Legacy TRIM (HP Records Manager / Micro Focus Content Manager) systems are reaching end-of-life, while Microsoft 365 now offers mature options for compliant records management—whether you rely on native Microsoft Purview features or a lifecycle engine such as AvePoint Opus. Based on recent client projects and insights from leading government practitioners, here’s a practical pathway you can adopt right away.
1. Assess the real-world scope
- Inventory TRIM containers and confirm how many records, versions and metadata fields actually matter—most agencies find fewer than 30 fields drive compliance.
- Benchmark licensing: E3 + Opus versus full E5 with Purview only.
- Map business risks (audit findings, Privacy Act penalties) to clear objectives.
2. Design a lean SharePoint blueprint
- Build a SharePoint Information Architecture around business Functions and Activities
- Convert core TRIM fields into SharePoint site columns so nothing is lost in translation.
- Create a progress dashboard (Power BI or Excel) so executives can watch migration counts in real time.
3. Execute a low-impact migration
- Use a purpose-built accelerator (ours lifted 30 000 objects for Venues NSW and 207 000 for St Vincent de Paul) to preserve Created / Modified dates, permissions and every critical metadata field.Migrate in controlled waves; staff keep working in TRIM until cut-over night.
- Validate checksums and record counts after each batch-no surprises later.
4. Enable governance from day one
- Apply either Purview retention labels or Opus lifecycle rules as soon as content lands, so records never drift into “dark data”.
- Automate disposal freezes with a single label for audits and enquiries.
- Schedule quarterly health checks to keep the file plan evergreen.
Purview or Opus? Choose the engine that fits
| Scenario | Purview E5 | AvePoint Opus |
|---|---|---|
| Single-stage retention, M365 only | ✔ | — |
| Hierarchical file plan & multi-stage rules | — | ✔ |
| Automated disposal certificates | CSV manual | ✔ PDF auto-filed |
| Hybrid file shares & Exchange archives | Limited | ✔ |
Proven results
- Venues NSW exited a shared TRIM tenancy in < 6 weeks, migrating 30 000 records with zero downtime.
- St Vincent de Paul moved 207 000 records, keeping 100 % of the 25 required metadata fields and cutting search time from hours to seconds.
Ready to modernise your records?
Book a 30-minute discovery call and learn how Total Calibration can migrate your TRIM content into Microsoft 365—fast, compliant and metadata-perfect.
About the Author
Drew Keenan is Founder and CEO at Total Calibration, which specialises in Content Managment and Data Governance Solutions for Microsoft 365. With a passion for helping organisations navigate the complexities of digital collaboration, Drew provides insights and strategies to enhance data protection and regulatory compliance.