A smooth Microsoft 365 tenant migration for Continental Tool Group

Customer Case Study

How Kriston Technology migrated Universal Air Tools’ Microsoft 365 environment into the Continental Tool Group tenant with careful planning, responsive support and minimal disruption.

The Project at a Glance

289GB of data moved, including 208GB from OneDrive and 81GB from SharePoint
Zero email downtime during the migration
12 users supported through the migration
10 devices included, with 8 migrated and 2 newly built
Delivered over a two-month plan, with mailbox, SharePoint and OneDrive migrations carried out at weekends to minimise disruption

Executive Summary

Following Continental Tool Group’s acquisition of Universal Air Tools, the priority was to consolidate Universal Air Tools’ Microsoft 365 environment into Continental Tool Group’s existing tenant without disrupting users or losing access to systems still dependent on the original setup.

Kriston Technology planned and coordinated the migration of mailboxes, devices, SharePoint and OneDrive data, DNS records and the domain, while preserving access to the original tenant for Dynamics 365.

The result was a controlled two-month migration that gave Continental Tool Group a simpler Microsoft 365 environment to manage, supported users through the transition and kept the project moving despite external dependencies.

In Our Client’s Words

“Overall, I was very happy with the support I received throughout the migration. As always, the team was incredibly helpful, and their support made the transition to the new domain much less stressful than it could have been…Your responsiveness and willingness to assist made a significant difference and ensured the migration was completed successfully…The planning, communication, and support provided throughout the project were excellent, and any challenges that arose were handled professionally and efficiently…”

Laurette Edwards

Director of Finance EMEIA, Continental Tool Group

The Business Challenge

Universal Air Tools had previously operated in its own Microsoft 365 environment before becoming part of Continental Tool Group. Continental Tool Group needed to move users, devices, data, mail flow and domain records into its existing tenant while keeping the business running and preserving access to systems that still depended on the original environment. The work required input from both the US team and the UK Business Centre, so close coordination was essential to keep the project moving and minimise disruption for the client.

The Kriston Technology Approach

Kriston Technology focused on making the migration structured, well-managed and reassuring for the client. Alongside the technical work, the team kept stakeholders informed, managed dependencies as they arose and stayed close to the detail so the transition could progress smoothly.

The project was not simply a data transfer. It needed to be planned around user downtime, weekend cutovers, device readiness, security details and external dependencies, so the approach focused on keeping the technical work controlled and the user experience predictable.

1. MOVING MAILBOXES ACCURATELY

We migrated every user mailbox into the Continental Tool Group tenant using BitTitan, with a full pre-stage and a final delta sync on cutover day so nothing was left behind.

2. REJOINING DEVICES TO THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT

Ten devices were in scope, eight existing machines and two new builds. On each existing machine we paused OneDrive sync, backed up saved passwords and browser favourites, removed the device from the Universal Air Tools tenant and rejoined it to Continental Tool Group. BitLocker recovery keys were also re-escrowed into the Continental Tool Group tenant, preserving access to recovery information after the devices left the old environment. We then restarted OneDrive sync, brought favourites and local data across from the old profile, and set up Outlook and Teams. Each user was back at their desk within about an hour. The two new machines were built directly into the new tenant, so those users skipped the changeover entirely.

3. PRESERVING ACCESS TO SHAREPOINT AND ONEDRIVE DATA

Company SharePoint sites and users’ OneDrive files and folders were migrated into the new tenant, helping teams retain access to the data they needed after the transition. For OneDrive, data was seeded from users’ existing local profiles rather than forcing 208GB to re-download from the cloud across the eight migrated machines. This avoided days of unnecessary downloading, reduced pressure on the client’s internet connection and helped keep each device changeover short and predictable.

4. COMPLETING THE CUTOVER AND TENANT CONSOLIDATION

DNS records were updated so mail would flow to the new tenant, supporting a smoother cutover while the Microsoft 365 estate was brought into Continental Tool Group’s consolidated environment. The Microsoft 365 estate now sits in a single tenant. The original tenant remains in place purely to support Dynamics 365, with accounts renamed and access preserved, and can be retired once that system moves.

5. KEEPING THE PROJECT MOVING

The wider team stayed closely involved throughout, coordinating timelines and dependencies across Continental Tool Group, the US team and the UK Business Centre. When delays arose, Kriston Technology worked with the client to keep the project moving and provide the responsive support highlighted in the testimonial.

A word from Kriston Technology

Tenant migrations often involve multiple moving parts, including dependencies outside one team’s direct control. That is why planning, communication and responsiveness matter. Throughout this project, our priority was to give Continental Tool Group clear support at every stage, so the migration could continue with as little disruption as possible.

Carl Gray – Technical Director
Kriston Technology

Results and Benefits

One combined Microsoft 365 environment

Mailboxes, devices, SharePoint and OneDrive data, DNS records and the domain were brought into Continental Tool Group’s Microsoft 365 tenant, giving the client a more streamlined Microsoft 365 environment. The original Universal Air Tools tenant remains in place only for Dynamics 365, with access preserved until that system can be moved and the old tenant retired.

Confidence in the migration process

The client described the migration as much less stressful than it could have been, with planning, communication and support highlighted as important parts of the experience.

Challenges managed without losing momentum

Dependencies involving the US team and UK Business Centre were managed through practical coordination and responsive support, helping the project continue through to a successful completion.

Stronger confidence in the support process

The project showed how consistent, hands-on support helped reduce stress during a migration involving multiple moving parts and external dependencies.

Conclusion

The Universal Air Tools to Continental Tool Group domain migration highlights the value of combining technical planning with clear, responsive support. By working with Kriston Technology, Continental Tool Group was able to consolidate the acquired business into its Microsoft 365 environment, preserve access to the original tenant for Dynamics 365 and complete the transition with a clearer, simpler setup for the future. For Kriston Technology, the project also reflects the way a well-planned migration should feel for the customer: carefully managed, clearly communicated and supported at every stage.