Why CMMS Data Migration Fails — and How Coast Gets It Right

I lead Customer Success at Coast. Which means when a new customer signs up and says, “We’re ready to switch — but we’re nervous about migrating our data,” my team and I are the ones they talk to.

And I get it. For most maintenance teams, CMMS data migration feels risky. You have years of asset history. Active preventive maintenance schedules. Open work orders. Vendor records. Location hierarchies. Maybe thousands of rows living in spreadsheets or a legacy system no one loves but everyone tolerates.

The fear is simple: What if we lose something? What if PMs break? What if techs can’t find what they need?

But here’s what I’ve learned after leading hundreds of migrations: CMMS data migration isn’t the hard part. Overcomplicated software and poor onboarding are. That’s exactly what Coast was built to fix.

This guide breaks down how CMMS data migration actually works, the stages that matter most, the mistakes to avoid — and how Coast makes the transition fast, clean and surprisingly painless.

What CMMS Data Migration Actually Means

CMMS data migration is simply moving your maintenance data from one system into another. It usually includes:

• Assets
• Locations
• Preventive maintenance schedules
• Open or recurring work orders
• Users and permissions
• Sometimes parts and vendors

Notice what’s not on that list: 10 years of closed work orders no one references anymore. In fact, one of the first conversations we have with new customers is about what not to migrate. 

Just because you can move everything doesn’t mean you should. If the data is outdated, duplicated or unreliable, migration is your opportunity to start fresh and only capture the information that actually supports your current, daily maintenance work.

Why Teams Delay Switching (and Why They Shouldn’t)

When customers come to Coast, they’re usually stuck in one of three places:

1. Spreadsheets that have outgrown themselves
2. A legacy CMMS that’s expensive and rigid
3. A system no technician actually uses

Almost every time, migration fear is the last barrier. Don’t get me wrong, for maintenance leaders, the fear is rational. If data migration goes wrong, the consequences can lead to lost PMs, asset histories and work orders that fall through the cracks. Then, adoption stalls before it even starts.

But here’s the truth: Staying in a system that’s disorganized, rigid or quite literally useless costs more than switching. Think reactive work. Poor asset visibility. Manual reporting.

For those customers coming from legacy systems, you have to remember that they were built like ERP software. They typically involve rigid hierarchies and setup that requires consultants and months of configuration. Migrating out of those systems feels painful because getting into them was painful in the first place.

Modern CMMS platforms like Coast flip that model, and here’s how.

The 5 Stages of CMMS Data Migration (How We Guide Customers Through It)

Every successful migration I’ve led follows the same general structure.

1. Audit & Clean the Data

Before we import anything, we ask:

• What assets are current?
• What PMs are active?
• What work orders are still open?

I strongly recommend migrating:

• Core assets
• Active PM schedules
• Open work orders

Everything else can be phased in later. Trying to move everything at once is the No. 1 mistake I see.

2. Structure the Data Properly

This is where Coast makes things easier. Unlike older CMMS systems that require rigid hierarchies and deep configuration before you can even start, Coast is flexible. You don’t need to perfectly architect your entire asset structure before going live.

We focus on what supports daily workflows first. Every CMMS structures data slightly differently. This step is about alignment.

Examples include:

• Asset names vs. asset IDs
• Locations vs. sub-locations
• PM frequencies vs. trigger-based schedules

Teams that rush this stage end up recreating old problems in a new system.

3. Prepare the Dataset (Bulk Upload Strategy)

We use bulk upload inside Coast workspaces to import large datasets at once instead of creating records one by one. It saves hours and dramatically reduces manual errors.

Here’s how we walk customers through it. You’re first going to build out a spreadsheet, using the following recommendations:

• One row per record
• CSV format for simplicity (XLSX works, too)
• Only include columns you actually intend to upload

Note that required fields must have columns. For example, work order title or asset name. If those are missing, the importer will flag them.

4. Handle Related Fields Correctly

This is when migrations can get tripped up — and where we provide a lot of guidance. If you’re uploading assets that reference locations, vendors or parts, those related records must exist first.

For example, if you want to upload assets tied to locations, you must upload locations first. Then, we grab their unique identifier — the permalink (or card URL) — to connect them properly. For small datasets, we sometimes manually copy the card URL directly from Coast. For large datasets, we export the related workspace and use VLOOKUP to pull permalinks into the main sheet.

The key rule I repeat constantly: Always map related fields using the URL or permalink — not the display name. That prevents UUID mismatches and failed imports.

5. Prepare Tags Before Importing

Single-select and multi-select fields (like Category, Manufacturer, Equipment Type) must match existing tags in Coast exactly. If your spreadsheet says, “Electric Pallet Jack,” but that tag doesn’t exist yet in the workspace, the importer will flag it.

So before we import, we:

• Review tag fields
• Add any missing tags
• Confirm spelling and casing matches exactly

This avoids 90 percent of validation errors.

6. Import & Map Fields

Now’s the fun part: actually importing the data. The process works like this inside Coast:

1. Open the destination workspace
2. Click the workspace dropdown
3. Select “Import Data”
4. Upload the CSV

The importer suggests field matches automatically, but we always review each one carefully. Important rules we follow include:

• Mapping URL columns to related fields (not name columns)
• Only mapping columns we intend to import
• Leaving unused columns unmapped

This keeps the workspace clean.

7. Validate Before Final Import

Before the data goes live, Coast validates everything. If something is off:

• The field shows in red
• The Invalid tab explains why
• We correct the spreadsheet
• We re-upload

Common issues I see:

• Tags not created first
• Related fields mapped to names instead of URLs
• Currency formatting not multiplied by 100 (important for number/currency fields)
• Required fields left blank

Once validation passes, we import and check the Bulk Update Queue to confirm success. Then, we spot-check a few records.

Limitations We’re Transparent About

While bulk uploading data is an incredible time-saver, I always tell customers upfront what bulk upload can’t do:

• No file uploads during import
• No assignee/person fields
• No checklist or subform imports
• No procedure uploads
• Keep files around 5,000 rows per upload

This kind of transparency builds trust, so there are no surprises mid-migration.

CMMS Data Migration Best Practices

In addition to simply following the process, teams that migrate smoothly tend to follow the same best practices:

• Assign a single migration owner
• Migrate only what you trust
• Prioritize preventive maintenance data
• Validate data with technicians — not just admins
• Go live before chasing perfect reporting

One important mindset shift: Migration is not a one-time data dump. It’s the starting point for better maintenance workflows.

The Real Difference: Migration vs. Adoption

In my opinion, the true measure of a successful data migration is if technicians can use the system comfortably on Day 1. This is where my role extends beyond data. Migration is technical. Adoption is behavioral. Once assets and PMs are in Coast, we train teams on:

• Creating and closing work orders
• Completing PMs on mobile
• Finding asset history quickly

The end goal with every data migration is to get reviews like this one from Coast Customer Solmet Group: “We already had our assets with serial numbers and a basic PM schedule in an Excel spreadsheet, so we gave it to Coast’s customer success team, and they just set it up for us,” says Lisa Bosworth, the company’s head of quality and continuous improvement. “They did it all, and we had open communication. They were very efficient and timely and would respond immediately.”

The Biggest Data Migration Mistakes I See

After leading hundreds of these, here are the most common pitfalls users experience:

• Migrating bad data: Old systems often hide years of duplicates and outdated assets. Moving them only creates confusion.
• Rebuilding the old system: Trying to replicate every workflow defeats the purpose of switching CMMS platforms in the first place.
• Leaving techs out: If technicians aren’t involved early, adoption drops — no matter how clean the data is.
• Waiting too long to go live: Teams stall migrations chasing perfection. Meanwhile, real work continues outside the system.

The biggest mistake? Assuming migration equals team adoption. It doesn’t. Ease of use does.

How Long Does CMMS Data Migration Take?

Customers always think that getting started is going to take months, but we can get them live and trained in about a week. Data prep can take a few days, with importing and validation only taking a few hours. 

In fact, Coast earned the No. 1 spot on G2’s Implementation Index for CMMS, earning a 99 percent rating for ease of setup. We’re also ranked the No. 1 easiest to use CMMS, and users said our time to go live was almost three times as fast as our competitors’ 2.83-month average.

Coast users consistently highlight:

• How quickly they were up and running
• How little training their teams needed
• How intuitive the system felt compared to prior tools

That feedback isn’t accidental. Coast is built for real maintenance teams — not IT departments. So, when the software adapts to how work actually gets done, migration stops being a roadblock and starts being a relief.

Final Thoughts From the Front Lines

I’ve never seen a customer regret migrating to a better system, but I have seen plenty regret waiting too long. CMMS data migration feels intimidating until you break it into stages. With the right process and a flexible platform, it becomes manageable — even straightforward.

At Coast, my team and I don’t just hand you documentation and wish you luck. We guide you through the bulk upload process, help clean the data and make sure your team feels confident before you go live.

Migration is temporary. Better maintenance operations last for years. If your current CMMS is slowing you down, don’t let migration fear keep you stuck. Sign up for a free Coast account, and experience first-hand how smooth switching can be.