1. Inventory the form estate
- ✓List form libraries, templates, content types, data connections, submit targets, rules, code-behind, attachments, repeating sections, views, and ownership.
- ✓Capture usage, business criticality, process owner, failure tolerance, compliance impact, reporting requirements, mobile needs, and offline needs.
- ✓Document where data is created, validated, stored, approved, reported, and archived.
- ✓Identify forms that are actually front ends for workflows, approvals, integrations, or records processes.
2. Classify replacement patterns
- ✓Use SharePoint list forms for simple list-based collection where the business process is lightweight and the data model is flat.
- ✓Use Power Apps for richer process interfaces, conditional screens, role-based experiences, mobile use, and multi-step business logic.
- ✓Use Dataverse when relational data, field-level security, stronger ALM, richer relationships, or scalable app architecture matters.
- ✓Use Power Automate for approvals, routing, notifications, integration calls, data movement, and post-submit orchestration.
- ✓Use Microsoft Forms only when the scenario is survey-like and does not require complex business logic, long-term records control, or rich process integration.
Product accelerator
Move legacy forms with Form Migrator
For organizations with InfoPath or legacy form sprawl, Form Migrator gives the modernization effort a product-led path instead of a one-form-at-a-time rebuild cycle.
Where Form Migrator fits
- ✓Inventory and rationalize forms before rebuilding them in Microsoft-native patterns.
- ✓Prioritize high-value forms by business criticality, usage, data complexity, and owner readiness.
- ✓Support a repeatable migration motion across Power Apps, Power Automate, SharePoint, Dataverse, and governance workstreams.
3. Score complexity and priority
- ✓Score each form by usage, criticality, number of data sources, complexity of rules, code dependency, attachment handling, approval needs, external access, and reporting impact.
- ✓Create tiers: quick retire, simple replacement, Power Apps rebuild, Dataverse-backed app, process redesign, and temporary exception.
- ✓Prioritize forms that block SharePoint Online migration, create compliance risk, or support revenue, operations, safety, HR, finance, or customer-facing processes.
- ✓Group similar forms to create reusable patterns instead of designing every replacement from scratch.
4. Prepare the Power Platform target
- ✓Define environments, DLP policies, connection ownership, service accounts, solution structure, deployment process, naming standards, and support ownership.
- ✓Confirm licensing impact before selecting premium connectors, Dataverse, Power Pages, or complex integration paths.
- ✓Design error handling, auditability, retention, reporting, and operational monitoring before production launch.
- ✓Create a retirement plan for the old InfoPath form, including data retention, user communication, redirects, and support handover.
5. Use Form Migrator to accelerate the portfolio
Form-heavy environments need more than a checklist. Form Migrator is the product path for turning legacy form inventory into a repeatable migration and modernization program.
- ✓Use Form Migrator when the form estate is too large or inconsistent for a manual one-off rebuild approach.
- ✓Pair the product with Horton Scientific consulting when you need target architecture, Power Platform governance, migration sequencing, UAT planning, or executive reporting.
- ✓Use the checklist outputs as input for Form Migrator discovery, scoring, migration planning, and product-led modernization workstreams.
Reference notes