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Checklist: Migrating Back-Office Documents from Microsoft 365 to Free Tools (Step-by-Step for Restaurants)

UUnknown

2026-02-24

11 min read

Practical, restaurant-focused checklist to move menus, HR forms, inventory, and SOPs from Microsoft 365 to LibreOffice or Google Workspace.

Hook: Stop losing time and orders to a messy migration

If you run a restaurant group, every minute spent wrestling with broken menu files, mismatched spreadsheets, or lost SOPs costs money. Migrating back-office documents from Microsoft 365 to free tools (LibreOffice or Google Workspace) can cut licensing costs and simplify workflows — but only if you plan the move. This checklist is a practical, restaurant-specific playbook with step-by-step actions, templates, testing tips, and change-management checkpoints you can use in 2026.

The 2026 context: Why now and what’s changed

Two trends shaped migrations through late 2025 and into 2026: continued pressure to reduce operating costs after pandemic-era inflation, and a larger shift toward hybrid stacks that mix open-source tools with cloud services. Restaurateurs want lower software spend while keeping cloud sync, POS integrations, and fast menu updates.

Key realities to plan for in 2026:

LibreOffice is more compatible than earlier releases but still doesn’t replicate Microsoft VBA macros reliably.
Google Workspace provides cloud-first collaboration and Apps Script automation, but it introduces vendor lock-in and privacy trade-offs.
POS and delivery channels increasingly accept CSV/JSON menu payloads — that makes structured exports mandatory.
Data privacy and provenance matter more: backup, audit logs, and clear versioning are essential for compliance and operations.

Who this checklist is for

This guide targets restaurant owners, operations managers, and IT-savvy managers evaluating a move off Microsoft 365 to a mix of LibreOffice (desktop/offline) and/or Google Workspace (cloud). It focuses on the most critical restaurant documents: menus, HR forms, inventory sheets, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Top-level migration checklist (one-page)

Scope documents and stakeholders — inventory every file and owner.
Backup originals (immutable archive) in at least two formats.
Classify files by complexity: simple text, spreadsheets with formulas, forms, macros, templates, PDFs, multimedia.
Choose target platform(s): LibreOffice, Google Workspace, or hybrid (LibreOffice + Nextcloud or Google Drive).
Run compatibility and formula tests on representative samples.
Batch convert and normalize file names & folder structure.
Deploy to a pilot group (1–3 locations) for 2–4 weeks and gather feedback.
Train end-users and update SOPs for new workflows.
Switch production, monitor for 30 days, and keep rollback plan ready.
Archive an immutable snapshot and enable version control going forward.

Step-by-step migration plan: Detailed checklist

1. Discovery & inventory (Day 1–3)

Automated crawl: Export a file inventory from Microsoft 365 (OneDrive/SharePoint) with metadata: owner, last modified, size, file type, and tags. Use PowerShell or the Microsoft Graph export for an automated manifest.
Manual review: Identify mission-critical items: active menu files, weekly inventory sheets, hiring forms, wage templates, training SOPs, vendor contracts, and any macros used by managers.
Map owners: Assign an internal owner for each file or folder — operations, FOH manager, kitchen manager, HR, or franchise admin.

2. Risk classification & strategy (Day 3–4)

Classify files into three buckets:

Low complexity: Static SOPs, PDFs, simple Word docs (convert to .odt or Google Docs).
Medium complexity: Menus with layout design, inventory sheets with lookup formulas, HR forms (convert to .ods/Google Sheets; rework formulas as needed).
High complexity: Files with VBA macros, linked Excel workbooks, custom templates and fonts — these need manual rework or a hybrid approach.

3. Backup & immutable archive (Day 4–5)

Before touching any production file:

Export originals to a secure archive location with read-only permissions (S3, external NAS, or encrypted drives).
Store in two formats: original (.docx/.xlsx) and open format (.pdf with PDF/A for long-term archival).
Record checksums (SHA256) and the manifest to ensure integrity.

4. Choose target: LibreOffice, Google Workspace, or hybrid

Decision factors:

Cost & privacy: LibreOffice + Nextcloud (or similar) reduces recurring costs and keeps files on-prem/cloud you control.
Collaboration & automation: Google Workspace offers easier real-time collaboration and Apps Script for automation (useful for shift schedules or approvals).
Compatibility: Use LibreOffice for offline heavy formatting and Google Workspace when you need cloud-native sharing and drive integrations with delivery platforms.

5. File conversion rules & tools

Standardize how you convert each file type.

Word documents (.docx): Convert to .odt for LibreOffice or to Google Docs via Drive upload + convert. Use PDF export for printable menu signage.
Spreadsheets (.xlsx): Convert to .ods (LibreOffice) or Google Sheets. Check formula compatibility — see compatibility checklist below.
Forms: Convert Word forms to LibreOffice Writer forms or recreate as Google Forms for simple collection (job apps, feedback).
Macros/VBA: Export macroed workbooks to read-only archive. Rebuild automation in Google Apps Script or LibreOffice Basic/Python as a deliberate development effort.
Menus for POS & delivery: Export canonical menu as CSV/JSON with standardized column names to support integrations.

Useful conversion commands (batch)

Two pragmatic tools you’ll use in 2026:

LibreOffice headless (batch) — convert docx to odt/pdf: soffice --headless --convert-to odt *.docx --outdir converted/
unoconv — wrapper for headless conversions; useful in scripts.
Google Drive — bulk upload & convert via Drive API for programmatic migration when cloud features are needed.

6. Compatibility checklist (spreadsheets & formulas)

Run these tests on a sample of high-use spreadsheets:

Open .xlsx in target (LibreOffice Calc and Google Sheets) and check cell-level values, not just layout.
Verify lookups: VLOOKUP/HLOOKUP → XLOOKUP differences; if you rely on XLOOKUP, rebuild with compatible formulas or helper columns.
Test array formulas and dynamic ranges — Google Sheets uses ARRAYFORMULA; LibreOffice has different syntax and function support.
Check date/locale parsing (important for inventory values and pricing). Force CSV exports to UTF-8 and set decimal separators clearly.
Identify links between workbooks. Either consolidate into a single file or rebuild linked logic in the target platform.

Every restaurant should publish one canonical menu file used to populate POS, web menus, and delivery platforms. Keep it small, normalized, and versioned.

CSV columns (recommended minimal set) — file: canonical_menu_v1.csv

item_id (string) — unique
name
description
category (e.g., Mains, Sides, Drinks)
price (decimal) — two decimal places
available (boolean) — true/false
allergens (pipe-separated) — e.g., eggs|gluten
image_url
prep_time_minutes (integer)

JSON alternative — use when delivering structured data to platforms: keep arrays for modifiers and sizes.

8. HR forms & templates

HR forms are low-complexity but high-impact. Standardize templates before migrating.

Position template: job_title, duties, hours, rate, wage_type, manager_approval
Interview feedback form: candidate_name, interview_date, score_scale 1-5, notes
Onboarding checklist: newhire_name, start_date, documents_received (IDs, tax forms), training_modules
Use Google Forms for quick digital submissions, or LibreOffice forms + PDF export if you prefer offline workflows.

9. SOPs and training documents

SOPs should be modular and easy to update. Convert to a format that supports versioning and quick edits.

Use a simple folder structure: /SOPs/// vYYYYMMDD
Keep SOPs short with clear owner, last-reviewed date, and step-by-step actions.
Embed short how-to videos as separate MP4s referenced by filename in the SOP.

10. Pilot & user acceptance testing (UAT) (2–4 weeks)

Do not flip all sites at once. Run a pilot with one site and the head office.

Deploy converted files and training materials to pilot users.
Use a test POS/store integration with the canonical menu CSV/JSON to validate orders and pricing.
Collect feedback daily for the first week and weekly after. Track issues in a simple ticket spreadsheet.

11. Training & change management

Change fails at the last mile. Build a short training program:

30–45 minute virtual or in-person training per role (kitchen, FOH, managers).
Documentation cheat sheets: how to save, how to export PDFs for print, how to update canonical menu CSVs.
Designate superusers per site for first 30 days.

12. Go-live and monitoring

Switch when weekly business is light (mid-week mornings are ideal).
Monitor KPIs for the first 30 days: menu update lead-time, online order conversion, number of file rollback incidents.
Keep the original M365 environment immutable for 60 days as a rollback option.

13. Post-migration: governance and continuous improvement

Implement a naming & versioning policy: location_document_vYYYYMMDD.ext
Set a quarterly review cadence for menus, SOPs, and HR templates.
Automate backups: weekly exports to your archive and quarterly PDF/A snapshots.
Enable an approval workflow for menu changes — use Google Sheets + Apps Script or Nextcloud workflows.

Compatibility & automation pitfalls to watch for

VBA macros: These do not translate. Rebuild only business-critical macros and allocate development budget.
Fonts & layout: Menus created in Word may shift layout in LibreOffice — prefer simple, print-oriented templates or export final PDFs.
Formula fidelity: Numeric rounding and date parsing can change across platforms. Test sums and reporting exports before finalizing.
Integration endpoints: Not all delivery platforms accept the same CSV schema. Keep an adapter layer or script to generate per-platform exports.

Templates & examples you can copy

Example CSV row (comma-separated):

item_id,name,description,category,price,available,allergens,image_url,prep_time_minutes

MENU001,"Classic Burger","Beef patty, lettuce, tomato","Mains",12.50,true,"gluten|dairy","https://cdn.example.com/images/menu001.jpg",12

Inventory CSV template

Columns: sku, item_name, unit, par_level, on_hand, vendor, last_ordered_date, cost_per_unit

Example: INV001,Tomato (kg),kg,10,3,GreenFarm,2026-01-07,2.50

SOP short template

Title & location
Purpose & owner
Prerequisites
Step-by-step actions (numbered)
Expected outcomes & KPIs
Revision history

Estimated timeline & staffing (example for a 5-site chain)

Discovery & inventory: 3 business days (1 project lead + 1 IT)
Conversion & testing of top 30 files: 5–7 days (1 analyst + 1 site superuser)
Pilot & UAT: 2–4 weeks (pilot sites)
Rollout to remaining sites: phased over 2–4 weeks
Total elapsed time: 6–10 weeks (part-time team)

Real-world example (condensed case study)

Context: A five-location fast-casual operator moved menu and inventory workflows off Microsoft 365 in early 2026 to cut licensing spend and reduce time-to-update menus.

Action: They standardized a canonical menu CSV, migrated HR templates to Google Forms, and converted SOPs to LibreOffice with PDF exports for print. Macros were archived and rebuilt as three Apps Script automations for schedule approvals.

Outcome: Menu update time dropped from 3 hours to 20 minutes per update (because a single canonical CSV populated POS and delivery channels). Software licensing savings covered the migration consulting in under 9 months. They retained one shared Google Workspace admin account for cloud-only workflows and used Nextcloud for offline SOP access in kitchens.

Security, compliance & privacy considerations

When moving off Microsoft 365, retain encrypted archives for legal holds and tax records.
LibreOffice + Nextcloud lets you keep data on private infrastructure; Google Workspace keeps it in Google’s cloud — weigh privacy policy and contractual obligations.
Use two-factor auth and device management for any cloud accounts used in operations.
Document a data-retention policy and automate exports for audits.

Actionable takeaways (quick)

Start with a single canonical menu file in CSV/JSON — that single change unlocks POS/delivery sync.
Archive originals as both native and PDF/A before converting.
Plan for VBA macro rework — treat macros as development projects, not just conversions.
Run a pilot and assign local superusers to reduce friction.
Use a hybrid approach if you need offline privacy and cloud collaboration.

“Migrating isn’t a one-click operation — it’s an opportunity to standardize how you manage menus, inventory, and SOPs so they work everywhere.”

Checklist summary (printable)

Inventory files & owners
Archive originals + PDF/A
Classify by complexity
Choose target platform(s)
Run compatibility tests (spreadsheets & macros)
Convert canonical menu to CSV/JSON
Pilot deployment & UAT
Train staff & assign superusers
Go-live, monitor 30 days, keep rollback ready
Set governance & scheduled reviews

Next steps & resources

Download our menu CSV template (use the CSV columns above) and inventory template.
Schedule a 30-minute internal workshop to map owners and pick your pilot site.
If you have macroed spreadsheets, list them now and treat each as a separate dev ticket.

Final words & call to action

Migrating from Microsoft 365 to LibreOffice or Google Workspace is a strategic move that reduces cost and forces clarity in your restaurant operations. The technical steps are straightforward — what makes migrations succeed is a clear canonical menu file, a pilot that tests POS/delivery exports, and a change-management plan that prepares staff for new workflows.

Ready to start? Use this checklist with your next weekly ops meeting: pick your pilot site, export the top 10 files, and run a conversion test this week. If you want a pre-filled menu CSV and inventory template tailored to restaurants, request our free download and a 30-minute migration planning call with a menu-data expert.

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