Cloud migration: Preventing the most common data migration problems

As organizations adopt new cloud platforms, migrations between environments like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are now unavoidable for IT teams. Today, close to 62% of enterprise data is stored in cloud environments, making accurate and well-governed cloud-to-cloud migrations increasingly important. However, moving data between cloud environments is rarely straightforward. Files, permissions, sharing models, and compliance requirements all need to transfer accurately with minimal disruption to users.

When migrations aren’t carefully planned and governed, organizations can encounter data loss, broken access, downtime, and audit gaps that impact both productivity and security. Many of these issues are caused by avoidable gaps in preparation, visibility, and validation.

Below are the most common data migration problems organizations face during cloud-to-cloud migrations, and the measures that help prevent them.

Common data migration problems

1. Poor data preparation and scoping

The earliest, and most avoidable cloud data migration challenges are poor data preparation and scoping. Before migration begins, many organizations lack a clear understanding of what data should move, what can be left behind, and what requires cleanup. As a result, outdated, redundant, or unnecessary data is migrated with critical business information. This increases migration time and cost, creates messy cloud environments, and can introduce unintended security or compliance risk. 

2. Permission and access errors

Even when data transfers successfully, broken permissions and folder structures are a common source of disruption during cloud-to-cloud migrations. When access rights aren’t preserved correctly, users may lose access to critical files, inherit incorrect permissions, or struggle to navigate unfamiliar folder hierarchies. These issues create friction and downtime, introduce security and compliance concerns, and often require extensive manual remediation after migration.

3. Data loss or corruption during migration

Data loss or corruption is one of the most serious risks in any migration project. Incomplete transfers, file version conflicts, unsupported file types or structures, or broken links between related files can cause data to fail silently or migrate incorrectly. These issues are often only discovered after users begin working in the new environment, leading to missing or outdated information. The result is operational disruption and a loss of trust in the migration process. 

4. Downtime and user disruption

Beyond data accuracy, poorly timed migrations can significantly impact users. When migration windows aren’t aligned with business operations, users may be locked out of systems, working with outdated data, or unsure which environment is current. These disruptions quickly lead to productivity loss and an increase in support requests, placing added pressure on IT teams.

5. Lack of validation, reporting, and auditability

Without proper validation and reporting, organizations have no clear proof that a migration was completed successfully. The absence of detailed logs and reports leaves IT and compliance teams unable to verify outcomes, investigate issues, respond to regulatory inquiries, or demonstrate compliance during audits. Over time, these gaps create unresolved problems and lingering risks that may surface long after migration is complete. 

Left unaddressed, these issues can undermine the success of cloud migrations, but with the right practices in place, they can be mitigated early.

How to prevent data migration problems before they start

Preventing data migration problems requires building control and governance into the migration process from the outset. Successful cloud-to-cloud migrations prioritize preparation, visibility, and validation throughout. Using a purpose-built migration tool can help enforce these practices consistently, reducing reliance on manual processes and ad hoc scripts. Key practices include:

• Auditing and cleaning data before migration by identifying stale, redundant, and non-compliant content, and defining clear migration rules and scope. 
• Planning permissions and ownership intentionally by mapping users, groups, and sharing models in advance, and avoiding default or manual fixes after migration. 
• Automating migration workflows to reduce reliance on scripts and manual processes while ensuring consistency, repeatability, and scalability. 
• Migrating in phases with validation by running pilot migrations and verifying data integrity and user access before full cutover. 
• Maintaining governance and visibility throughout the migration by tracking progress, errors, and completion status, supported by detailed logs for audit and compliance.

CloudM Migrate: Fast, seamless and secure migrations without the downtime 

CloudM Migrate enables organizations to move data between cloud platforms, including migrations to or between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, with greater speed, security, visibility, and confidence. Built for cloud-to-cloud migrations, it helps preserve permissions, folder structures, and data integrity while minimizing downtime and disruption for end users.  By automating complex migration workflows and providing detailed reporting and tracking, CloudM Migrate helps prevent common data migration problems such as data loss, broken access, and compliance gaps, reducing reliance on manual processes. The result is a more predictable, secure migration experience that allows IT teams to migrate at scale without compromising governance or productivity.

Learn how CloudM Migrate can help you plan and execute your next cloud migration with confidence.