SharePoint Online Migration – Colorado Mountain College

When Colorado Mountain College (CMC) set out to revamp its internal systems, it had a clear goal: improve communication, streamline operations, and cut unnecessary costs. Its existing intranet was no longer meeting the needs of staff or students, and it was time for a change.

The Challenge

CMC’s intranet was outdated, and their reliance on third-party tools like Ellucian was limiting their ability to grow. They needed a modern platform that could:

• Enhance communication across departments and campuses

• Support better collaboration among staff and students

• Simplify content management and governance

• Reduce software licensing costs

• Automate key workflows to increase operational efficiency

All signs pointed to SharePoint Online.

Our Approach

We kicked off the project with a deep-dive into CMC’s business needs and existing processes. From there, we designed and built a modern SharePoint Online intranet that was customized to support their internal operations.

Here’s what that looked like:

• Modern SharePoint Sites: Using modern web parts, we created engaging, user-friendly intranet pages that included social media integrations, announcement notifications, and other tools to boost communication.

• Custom Development: Through the SharePoint Framework (SPFx), we built custom web parts tailored to CMC’s needs, like “MyCMCApps,” which allows users to personalize their portal experience.

• Content Migration & Cleanup: We executed a “lift and shift” migration of their existing content while helping CMC streamline their repository and get rid of outdated materials.

• Workflow Automation: In parallel to the migration, we partnered with CMC to build and automate six administrative workflows using PowerApps and Power Automate—part of their larger CMC Workflows Development initiative.

Affirma took on the incredibly daunting task of migrating our outdated portal to SharePoint Online.  From discovery to implementation the Affirma team was top notch.  Communication throughout the process was excellent, they were always quick to respond to questions and/or concerns.  Higher Education has it’s own unique culture, and Affirma was able to work with the various stakeholders in a knowledgeable and professional manner.  Thanks to Affirma for making me look like a superstar and rolling out a successful new portal!

 

~ Kendra Wilsom, SharePoint Portal Administrator

Looking Ahead

With SharePoint Online in place, Colorado Mountain College is better equipped to serve its community—today and into the future. Their new digital foundation supports collaboration, drives efficiency, and sets the stage for continued innovation across the organization.