Moving to Windows 11: Turning Readiness into Action

Time to get practical. In our last piece, we established that being “ready” for Windows 11 isn’t the same as being prepared. Our January data shows this rather clearly: only 34% have completed migration. Another 87% are “ready” for migration, but readiness hasn’t yet turned into action.

Let’s break down exactly what these numbers mean for your organisation and what to do about them.

Understanding Your Device Categories

Our data tracks five distinct states. Let’s decode what each really means for your migration strategy.

“Complete” (34%)

What it means: The device has been migrated.

What you need to know: Congratulations if your devices are in this group—you’re ahead of the curve. But don’t dust off your hands just yet.

Your focus should be on:

• Gathering user feedback
• Documenting lessons learned
• Supporting your early adopters

“NotOnWin11” (66%)

What it means: This is a catch-all category that reflects devices in the Ready, Upgrade Required, and Replace categories.

What you need to do: Your specific steps depend on which category your devices land in, but it’s clear that this category needs immediate attention, including:

• Executive buy-in (arguably should be first on every list)
• Project team assembly
• Timeline development
• Risk assessment
• Realistic resource allocation

“Ready” (87%)

What it means: These devices meet all the requirements for Windows 11.

What you need to know: Ah, the optimistically labelled “ready” devices. Yes, they can technically run Windows 11, but that’s rather like saying I’m “ready” to run a marathon because I own trainers. More needs to happen!

Your next steps:

• Application compatibility testing
• User communication planning
• Support team preparation
• Staged rollout scheduling
• Testing your testing plan (yes, that’s a thing)

“Upgrade Required” (Actually quite tiny)

What it means: These devices don’t currently meet the requirements for Windows 11, but could meet the requirements if you made some hardware changes.

What you need to know: These devices need some adjustment but are far from lost causes. However, it’s crucial to determine whether upgrading them is worthwhile or if a full replacement is the better option.

Focus on:

• Firmware updates
• BIOS configurations
• TPM enablement
• That mysterious setting nobody remembers changing

“Replace” (12%)

What it means: These devices don’t meet the requirements for Windows 11, and must be replaced with a new device to support Windows 11.

What you need to know: These are the ones that simply won’t make the cut. Rather like that office kettle that’s been there since the Windows XP days.

Your priority list:

• Hardware procurement planning
• Budget allocation
• User prioritisation
• Data migration strategy
• Convincing Finance this really isn’t optional

Creating Your Migration Timeline

I’m writing this with less than a year until October 2025, so that means you’ve got under a year to go when you’re reading it. With that in mind, here’s what your calendar might need to look like if you’re not yet in the “complete” category.

Q1 2025 (January-March):

• Complete your readiness assessment immediately
• Fast-track your pilot programme identification
• Begin application testing while planning a broader rollout
• Have those budget conversations yesterday

Q2 2025 (April-June):

• Complete pilot and early adoption phase
• Roll out training materials
• Scale up support processes
• Perfect your rollback procedures (hope for the best, plan for… well, you know)

Q3 2025 (July-September):

• Complete primary migration
• Address stragglers
• Document lessons learned
• Begin contingency planning for any remaining systems

Notice how this timeline doesn’t end in October 2025? That’s because waiting until the deadline is akin to starting your holiday shopping the night before the holiday—technically possible, but unnecessarily stressful and expensive.

Making It Happen

The shift from “ready” to “complete” is an organisation-wide journey, not just a technical effort. It requires:

• Clear ownership
• Realistic timelines
• Adequate resources
• Executive support
• A dash of optimism
• A healthy dose of pragmatism
• Many, many cups of tea (or coffee if that’s more your…uh…cup of tea)

Our month-over-month data shows steady progress, but “steady” might not be enough given the deadline. The approximate 3% improvement we’re seeing each month suggests many organisations are taking a somewhat leisurely approach to what’s actually quite an urgent matter.

Time to Get Moving

Procrastination is a very human, very understandable, and very common problem. You’re not alone if you’re not in the “complete” camp, and this isn’t at all about shaming you. Nor is it about just ticking a box or meeting a deadline. It’s about ensuring your organisation’s technology foundation is ready for the future. The good news is that if you’re in that 87% “ready” category, you’ve got a head start. The less good news? A head start only matters if you actually start running.

Next steps? Take a hard look at which category your devices fall into and start planning accordingly. Because while October 2025 might sound far away, in terms of enterprise-wide OS migration, it’s practically tomorrow.

If you need a hand figuring out your level of readiness, check out ControlUp’s Windows 11 readiness assessment tool, and start a free trial today!