User Review
( votes)Find out how one organization thought they were good to go but after running the Modernization Scanner we found 1000’s of broken workflows.
If you’ve been using SharePoint 2010 to manage your CRM system, you might be in trouble. As you may have heard, Microsoft announced that SharePoint 2010 Workflows are being retired. This announcement stems from the company’s focus on adopting newer tools and technology and their push to have users quickly adopt Power Automate
Given the company’s push towards Power Automate, this announcement was only a matter of time, but it could leave businesses who are still relying on these workflows in a tough spot. But what exactly is being turned off?
Here’s what we know so far: all SharePoint 2010 Workflows were switched off on August 1, 2020. If you were planning on migrating any workflows to a new tenant, it is no longer possible. To help make the transition away from SharePoint 2010 easier, here’s what you can expect.
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Any workflows that are running on SharePoint 2010 in an existing tenant must be moved by November 1, 2020 and be recreated in either Power Automate or another system. If you don’t move them, they may stop running.
Beginning on the first of November, Microsoft will start removing users’ ability to create or execute 2010 workflows. While you won’t be able to run existing 2010 workflows, you can still access them. Please note that as Microsoft continues to move towards newer technology, you may lose access to these workflows in the future.
It’s expected that the following workflows will be affected by the retirement of SharePoint 2010:
- Signature collection: This workflow routes a Microsoft document to gather electronic signatures.
- Gather feedback: The workflow that gathers feedback from specific people or parties.
- Classic pages publishing approval: When you need to send content or sample web pages to clients or customers for approval, this is the workflow you would use.
- Three-state: This workflow is used to manage business processes that require users to track a number of items or issues such as sales leads, project tasks, or support issues.
- Approvals: When you need approval from designated parties, this workflow routes the item or document to the right person.
Moving SharePoint 2010 Workflows to Power Automate isn’t a simple task. While migrating simple workflows is relatively straightforward, migrating long, complicated processes can take much longer than the few months given by Microsoft. You don’t want to run the risk of losing access to the business processes you rely on after November 1 as this can create numerous problems for your organization. So what are you to do?
It’s recommended to get in touch with a Microsoft representative or Microsoft Partner that has experience in using Power Platform. JourneyTEAM is one of those partners. We’ve already assisted numerous clients in understanding what their options are as well as provided assistance in moving to Power Automate.
It won’t. Microsoft has specified that on-premise workflows for SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013 will continue to be supported until 2026.
As of today, Microsoft has made no announcement that SharePoint 2013 workflows will be retired. However, while they’ll still be supported, they will be deprecated.
By default, all SharePoint 2013 workflows will be turned off for new tenants after November 1, 2020. However, should you need to activate the 2013 on a new tenant, you can do so using the PowerShell script provided by Microsoft.
Don’t think that 2010 workflows are safe in SharePoint 2013. While Microsoft has not yet announced the retirement of SharePoint 2013, it’s only a matter of time before this announcement comes. Especially considering that Microsoft has repeatedly emphasized that their preferred workflow solution is Power Automate and Office 365. To be safe, any workflows you recreate in SharePoint 2013 should be recreated in Power Automate to ensure you don’t lose access to these workflows.
Moving your workflows directly to Power Automate can help you save hours of work. But migrating to the platform isn’t as straightforward as it seems. SharePoint 2010 and 2013 have different features than those in Power Automate that allow some workflows to be recreated and others not. You’ll need to determine how complex your workflows are and if Power Automate features all the actions contained in the existing workflow. To help you figure this out, Microsoft has created the Modernization Scanner.
While you only have a few months to migrate your workflows, there’s no need to start panicking. Your first step is analyzing your system and figuring out exactly which workflows will be turned off on November 1, 2020.
This is exactly what the Modernization Scanner tool does. It scans your entire system and pinpoints exactly which workflows will be affected by the retirement. Plus, it can help for further modernization by providing a report that details:
- Which lists and libraries can be modernized
- Where rebuilding of classic portals need to be done
- Which classic workflows, InfoPaths, and blog pages are being used
The Modernization Scanner will show you exactly which workflows will be affected at the beginning of November. Additionally, the insight gained from the scanner will specify which SharePoint 2010 features can’t be recreated in Power Automate or another modern system. This enables you to work with your IT team to figure out how to recreate those actions and tasks within a modern server, so that your business processes won’t be disrupted.
Even with a thorough knowledge of your system, you can never be 100% sure that there aren’t a few SharePoint 2010 workflows hiding in the shadows. Consider this: JourneyTEAM recently worked with a client that used the Modernization Scanner on one part of their system. When the scan was complete, they discovered 1,000 SharePoint 2010 workflows that several of their business processes relied heavily on. With the Modernization Scanner, they were able to avoid overloading their IT team with work at the beginning of November.
Now that you can see how the retirement of SharePoint will affect your business processes, it’s time to get to work. Here’s what you need to do: First, you’ll need to get in touch with someone from JourneyTEAM. After you’ve spoken with one of our team members, you’ll need to set up and run the Modernization Scanner in a specific tenant which will gather the data needed to determine which workflows will be affected by SharePoint’s retirement. Once you have that data, send it to your JourneyTEAM contact. Using that data, we’ll help you determine what, if any, steps need to be taken.
Working directly with our SharePoint Knowledge Management Team, you’ll get the exact support you need to modernize your SharePoint 2010 workflows. Whether you have questions about how to run the scanner or run into a few minor issues, our team can help. JourneyTEAM has numerous online resources available as well as tutorials and work sessions that can get you started.
Don’t wait and see if your business processes will be affected after November 1. Contact JourneyTEAM today to get started.
JourneyTEAM can help you integrate your solution with ease. Our team of professionals can help you navigate services and put them to work for you. Contact us today to discuss strategy or run a Modernization Scanner to see if you have any potential workflow threats.
About JourneyTEAM
Article by: Dave Bollard –
Head of Marketing | 801-436-6636
JourneyTEAM has more than 25 years of experience in delivering IT solutions to businesses. As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, we’ve worked closely with Microsoft to carefully provide organizations with Microsoft products, including SharePoint, Azure, Office 365, Dynamics 364, SL, AX, GP, NAV, and CRM, and make them work for you. Whether you’re in need of a collaboration, marketing, sales, or productivity solution, JourneyTEAM can help you find the right technology for your business. To learn more about our team, visit our website at www.journeyteam.com.
