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Transfer Forms & Flows (Offboarding)

Audience: IT Administrators with Office Application or Power Platform Admin roles

Purpose: Ensure business continuity by transferring assets from former employees

Overview​

This procedure documents how to re-assign ownership of Microsoft Forms and Power Automate flows from employees who have left the organization. The goal is to:

  • Ensure business continuity
  • Prevent data loss
  • Maintain operational stability
Critical

Always assign multiple owners to prevent single points of failure. Dedicated service accounts are not recommended due to identity and audit trail complexities.

Prerequisites​

RequirementDetails
Admin RolesOffice Application Administrator or Power Platform Administrator
Forms LicenseValid Microsoft Forms license for administrator
Power Platform LicenseSufficient for admin access
KnowledgeMicrosoft 365 Groups, Power Automate environments, connection management
URL Transformation

User email addresses may be transformed in Microsoft URLs (e.g., periods . and @ replaced with underscores _).

Part 1: Re-assigning Microsoft Forms​

Move Forms to Microsoft 365 Groups to grant co-ownership to all group members.

Step 1: Identify Account Status​

  1. Confirm former employee's user principal name (email)
  2. Verify account status:
    • Licensed
    • Disabled
    • Deleted within retention period (30 days)

Step 2: Construct Admin Transfer URL​

Use this format:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/delegatepage.aspx?originalowner=[identifier]

Primary attempt: Use standard email (e.g., user@tamu.edu)

Alternative: If standard email fails, transform:

  • Replace . with _
  • Replace @ with _
  • Example: first.last@tamu.edu → first_last_tamu_edu

Step 3: Access Former Employee's Forms​

  1. Navigate to the constructed URL
  2. View the list of forms owned by the former employee

Troubleshooting:

  • Try alternative URL construction
  • For enabled but locked accounts, temporarily disable via M365 Admin Center → Users → Block sign-in

Step 4: Move Forms to Group​

For each form to retain:

  1. Click More options (...) on the form tile
  2. Select Move
  3. Choose an appropriate Microsoft 365 Group
  4. Click Move to confirm
Multiple Owners

Moving to a Group inherently assigns multiple owners (all Group members). Ensure the Group contains relevant current employees.

Step 5: Verify Access​

Confirm with Group members that they can:

  • Access and edit the form
  • View responses (linked to new Excel file in Group's SharePoint)

Part 2: Re-assigning Power Automate Flows​

Add new co-owners and update connections for "My Flows" owned by former employees.

Step 1: Identify Flows​

  1. Navigate to Power Platform Admin Center
  2. Go to Environments → Select relevant environment
  3. Under Resources, select Flows
  4. Search for flows owned by the former employee

Step 2: Add New Owners​

For each critical flow:

  1. Select the flow to open details
  2. In Owners section, click Manage sharing
  3. Add current employees or a Microsoft 365 Group as owners
Critical for Continuity

Add at least two current employees or a Microsoft 365 Group as co-owners to each flow.

Step 3: Update Connections​

CRITICAL STEP

Failure to update connections will cause the flow to fail. New owners must ensure all connections are valid under their accounts.

Each new co-owner must:

  1. Open the flow in edit mode
  2. Review all connection references
  3. Update connections to use their own credentials or service principals
  4. Save and test the flow

Step 4: Verify Flow Operation​

  1. Trigger the flow manually or wait for scheduled run
  2. Check run history for success
  3. Address any connection or permission errors

Licensing Considerations​

Power Automate Licensing​

Plan TypeDescription
User-basedLicense follows the user; new owner needs their own license
Per-flowLicense attached to the flow; new owners don't need individual licenses

For critical business flows, consider per-flow licensing to ensure continuity regardless of owner changes.

Best Practices​

PracticeReason
Multiple ownersPrevents single point of failure
M365 Groups for FormsAutomatic shared ownership
Document flow connectionsEasier handoff when owners change
Regular ownership auditsIdentify orphaned assets before issues arise
Per-flow licensingDecouples flow operation from user licenses