailing Word docs. A client receives 12 versions of a proposal. They choose a competitor. Revenue drops 8% that quarter. Post-migration training is non-negotiable after you migrate Google Workspace to Office 365—assume employees will default to old habits without guidance. 

Actions: 

1. Deploy Copilot: Automate repetitive tasks (e.g., “Summarize migrated Docs”). 
2. Adopt Metrics: Target 70% Teams adoption within 60 days (use Viva Insights). 
3. Conduct “Fix-It” Sprints: Address top 10 user complaints weekly (e.g., “I can’t find shared folders”). 

Even flawless execution has cracks. Here’s when to call reinforcements. 

When to Call Beyond Intranet 

Scenario 1: You Have 500+ Google Sites 

Your intranet (500+ Sites) isn’t migrated. Employees use Slack for docs. A compliance audit finds sensitive data in 120 unprotected channels. GDPR fine: €2.4M. 

Our Move: 

• Automated Site → SharePoint conversion (retains permissions, updates links). 
• Post-migration training: “How to use SharePoint News vs. Teams Wikis.” 

Scenario 2: Your CFO Demands a TCO Analysis 

You present a gut-feeling ROI. The CFO rejects it. Migration stalls. You pay $32/user for dual tools for 12 more months. Overspend: $230k. 

Our Move: 

• Audit + TCO model (includes hard costs + productivity loss). 
• Example: A 500-user org saved $19/user/month post-migration (19% ROI). 

Scenario 3: File Access Tickets Spike 300% 

Employees submit 50+ “Where’s my file?” tickets daily. IT burns 20 hours/week fixing permissions. Projects stall. Attrition hits 25%. 

Our Move: 

• Permission remapping (rebuild inheritance in SharePoint). 
• Self-service portal: “How to request access in 2 clicks.” 

Before you begin to migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365, ensure you’re bulletproof. 

The Consultant’s Checklist 

• Pre-converted Google Docs to .docx/.xlsx (prevents Teams co-authoring errors). 
• Mapped Google Groups → Azure AD security groups (e.g., “[email protected]” → “SG-Sales-RW”). 
• Tested “Edit in Teams” with power users (validate SharePoint integration). 
• Scheduled license termination (Google Workspace → Day 45 post-migration). 
• Trained legal team on Purview’s eDiscovery (non-negotiable for compliance audits). 

Forget to test “Edit in Teams.” A manager edits a budget sheet in desktop Excel. Changes don’t sync to SharePoint. Finance approves outdated numbers. Overspend: $120k. 

Conclusion 

Migrations aren’t about technology—they’re about people. Whether you migrate from Google Workspace to Office 365 for cost, compliance, or collaboration, success hinges on aligning tools with human workflows. book a migration session. Your ecosystem’s survival depends on it.