Project Management Software Migration
Photo: Christy Flater
Purpose
Adopt a new project management software while minimizing disruption.
Process
It was a three month migration process. In supporting the project manager, I would create proposal ideas with projected timelines that we would discuss, then implement what was agreed upon. The three main areas of focus during the migration were as follows:
Data transfer
Instead of migrating and cleaning the data from one program to another, we decided it would be better to only bring in the projects that were needed. The migration of the data was a team effort that include myself and two other project management specialists. We followed the below plan:
Identify the projects, files, and records that managers wanted from the prior project management software.
Clean and format the data for compatibility or manually add data to the new project management software.
Verify accuracy of data.
This is a sample spreadsheet that we used to track the projects and get feedback from the director and managers on the team.
New software setup
The project manager conducted brainstorming sessions with department managers, then the project management team would discuss the best course of action. With the approval from the project manager, the following steps were completed by me and two other project management specialists:
Create the organizational hierarchy with spaces, folders, and custom items.
Evaluate the usage of tasks compared to workflows.
Create projects, tasks, workflows, blueprints, and request forms in the account/space.
This is a sample proposal that I sent to the project manager via Microsoft Teams regarding the migration milestones.
Training
This is the first training proposal that I suggested to the project manager that involved training as an entire communications department. After further discussion, we decided to split the communications team into smaller groups and have each member of the project management team take responsibility for scheduling live weekly training sessions, leading the training session for that designated group, then brief the project management team on the outcome. I oversaw the training for all interns on the communications team by doing the following:
Develop clear, step-by-step training plan.
Schedule LIVE training sessions for team members to practice using Wrike.
Collect feedback to address any concerns and improve the training process.
Perspective
I am grateful for this experience since it showed me how important it is to plan ahead, communicate well, and stay flexible when rolling out big changes. The three month migration taught us that it’s better to transfer the data we actually needed. Working with the team to set up the new software ensured it was designed with everyone’s needs in mind. It also helped managers get involved and engaged in the process early. Training in smaller groups supported an environment of learning, connection, and giving instant feedback for the different types of users. This project gave me the wisdom to learn how to be adaptable and that regular communication is key to making sure things go smoothly in change.
