Verandah Brands, a fast-growing Australian e-commerce retailer specialising in home and renovation products, sought to modernise their workplace technology by migrating from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace.
With 70 employees and a rapidly expanding product range, the business collaborates daily with multiple external agencies and partners. As newer team members increasingly preferred Google’s workplace tools and the organisation moved toward a more AI-enabled operating model, leadership saw an opportunity to modernise their technology stack and improve collaboration across teams.
With a lean internal team and no in-house IT department, they needed a partner who could guide them through a complex change programme ahead of the critical Black Friday trading period.
“A standout factor in choosing Seisma was their initiative in securing Google funding for the project, it demonstrated foresight and a commitment to our success from the very start.” said Matthew Nguyen, Verandah Brands’ AI & Automations Manager.
A tight timeline.
The business needed to migrate to Google Workspace before Black Friday while keeping their team productive and supported.
Their priorities included:
- Moving from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace with minimal disruption
- Delivering the project in roughly eight weeks
- Supporting non-technical staff through structured change management
- Collaborating seamlessly with external partners already using Google tools
- Managing risks around accounts, data, and adoption
“We’ve often found working with external vendors can often be slow and frustrating, but the Seisma Team was different. They were proactive in our Slack environment, responding instantly to every question. It genuinely felt like they were a part of our team - messages were answered immediately, decisions were clear, and even under a tight timeline, everything ran smoothly.” said Matthew.
Why Verandah Brands Chose Seisma
Seisma stood out for several reasons:
- Proactive Approach & Funding Support: The team’s initiative in securing Google funding was a significant positive.
- Transparent Communication: From the first conversations, Seisma provided clarity around scope, timelines, risks, and requirements.
- Expert Change Management: Other providers offered shorter timelines but little support for adoption. Seisma emphasised training, readiness, and structured support - essential for an organisation without IT staff.
- Local Presence: With teams in Australia and New Zealand, Seisma could provide timely support across the time zone.
“What impressed our leadership most was Seisma’s commitment to support and training — ensuring they weren’t just migrating our systems, but actively guiding our team through adoption.” said Ana Sant'Ana, Employee Experience and Operations, Verandah Brands.
The approach.
Seisma delivered an end-to-end Google Workspace migration in eight weeks, including:
- Discovery and scoping workshops
- A detailed migration plan and communications schedule
- A pilot phase to test processes and mitigate disruption
- Resolution of unmanaged account domain challenges
- Slack-based support for rapid issue resolution
- Hands-on guidance for internal communications and FAQs
- Training to bring staff along the journey
“Staggering the migration over eight weeks, with a clear communication plan and ready-made FAQs, created a smooth experience. Feedback from our team has been overwhelmingly positive.” - Ana stated.
Domains Already in Use
The team were surprised to learn multiple domains were already in use in the Google ecosystem. In addition, during the domain claim process, Seisma uncovered a large number of unmanaged user accounts created independently by staff. This could have jeopardised the project timeline.
“We hadn’t anticipated the number of unmanaged Google accounts and separate Google tenants. When the domain claim issue arose, Seisma navigated it expertly, turning a potential obstacle into a smooth resolution,” said Ana.
Seisma worked closely with Google, leveraging their vendor relationship, to navigate the process and resolve the issue quickly. The challenge was handled so smoothly that most of the business remained unaware of its potential impact.
Seisma Group’s Senior Google Technical Consultant, Jared Mayer said, “Google’s most recent changes allowing Enterprise Essentials unverified domain tenants, introduced a few new challenges, but we worked closely with Google to resolve them efficiently, ensuring minimal impact on our timeline and for Verandah Brands.”
The results
Smooth Migration on Schedule: Despite starting later than ideal and facing unexpected domain issues, the migration was delivered in roughly eight weeks - just in time for Black Friday.
Improved Collaboration: Teams immediately benefited from Google Calendar and Drive features, and experienced better collaboration with external partners.
Positive Experience: Staff reported the transition felt smooth and well-supported.
“The entire experience was exceptional. This was a major change, but Seisma guided us thoughtfully, ensuring our team felt confident and supported throughout. Jared and Luke and the rest of the Seisma Team provided expert support at every stage, answering every question and guiding us seamlessly through the migration.” confirmed Matthew.
Verandah Brands hopes to avoid further large-scale migrations in the near future but looks forward to partnering with Seisma on future digital initiatives. The project reinforced Seisma’s value as a trusted partner for Google workplace transformation.
“We’re proud to partner with Verandah Brands on this migration. Our goal was not just to move systems, but to empower their team with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to collaborate seamlessly and scale efficiently. Seeing the business thrive with Google Workspace is the real reward.” said Warwick Taggart, Seisma Group’s Google Practice Director.