Step-by-step Migration Plan for a Seamless Board Portal Transition

There are many reasons why you might be disillusioned with your current board portal. It could be too costly, the support you receive might not be adequate, it might not be user friendly or you might be concerned about its security. Sometimes it is a combination of some or all of these factors.

There are plenty of alternatives on the market, but it is easy to stick with an inferior product because the prospect of migrating your existing data to a new platform seems overwhelming. You may also have to seek out a solution that addresses the exact concerns you had with your current portal or you might face internal resistance to change. It sounds like such a big project that it may remain in your ‘someday’ folder for years.

In reality, however, moving to a more affordable, effective and secure meeting management tool does not have to be stressful. A well-planned migration ensures minimal disruption, allowing your organisation to start benefiting from the new platform quickly. As to buy-in, this is easy to get when your new board portal solves the problems of your current one.

Why iBabs? 

iBabs is the right solution for more than 300,000 happy users at 3,000 organisations in Europe, and those figures are growing all the time. Here are some of the reasons that companies like Logistea, Ageas and the Marlborough Group have all recently switched to iBabs from other board portals:

• One of the most affordable licenses on the market, with flat fees and transparent pricing.
• Feature-packed platform that allows you to manage the whole lifecycle of your meetings in an efficient and collaborative manner that adds accountability into the process.
• Highly secure platform, adhering to ISO standards with robust encryption and GDPR compliance.
• User-friendly design with an intuitive dashboard to oversee meeting operations.
• Responsive and helpful customer service. 

Migration plan

Week 1 – Assessing the current situation

Engage your internal stakeholders to discuss the shortcomings of your current solution, requirements for a replacement and any reasons why they might oppose changing. Allow them a few days to consider the proposed change and voice their opinions and concerns. 

Some of the reasons they might be resistant to transitioning to a new portal could include: 

• It could disrupt the work of the board as the migration occurs
• Users and administrators will have to learn how to use a new system
• A concern there will not be adequate support
• Fears over losing data during the migration process
• Concerns over compatibility between the new tool and the company’s current processes. 

Once you have identified your needs and any relevant concerns, seek out a solution that meets these requirements. 

Some providers offer a migration service that takes control over the transition and manages your data securely. Look for a platform that runs training programmes for your administrators and users. Also, ensure it is compatible with a wide range of devices, assuaging concerns over compatibility. 

Engage with the provider to discuss your organisation’s individual needs and request a free demo to help show your stakeholders how it will work in practice. 

Week 2 – Planning and preparing for the move

Once stakeholders are in agreement, make the decision to work with your new provider and get sign-off from the relevant parties. 

Create a migration strategy, including a timeline to move the data to your new solution, when to onboard users, when to organise training and other aspects, such as personalised settings and user permissions. 

Audit your existing documents, agendas, meeting minutes and user permissions to ensure they are accurate and up-to-date, and that you only import necessary items to your new platform. Categorise and organise your files to help make the transition and your ongoing work more streamlined.

Week 3 – Carrying out the migration

Set up user accounts and allow your users to explore the system and put their training into practice. Open feedback channels for any concerns or questions that your team has, either answering from your own knowledge or engaging the support team to find solutions and advice.

Some providers will migrate the data across on your behalf. All the hard work is done by their team and your IT department just needs to allow our app on your users’ work devices. In addition, companies like iBabs will provide on-site and remote training sessions for both administrators and end-users. 

Week 4 – Testing your new system

Run a test meeting to familiarise your team with the new system, from creating the agenda to conducting the meeting and voting, as well as assigning action items. 

Launch your new board portal for live meetings, document management and collaboration between your team members. Monitor usage to identify and resolve any issues with your workflows and finesse the system you want to use. 

Collect feedback from your users as they use the tool more, optimising your processes to ensure you make the most of your new board portal platform. 

When using iBabs, our 24/7 helpdesk is ready to assist whenever you need. You will also be matched with a dedicated account manager to ensure a personal point of contact at all times. The iBabs support centre also provides detailed guides and tutorials to help you every step of the way.