There may come a time when you find that your current integrated workplace management systems (IWMS) no longer serves your purposes, e.g. maybe it has become cumbersome, outdated, or it’s no longer supported. Or maybe your organization has simply outgrown it.
Whatever your reasons, moving from an enterprise-wide software platform like an IWMS to a new one comes with challenges especially when you consider the most critical concern – preserving the data integrity of hundreds, thousands, and more of valuable assets, during the migration process
To help you avoid what could become a considerably complex and frustrating IWMS migration experience, we have put together a solid but very brief guide to help you smoothen the transition process.
IWMS Migration: The Most Important Factors To Consider
If it’s not planned carefully, a lot of things can go wrong so pay close attention to:
- What to change overall. In what areas is your current IWMS falling short and where are you struggling the most with your current software? Note those details. This information will serve as a general guide and help to ensure that the most important issues you were facing are not overlooked as the transition progresses.
- The data extraction process. The extraction process may be straightforward, or not, depending on when your current IWMS was developed. If it’s a modern one built within the last 10 years, extraction is usually easily done via inbuilt extraction tools that will allow you to export your data to CSV files or spreadsheets in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, if it’s much older, the chances are higher that this won’t be such a quick process.
- Data validation. After extraction, get the data checked for consistency and missing fields. Especially for your most important assets, you’ll want to confirm the consistency of the exported information like equipment name, ID, brand and model, serial number, location, maintenance history, etc. it’s important to do this early enough because inconsistent or missing data has the potential to cause a lot of confusion and delays later. Once all this is sorted out, you can confidently take the steps to implement a new IWMS.
Moving on to a new IWMS
Start with some thorough market research focusing on points like current industry best practices and benchmarking for modern facility management software. Ask:
- What kind of IWMS features are the best facilities in my industry using?
- What are our must-have IWMS features vs nice-to-have features?
- How much information is each vendor offering? How responsive are they to my questions?
- What kind of after-sales support do they offer?
Ticking off this list will help you to quickly narrow down your choices and select a vendor that will guide you through migration and implementation. But, it doesn’t stop there. After implementation, your organization will still need some technical support and staff training for a few months afterwards. Again, carefully choosing the right IWMS vendor can make the entire process much easier for you.
Free Demo
Agreed, moving to a new IWMS can seem intimidating, but with an experienced and reputable IWMS vendor, it doesn’t have to be so. Also, remember that the disadvantages of sticking with an outdated IWMS that can no longer serve your needs are staggering. Don’t let the fear of change hold you back! We have helped several companies to successfully make this transition. Let’s help you as well.
We’d like to hear from you. We are confident in our ability to offer you solutions that are just right for your business. Schedule a demo today and let’s talk.
Free DemoFree Demo
