How To Successfully Manage A CAFM Data Migration

A CAFM (Computer-Aided Facility Management) software data migration can be an intricate process which requires careful consideration, planning and execution. Since you’re here, the number one question on your mind right now is likely: where do I start?  

At SFG20, we’re more than just the golden industry standard for building maintenance specification. Our mission goes beyond ensuring that your buildings stand safe, tall and proud – our highly qualified team are also here to provide expert guidance on common challenges in the Facility Management industry, including how to transfer CAFM data. 

To ensure a smooth transition to your new CAFM system and minimise disruption to your organisation, follow our detailed step-by-step guide below. 

Phase 1: Steps To Follow Before Migrating CAFM Data 

1. Understand Your Reasons For Migrating And Align On Objectives

   Before starting any CAFM migration, it's important to understand as a team why you've made the decision to change providers and what your objectives are. Perhaps it's because your data has become difficult to manage, your organisation has expanded, or that your current system has outdated capabilities. 
   
   Ask yourself the following question: what did we used to do with the previous system, and what will the new system provide to improve our organisation?
   
   

2. Perform A Data Audit

   After you've agreed on the reasoning and objectives of your CAFM data migration, it's time to find out how reliable your dataset is currently (i.e. the quality of the data) and think about its current format (i.e. where it's being stored). It may be the case that you're using multiple sources for your data, such as multiple CAFM systems or spreadsheets, and are looking to consolidate it all. 
   
   

3. Organise And Clean Existing Data

   Now, you'll need to decide on which data you'd like to keep and migrate over to your new system. Ultimately, the migration is your opportunity to get your data as accurate as possible, so make sure to remove duplicate entries, correct errors and fill in any missing information. 

4. Backup Data

   Ensure that all data involved in the migration has a backup to protect against data loss or corruption during the migration process.

5. Define Data Structure And Mapping

   Work with your new CAFM vendor to understand the new system's data structure and create a mapping strategy. This will involve determining how your existing data will fit into the new CAFM system i.e. to ensure it will correspond to the correct data fields and tables.  
   
   

6. Use Data Migration Tools

   To help automate the data migration process and reduce the risk of manual errors, make sure to explore the data migration tools offered by your CAFM vendor or third-party solutions. Specialist resources may be required such as an extract, transform, load (ETL) developer, data engineer, system analyst, or a business analyst.  
   
   

7. Conduct A Pilot Migration

   Before performing the full migration, run a pilot test with a subset of your data. This will enable you to identify and address any issues or inconsistencies in the migration process.
   

Phase 2: Steps To Follow After Migrating CAFM Data 

1. Validate And Verify Migrated Data

   After the migration is complete, use automated tools to thoroughly check the transferred data all tallies up. Take time to compare it against the original data to ensure nothing was lost or corrupted during the process. 
   
   
   

2. Train Users On The New System

   Provide comprehensive training to all users who will be working with the new CAFM system to help them understand how to access and use the migrated data effectively.
   
   Training is as much about new processes as it is about the system and accessing data - undoing bad habits and poor practices that were a part of using the old system can really help here. 
   
   If you want to really engage end-users and stakeholders, don’t forget to communicate the benefits of the new CAFM software, and how it will fit into your wide business processes.
   
   To further help get everyone up to speed with the new system and improve buy-in across the organisation, it's also a good idea to appoint "champions" within each functional area of your organisation (i.e. each user type) for the new system. The purpose of these champions is to advocate for new facility management software within your organisation and further communicate the benefits within their individual teams. 
   
   Never underinvest in this area, as it is critical for the successful adoption of the new platform. You can use performance measures to assess how well the training and adoption maturity is going.
   
   
   

3. Maintain Data Integrity

   This involves implementing the standards for the data across your system. You may also wish to establish protocols for ongoing data management to maintain the accuracy and relevance of the information in your new CAFM system such as through regular data audits, updates and quality control measures.
    

Curious About Other Facility Management (FM) Software? 

If you’re considering changing FM software, don’t let the overwhelming amount of options hold you back from making a decision.  

SFG20’s ultimate mission is to make buildings safer - that's why we’ve created the Ultimate Guide To FM Software so that you can choose the right software that will help you run your facility efficiently and safely.  

We've poured over 30 years of practical knowledge and experience into this extremely valuable guide and had it validated by independent experts within the FM sector. You'll learn everything you could possibly want to know about FM software, including the different types, key features and benefits, the problems they solve, and more.   

There’s no email address required to access this guide - all you have to do is click the button below.