Phase 2: Plan your migration

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Introduction

After you've assessed your needs, define your migration strategy. Will you configure Service Desk from scratch to align with evolving processes, or will you migrate existing data from Web Help Desk to preserve historical records and configurations? This decision will shape your transition approach and ensure your new service desk is optimized from day one.

See the PDF version of this Migration Guide.

Planning tasks

Consider these questions when deciding which migration approach is right for your organization. The answers to these questions will help you decide whether to migrate existing data or start from scratch.

1. Consider your Data.

   • What is the quality of the existing data? Is the data accurate, up-to-date, and relevant, or is it outdated, redundant, or inconsistent? Are there legacy records that no longer serve a purpose?

   • Do you need to migrate all historical tickets, or can you archive old data and only migrate recent or active tickets?

   • Are there compliance or regulatory requirements that dictate how long data must be retained?

   • What is the volume of data to be migrated? Will migrating large amounts of data impact the performance of your new SaaS service desk?

2. Consider your Business and Operations needs.

   • What are the business goals for this transition? Are you looking to improve efficiency, reduce costs, or enhance user experience? Will starting fresh or migrating data better align with these goals?

   • How will the transition impact end users? Will migrating data provide continuity for users, or will starting fresh simplify their experience?

   • Will starting fresh lead to a cleaner, more efficient system, or will it result in the loss of valuable insights from historical data?

3. Consider the Technical aspect of the migration.

   • How complex is the data migration process compared to starting fresh?

   • Do you have the internal expertise to handle the migration, or will you need external help?

4. Consider the best Strategy for migrating.

   • Will starting fresh provide a better foundation for future growth?

   • Does starting fresh allow you to implement new processes and workflows that align with modern best practices?

   • Will migrating data lock you into outdated processes or structures?

   • How will each option impact day-to-day operations during and after the transition?

   • Have you consulted with key stakeholders (IT staff, end-users, and leadership) to understand their preferences and concerns?

   • Are there strong opinions or requirements that influence the decision?

Whether you choose to migrate your data or build your service desk from scratch, SolarWinds can help with a structured strategy to get you set up on Service Desk.

Next phase

Phase 3: Prepare for your migration.