Client: Aged Care Facility — Western Australia
Challenge: Migrate documents from an ageing on-premises server to SharePoint Online for 50 users across 22 devices
Solution: Full remote migration to SharePoint Online with Microsoft Teams and File Explorer access
Outcome: All 50 users fully operational on SharePoint Online with dual access via Teams and File Explorer
Delivered: Remotely over a weekend — no onsite visit required
A Western Australian aged care facility was running an ageing on-premises file server that had reached the end of its useful life. The server was becoming unreliable, maintenance costs were increasing, and the facility’s staff — spread across 22 devices — needed a more resilient and accessible solution for their documents and shared files.
The facility needed to move to a cloud-based document management solution without disrupting the daily operations of a busy care environment. With 50 users relying on the shared file system for everything from care plans to administrative documents, any extended downtime or access issues would have direct consequences for care delivery.
The facility also needed a solution that worked for all users regardless of their technical confidence — some staff were comfortable with modern cloud interfaces, while others were more familiar with traditional file explorer navigation.
Bluebird IT designed and executed a full remote migration from the on-premises file server to Microsoft SharePoint Online. The migration was planned around the facility’s operational schedule and executed over a weekend to minimise any impact on care delivery.
Understanding that different staff members work differently, Bluebird IT configured dual access to the SharePoint document library — via Microsoft Teams for staff who prefer a modern collaborative interface, and via File Explorer for staff who are more comfortable with traditional folder navigation. Both methods access the same underlying SharePoint document library, ensuring everyone works from the same source of truth regardless of how they prefer to access it.
All 50 users were set up with appropriate access permissions before the weekend was complete, and the SharePoint environment was fully configured with the facility’s existing folder structure to minimise disruption to established workflows.
The facility’s staff returned after the weekend to find their documents fully accessible in SharePoint Online — available through both Microsoft Teams and File Explorer as preferred. The ageing on-premises server was decommissioned, eliminating ongoing maintenance costs and the risk of hardware failure.
Staff now benefit from secure cloud-based document access that works from any device, anywhere — a significant improvement for a care environment where staff may need to access documents across multiple areas of the facility or remotely.
Moving from an ageing on-premises server to SharePoint Online is one of the most impactful infrastructure upgrades an aged care facility can make — improving reliability, reducing costs and enabling flexible access for your care team. Bluebird IT has the specialist aged care IT expertise to plan and execute this migration with zero disruption to your operations.
