How to plan a seamless migration from Workplace by Meta

Turning unwanted change into opportunity

The news of Workplace by Meta’s impending closure has come as a nasty shock for enterprise leaders who have spent the last years embedding its social and knowledge capabilities into the fabric of their organizations. Change is scary, but with the right strategy, the end of Workplace by Meta could be the start of an exciting new chapter in your EX-evolution.

Platform owners will be wondering how they can transition from one active social platform to another with the least disruption possible. How can you preserve all the tacit knowledge stored across thousands of conversations? What about maintaining momentum; how will you get employees excited about a new solution? Succeeding in this endeavor requires a robust change management plan, a slick migration program, and a platform that packs a punch – and this is where Unily is positioned to help.

Over the decades, we’ve worked with some of the world’s largest, most complex organizations to deliver smooth migrations from isolated social instances to a holistic EX platform. In Unily, you’ll find an experienced migration partner with tried and tested migration tools, migration experts to support you on your journey, and a powerful Employee Experience Platform trusted by global brands just like yours.

In this article, we’ll share essential migration tips gathered over our years of experience and introduce the benefits of Unily's seamless migration program as an alternative to Workplace by Meta. 

Finding the right Workplace migration partner: What to look for

1. Proven experience

An intranet migration involves more than just changing technology. To navigate this process with confidence, you need a trusted partner with experience managing complex migrations. Key things to consider during a migration:

• How does your migration partner support multiple stakeholder groups, global audiences, and content contributors to navigate change?
• What options are available to simplify the transition and expedite time to value through concierge or white-glove services?
• How will your migration partner ensure data sovereignty is protected?
• How will your migration partner help with content relevancy in the new platform? As you move to a new platform, out-of-date or unofficial data can become more easily accessible through the introduction of more powerful discoverability options. What automated and configurable features are available to ensure hyper-relevant data is promoted?
• What should be in scope for migration? How will your migration partner work with you to consider what is needed for legal retention, user need, operational support, and what can be securely archived?

Any provider that promises a zero-error migration should be approached with caution. Migrations are complex undertakings and unexpected challenges will appear. An experienced partner will be invaluable when unforeseen issues arise. 

2. Platform capabilities

Finding a like-for-like platform alternative is rarely an option. Every platform will come with its own nuances, meaning some level of change is unavoidable. While it may be tempting to look for the closest match, it’s more important that you understand what content types you have and how they could translate to different platforms you’re considering. Change is also an opportunity to explore new horizons. Consider how your workforce needs may have altered since you first adopted Workplace, be mindful of some of the challenges you’ve had to navigate with your current tool, and take time to compile a refreshed list of requirements that will act as your north star as you evaluate options.

3. A transparent framework

Get curious about the migration process your chosen partner will use.

Do you often hear “You can be live in X weeks”? Like buying a used car, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Many vendors will want you to hear the ‘exciting’ number, but is it realistic? It may be ‘technically’ possible, but years of migrations have taught us that laying the right foundations is critical to success. A good migration partner will have a thorough migration framework that takes into account the softer elements of change management like securing executive sponsorship and engaging employees with change.

Check with your vendor: Does your framework include training and support tracks for different stakeholders? Predefined, tailored training paths will ensure everyone is upskilled to manage and contribute to a new platform effectively.

Ensuring a smooth transition with Unily’s Meta Workplace migration program

Unily’s Meta Workplace Migration program streamlines the migration of your content and information from Workplace to a comprehensive Employee Experience Platform, ensuring a seamless transition. Here’s how we get our customers from A to B smoothly:

• Automated data transfer: Unily’s migration tooling automates the data migration process, ensuring that all information, including user profiles, content, and configurations, are transferred accurately and efficiently.
• Your data, under your control: Having migrated dozens of intranets, Unily understands that there’s more to migration than lift and shift. Migrations are an opportunity to review, validate, and cleanse content and data. Unily gives you the control and support to make smart decisions about what you keep and what you don’t.
• Native equivalent capabilities: The tool maps and migrates data to native out-of-the-box equivalents in Unily, maintaining the structure and integrity of your information (more about this below!)
• Ongoing support: Our dedicated Professional Services and Support team partners with you through every step of the migration, from discovery to launch and beyond.
• Real-time monitoring: Throughout the migration process, real-time monitoring and analytics give you the ability to spot potential bumps in the road before they become a problem, eliminating concerns around downtime and disruption.

Elevating experiences with Unily content types

Strategic companies will seize this opportunity to reassess their digital employee experience strategy, migrating from isolated enterprise social networks to a deeply unified EX platform. Unily can replicate Workplace experiences with comparable content types, while giving you new opportunities to add value with additional platform features. Here are some examples of how Unily can elevate your experience from Workplace:

1. Knowledge Libraries:

Unily’s Knowledge Hub experience matches the capabilities to Workplace Knowledge Libraries AND enhances knowledge creation and findability with superior configurability and functionality. Connect your employees quickly and seamlessly to the information they need to support their roles.

2. Groups:

Unily offers the flexibility and simplicity to design templated Community site experiences tailored to various collaboration and engagement needs. Whether it be interest groups, project communities, team spaces, or ESG networks, you can count on Unily to deliver capabilities that will meet these needs.

3. And more:

Unily offers unmatched extensibility and configuration, allowing you to create the experience your company and employees need. Our platform scales with your requirements, ensuring a personalized and dynamic user experience.

Our Professional Services team will assist you in maximizing the value of a new Employee Experience Platform that transcends simple social communities to unlock the full potential of your workforce.

Proven track record of seamless migrations

Unily has a history of successful migrations earning the trust of CIOs globally.

Our expertise extends to migrations from other social intranets, providing assurance that Unily can handle the most challenging transitions effectively.

A secure solution you can trust

Unily provides enterprise-grade security, including ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications, crucial for protecting sensitive data. This ensures that your organization's sensitive information is safeguarded against breaches and unauthorized access. In addition, its comprehensive privacy controls and regular security audits, help meet stringent compliance requirements and build trust among users.

Why Unily is the superior choice

• Comprehensive Integration: Unily’s ability to integrate with both Microsoft and Google ecosystems sets us apart from other intranet products.
• Enterprise-Grade Security: With robust security measures and compliance certifications, Unily ensures your data is protected at the highest level.
• Advanced Analytics: Unily’s analytics tools provide real-time insights and data-driven decision-making capabilities.
• User Experience: Unily offers a more intuitive and user-friendly interface, ensuring higher adoption and satisfaction rates.
• Engaging the frontline: Mobile-first design, employee app, digital signage - our capabilities reach everyone in your workforce, no matter where they are or which device they wish to use.

As you navigate the end of Workplace by Meta, consider Unily as your trusted partner for a seamless and enhanced employee experience. Our new migration program ensures a smooth transition, integrating deeply with your knowledge suite and providing a comprehensive, unified platform that enhances productivity and engagement for the long haul.

Ready to plan your next steps?