Migrating to SaaS can unlock flexibility, scalability, and modern features — but it’s not just a matter of clicking ‘Export’ and ‘Import’.
Shifting from an on-premise system to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform is one of the most impactful moves a business can make — and one of the most misunderstood. Too often, teams assume the process will be a simple “lift and shift,” where old data and workflows are dropped into a new system with minimal disruption.
In reality, SaaS migration is a strategic project that affects people, processes, and data. Setting the right expectations early is one of the most effective ways to avoid frustration, delays, and budget overruns.
It’s Not Just About the Tech
At its core, migrating to SaaS isn’t just a technology decision — it’s a business transformation.
While it might start with the need to modernise infrastructure, the change inevitably affects:
- Data structure and ownership
- How work is performed
- What staff need to learn and adapt to
Legacy systems often have years (or decades) of quirks baked into them: hidden dependencies, manual workarounds, or fragile integrations. These don’t translate cleanly to a modern SaaS platform.
If your existing system has become deeply entwined with “how things are done,” expect some friction as old processes are re-evaluated and reworked.
Common Migration Challenges
Every migration is different, but the most common issues we see include:
1. Data Conversion and Cleanup
Old systems tend to accumulate messy data: duplicate records, inconsistent formats, and outdated fields. Before any migration, significant time is usually needed to:
- Map legacy fields to the new platform
- Convert formats (dates, IDs, categorisations)
- Remove redundant or incorrect data
Trying to skip this step often leads to poor outcomes, such as inaccurate reports or broken workflows in the new system, or worse still, unexpected data loss.
At Biz Hub, we’ve developed in-house tools to streamline this process. From scanning and analysing legacy databases to automating transformation rules, we’ve helped clients move millions of records while reducing manual cleanup and downtime.
2. Business Process Mismatch
Modern SaaS platforms are designed around best-practice workflows. This can be both a benefit and a challenge. Features like automation, role-based access, and integrated dashboards offer significant advantages, but may also require rethinking existing processes.
Custom workflows, approval chains, or data entry routines may need to be adapted or replaced. Staff may need to unlearn old habits and adopt new ones.
It’s also worth considering whether adopting the same off-the-shelf features as your competitors will still allow your business to compete effectively, or whether you risk losing some of your “special sauce” by conforming to a one-size-fits-most model. In some cases, small customisations or process tweaks may be the key to retaining your unique value while still benefiting from a modern platform.
Of course, not all SaaS platforms are created equal. Choosing the right one for your industry and workflows is just as important as the migration itself. See our guide on Choosing the Right SaaS Platform: Key Questions Before You Move.
3. Staff Training and Change Management
Even the best SaaS system won’t deliver results if no one uses it properly. Staff will need support to learn the new platform, understand how their responsibilities have changed, and feel confident using the new features.
Without structured onboarding, usage often falls short, and frustrated users may find their way back to spreadsheets or shadow IT tools.
Our approach is to involve end users early. During a recent multi-phase migration for a government client, we held walkthroughs with each business unit using a working prototype, allowing teams to validate changes and prepare for go-live with fewer surprises.
How to Set Yourself Up for Success
The most successful SaaS migrations have one thing in common: a clear plan.
1. Start with a Data Audit
Before anything is moved, get a clear picture of your existing data. What’s current? What’s clean? What can be archived? This step sets the foundation for everything that follows.
2. Map Early, Migrate Once — Then Iterate
Many SaaS migration guides suggest starting with a small subset of data or users as a pilot. While that approach can work in some settings, it’s not always the most effective — particularly when legacy systems are brittle, data is interlinked, or testing needs to occur across the full data set.
At Biz Hub, we typically migrate all of the data early in the project using our semi-automated Wildcat migration tool. This de-risks the process by ensuring the full dataset is available from the start for testing, refinement, and system configuration.
Once the data is in place, we use an iterative approach to cleanse, validate, and improve it over time. This allows users to see how their real data performs in the new environment, catch edge cases early, and incrementally adjust business rules or mappings as needed — without having to re-run the entire migration from scratch.
We employed this approach when assisting the Australian Research Council in migrating over 2 million records from a combination of Access, SQL Server, Excel, and legacy codebases (VB6, VB.NET and C#.NET) into a unified grants processing platform. By loading everything up front, we were able to run monthly payment simulations and validate the outputs against the old system, ensuring a seamless transition without missing a payment run.
This method works particularly well when dealing with complex relational data, legacy Access databases, or systems where “bad data” (or poorly related data) has been silently tolerated for years. By bringing everything across upfront, there are fewer surprises at go-live and more time to fix what matters.
3. Communicate Early and Often
Bring staff into the process well before go-live. Explain why the change is happening, what to expect, and how they’ll be supported. Listen to concerns — they often surface critical details that would otherwise be missed.
Change management isn’t just about training. It’s about building confidence and avoiding fear of the unknown that leads to resistance. One previous migration that Biz Hub did not manage well led to one staff member taking early retirement, and another taking a year of long service before retiring. We have learnt this lesson the hard way and put a lot of effort into ensuring this does not happen again!
4. Choose Partners Who Know Migration
There’s a big difference between building software and successfully migrating legacy systems. Work with vendors or partners who’ve seen the edge cases, especially if your existing system has decades of quirks and business logic no one’s touched in years.
We’ve helped clients modernise systems built in Access, VB6, Oracle, BD2, Excel, and other legacy platforms (it often ends up as a bunch of CSV files). Our migration toolkit handles everything from field-level mapping to bulk attachment transfers, minimising rework and preserving historical records.
Where to Next?
SaaS migration can feel overwhelming, but with proper planning and the right mindset, it can also be a smooth and empowering transition.
If you’re starting to explore the process, make sure your team understands both the risks and the opportunities. Don’t fall into the trap of underestimating the work involved!
To go deeper into the practical side of migrations, check out our next guide:
Data Migration 101: How to Plan, Map and Execute a Clean Migration
