ShireSystem SaaS in two hours: CorrBoard UK’s on-premises to cloud migration story
Independent producer of corrugated cardboard, CorrBoard UK migrated from on-premises ShireSystem CMMS software to the cloud-based ShireSystem SaaS in less than half a day.
Moving to the cloud has delivered significant benefits for CorrBoard’s IT department and the company as a whole, including:
- Automatic updates and access to the latest ShireSystem features
- Secure and reliable cloud hosting of critical data
- Reduced workload for the IT team
- Simple migration process – including just two hours of planned downtime
CorrBoard’s journey to the cloud
CorrBoard UK has used ShireSystem software to manage its maintenance operations for over 10 years.
When IT Manager John Watson joined CorrBoard in 2018, one of his first projects was to move ShireSystem to a dedicated server. However, managing and maintaining multiple on-premises systems placed a heavy burden on the IT team.
At that time, CorrBoard ran a 24/7 production site, 360 days a year, and John often worked out of hours to manage IT support requests. While ShireSystem was simple to operate, monitoring the security and performance of the server it was hosted on still added to his workload.
“The on-premises version of ShireSystem ran itself, but we still needed to build tasks like performing updates into our IT strategy. It took up quite a chunk of our day maintaining our operational systems and providing support for them.”
John Watson, IT Manager, CorrBoard UK
SaaS migration: a no-brainer decision
In 2021, CorrBoard started exploring which systems to move to the cloud to streamline its technical infrastructure. ShireSystem was an obvious choice as a SaaS version of the platform was already available.
“We looked at what systems we could move to the cloud to ease the burden on our IT department and reduce my workload. We were updating our on-premises servers, so it was the ideal time to migrate to ShireSystem SaaS. It was a no-brainer decision, really.”
ShireSystem is a time-critical solution for CorrBoard, as it needs to be accessible to engineers around the clock. Therefore, the company needed a seamless SaaS migration process.
John took a backup of CorrBoard’s on-premises CMMS and sent it to ShireSystem’s support team, who then hosted it on their cloud platform.
Elecosoft completed the SaaS migration with just two hours of planned downtime, and CorrBoard’s engineering team could log straight into the cloud version using their existing credentials.
“The migration process moved quickly and without any problems. The process was completely seamless for the engineering team.”
Reaping the benefits of SaaS CMMS technology
Since migrating to ShireSystem SaaS, CorrBoard has noticed some significant operational and IT benefits. These include:
Automatic software updates: Elecosoft automatically deploys new features and upgrades to the cloud for ShireSystem SaaS users, meaning CorrBoard is always using the latest version of the software without performing manual updates.
“It’s off our shoulders now; we don’t have to think about any of the tasks involved in updating ShireSystem. The staff see an automatic pop-up with the release notes whenever there’s been an upgrade.”
Access to new modules: by making the switch, CorrBoard has unlocked new modules only available on the ShireSystem SaaS platform.
For example, the company is now considering ShireSystem’s Permit to Work module instead of a standalone permit to work system. This will closely integrate safety and compliance into maintenance work and also reduce IT infrastructure, as CorrBoard will no longer need a separate system to manage the permit process.
CorrBoard is also interested in using ShireSystem’s new Document Management module, which is only available to SaaS customers, to integrate its policy management documents within the CMMS.
Responsive customer support: CorrBoard has used ShireSystem’s hands-on customer support service to make the most of the existing features and functionality
For example, its stores team wanted to receive an automatic email when critical parts reached a low level, so they can order more parts before stock runs out. John logged this request with the ShireSystem support team, and an automatic inventory alert feature was live within 24 hours.
“The support we’ve received since migration has been very good, the team will usually come back to us within the hour.”
Long-term cost savings: moving to a managed service model means CorrBoard no longer needs to pay for additional on-premises licences to use ShireSystem, plus they’re saving IT labour costs because the system requires minimal management.
Moving to the cloud has also reduced CorrBoard’s spending on data storage and computer power resources.
“Although we’re paying an annual subscription for the software as a service package, the benefits and savings we get from moving to the cloud outweigh this cost.”
A platform for the future
With ShireSystem running reliably in the cloud, CorrBoard is well-positioned to streamline and optimise its IT and maintenance operations. And the always up-to-date SaaS platform provides a foundation for continuous improvement.
“We’ve seen the instant benefits of our cloud CMMS software being constantly updated and having new functionality, and we know it’ll be cost-effective over time and help our business move forward.”
Is your company still using on-premises CMMS software? Get in touch to migrate to ShireSystem SaaS.