Three Key Questions to Ask About Data Migration

Just like every CMMS is not the same, the same is true for the client services your vendor offers – especially when it comes to implementation. Make sure you ask these three questions about services.

Adding a new computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is one of the most important steps towards getting control of your operations and modernizing your maintenance. Giving technicians an improved way to manage every piece of equipment in the company can represent a huge upgrade in maintenance capabilities, especially you previously relied on paper, email, spreadsheets or software that didn’t fit your needs.

But just like every CMMS is not the same, the same is true for the client services your vendor offers – especially when it comes to implementation.

Organizations taking on a new CMMS often come to the table with plenty of historical data, and it’s important to not only preserve this information but to also optimize it so you get the best insights

When you’re looking into a CMMS, ask the vendor these three questions to ensure you get the right services when it comes time to migrate your data.

1. Can You Help Migrate My Existing Data?

Some vendors may offer a template for simple data population and import, along with guidance from a specialist. Greater project assistance may be available in the form of a dedicated consultant if needed. But this assumes that they offer services by trained consultants to guide you to begin with – and if they don’t, it’s a red flag.

2. How Much Involvement is Required of Me (the Client)?

While you should expect to be involved in every step of the implementation process, that doesn’t mean that you should have to go it alone or take on all of the work. A good vendor makes the time and effort to ensure that you’re getting the help you need and staying on track before, during and after setup.

We all have busy schedules, and when you’re in the middle of a busy production season, you shouldn’t have to worry about shouldering the majority of the implementation on top of meeting your deadlines. Ask about the support that is offered for new clients and how they’ll manage your new solution. An experienced vendor will treat it like a project complete with a “project manager” and schedule that will help guide you through the process for your data.

3. What Training Do You Offer?

Mastery of a new CMMS by each user is indicative of the organization’s overall CMMS adoption and, ultimately, the ROI. After all, data management goes beyond the initial migration. Once your solution is up and running, you need to be able to make sure that you have the tools you need to continue to gather data efficiently and clearly. A good vendor will offer training and ongoing support.

Ongoing Support

The right CMMS vendor will not only have services to support you during initial data migration, but also a devoted team who will guide you through any questions you may have. Brightly offers data services for all of our new clients to ensure that you preserve your valuable historical data and hit the ground running. Throughout the process, our team members will hold your hand (so to speak) as much as is needed until you’re comfortable. To learn more, contact us today!