CMMS Data Migration: The "Clean Slate" Playbook for Manufacturing

Switching to a new CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) is like moving a factory to a new building.

If you pack up all the broken tools, trash, and obsolete inventory and move it to the new location, you haven't improved anything. You have just changed the address of your mess.

Many Maintenance Managers ("Mike") and Operations Directors ("Paula") stay stuck with outdated, clunky software because they are terrified of the migration process. They fear losing ten years of history or spending months manually entering data.

The truth is: Migration is not a chore. It is a strategic opportunity.

It is the only time you will ever have a valid excuse to purge bad data, restructure your asset hierarchy for Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), and align your naming conventions with your OEE sensors.

This is the "Clean Slate" Playbook for migrating to a modern system like Fabrico without losing your mind—or your critical history.

The biggest mistake factories make is trying to migrate everything.

If you have been running a legacy system for 10 years, your database is likely full of:

• Assets you sold three years ago.

• Spare parts for machines that no longer exist.
  "Test" work orders created by staff who left in 2018.

If you import this "dirty data" into a new, high-speed system like Fabrico, you clutter the search results and ruin your reporting accuracy.

The Strategy: Archive, don't migrate.
Export your old system’s entire history into a searchable PDF or Excel file for legal/audit compliance. Store it on a secure server. Then, only migrate the active assets and parts to the new system. Start fresh with clean data.

Before you touch a spreadsheet, you must look at your physical floor.

Legacy systems often force you into "flat" lists where every machine is just a line item. Modern maintenance requires Hierarchy (Parent -> Child -> Grandchild). You cannot perform RCM analysis if you don't know that the "Hydraulic Pump" (Child) belongs to "Injection Molder A" (Parent).

Action: Use the migration to restructure your assets into a tree.

1. Level 1 (Location): Production Hall B

2. Level 2 (Asset): Packaging Line 4

3. Level 3 (Component): Conveyor Motor 02

How Fabrico Helps: Fabrico uses a drag-and-drop Asset Tree. You can visualize parent-child relationships instantly, ensuring that when the motor fails, the cost rolls up to the Packaging Line.

This is the step most implementation teams miss, and it costs them thousands of euros later.

In many plants, Maintenance calls a machine "P-101", but Production (and the OEE sensors) call it "Line 1 Feed Pump."

If you keep these separate names during migration, you break the link between Diagnosis (OEE) and Cure (CMMS). Your OEE sensors will detect a stop, but the software won't know which asset to trigger a work order for.

The Protocol:
Standardize your naming convention before you import. Ensure the "Asset Tag" in your CMMS matches the "PLC Tag" in your OEE system. This allows Fabrico to automatically generate work orders when machine performance drops, closing the loop between production and maintenance.

Do not try to fill in every field. Focus on the data that drives decisions. Use this matrix to prioritize your data cleansing efforts.

Once your data is clean, how do you get it in?

For "Mike" (The Tactical Manager): Bulk Excel Import
You do not need to type data manually. Fabrico provides pre-formatted Excel templates. You simply copy-paste your cleaned data into the columns (Name, Serial Number, Model, Location) and upload. The system validates the data instantly, flagging any errors (like duplicate serial numbers) before they corrupt the database.

For "Paula" (The Strategic Leader): API Integration
If your master asset data lives in an ERP system like SAP or Microsoft Dynamics, do not use spreadsheets. Use Fabrico’s API to sync the data directly. This ensures that if Finance buys a new asset in SAP, it automatically appears in Fabrico for maintenance.

Do not flip the switch for the entire factory on Monday morning. That is a recipe for chaos.

The Pilot Protocol:

1. Select one production line or one specific zone.

2. Import the assets, parts, and PMs for that zone only.

3. Have your lead technician ("Tom") spend two days working exclusively in the new system for that zone.

4. Verify: Did the QR codes work? Did the PM trigger at the right time? Did the inventory deduct correctly?

Once the pilot is validated, you can bulk import the rest of the facility with confidence.

How long does a CMMS data migration take?
If your data is relatively clean, a migration to a modern tool like Fabrico can take 1 to 2 weeks. If your data is messy (duplicates, missing serial numbers), you should plan for 6 weeks, with 80% of that time spent on cleaning the data before the import.

Should I migrate my closed work order history?
Generally, no. Migrating 10 years of closed tickets usually results in bad formatting and messy reports. It is better to keep your old system readable (read-only mode) or export the history to a PDF archive. Start your new CMMS with a clean slate to ensure all new data is standardized.

What if my asset hierarchy is wrong in my current system?
Do not replicate a bad structure. Fix it in Excel before you import it into Fabrico. Grouping assets by parent/child relationships is essential for calculating the true cost of ownership.

Can Fabrico help with the data cleaning?
Yes. Our implementation specialists can review your current data exports, suggest a standardized naming convention, and help you map your old fields to the new Fabrico structure to ensure nothing is lost.

Don't let fear of migration stop you from modernizing.

[Book a Demo with Fabrico] and let us show you how easy the import process can be.