Migrating from a legacy ECM platform seems simple: move data from systems like OpenText, Documentum, FileNet, Corsa, or Alfresco into a modern cloud environment. But global enterprises quickly discover that the real complexity isn’t the target platform... It’s the data itself. No matter your destination, OpenText Cloud, SharePoint Online, hybrid, or multi-cloud, success depends on one thing: true data readiness.
Legacy ECM Systems Are Built on Years of Invisible Complexity
Enterprise content stored in legacy ECM systems rarely reflects how the business operates today. Over time, layers of outdated structures, inconsistent metadata, unclear permissions, and forgotten integrations accumulate beneath the surface. Teams save files “just in case,” long-finished projects remain buried in outdated folder trees, and workflows continue running without anyone remembering their dependencies.
The result is an environment that becomes slower, harder to navigate, and increasingly risky as it grows. Even a basic ROT analysis often reveals that a significant portion of data no longer carries operational or strategic value. The issue isn’t merely that legacy ECMs are old; it’s that they embody years of uncontrolled growth that now stand in the way of modernization.
Migrating this complexity without preparation means carrying that entire history into the cloud, where it becomes far more difficult to govern.
Why Data Readiness Determines Cloud and AI Success
A cloud migration doesn’t automatically fix structural issues. In fact, moving poor-quality content “as-is” amplifies the risks. Governance breaks down, permissions become unreliable, compliance audits stall, and user adoption drops. Even AI suffers: tools like Microsoft Copilot or OpenText Aviator cannot produce accurate or trusted insights if the data behind them is fragmented, redundant, or mislabeled.
To avoid these pitfalls, enterprises need:
- A complete and accurate data inventory to uncover hidden repositories, orphaned data, and ROT that shouldn’t be migrated.
- Consistent metadata and permissions, ensuring searchability, governance, and AI performance remain intact.
- A future-proof information architecture that reflects how people work today, not how systems were designed 15 years ago.
- AI-ready data, enriched with context and structure, so AI can generate reliable, actionable insights.
When these foundations are missing, cloud migration becomes unpredictable. When they are in place, modernization accelerates—and the cloud becomes a strategic advantage rather than a new source of complexity.
How Leading Organizations Ensure Migration Success
Global enterprises that successfully modernize no longer treat ECM migration as a technical transfer but as a strategic digital transformation that begins with deep insight into their data. They analyze what they have, determine what should migrate or be retired, and redesign metadata, structures, and permissions to align with modern governance and compliance requirements.
Instead of relying on one-off scripts, they adopt standardized, repeatable methods, such as Xillio’s Migration Accelerators, that bring predictability and auditability to complex migrations. By validating mappings early, testing transformation logic upfront, and maintaining full traceability, organizations reduce risk and create a migration process that scales across departments and countries.
This approach drives real business value: employees adopt the new environment more easily, AI delivers better results thanks to enriched and contextualized data, and the organization keeps long-term flexibility instead of becoming locked into yet another platform.
Turn Legacy Complexity Into a Launchpad for AI
Modernization isn’t just about moving data; it’s about preparing it to drive decision-making, compliance, and innovation. If your organization is preparing a legacy ECM migration, the real opportunity lies in transforming your data into a strategic asset ready for the cloud and ready for AI.
Curious to see how ready your data really is? Take a look at our data readiness checklist!
Or get in touch today!
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