In short
To migrate a PMO from Smartsheet, list which sheets are live plans, clean up column types and statuses, import a pilot programme first, check formulas that reference other cells or sheets, rebuild reports as live dashboards, run both tools for one reporting cycle, and switch on automation only once the data is trusted.
Before you move anything
List what you have. Separate live plans from archives and templates, and note which reports and dashboards depend on which sheets. Expect some sheets, such as archives and old templates, to stay behind.
Pick one programme as a pilot: active, reasonably tidy, and owned by someone who wants the change. Moving everything at once turns small problems into a big one.
Clean the structure first
An import copies what is there, so fix the obvious things at the source. Use the same column names across plans, make statuses a dropdown, keep owners in contact columns and dates in date columns, and fill in predecessors where tasks really depend on each other.
Know what carries across
In Intlexl the import connects with a Smartsheet API key. You choose the sheets and see how each column will land before anything is written. Parent and child rows keep their hierarchy, predecessors become dependencies with their type and lag, and the people on the sheets are listed for you to bring in.
Two things need a look. Formulas made of functions and literals carry over, but formulas that reference other columns, cells or sheets arrive as their calculated value and are flagged for you to rebuild. Access is set by Intlexl roles and sharing rather than copied from Smartsheet permissions.
Rebuild reports as live views
Do not recreate exported reports. Build dashboards and cross-sheet reports that read the imported plans, so the first report after the move is already more current than the last one before it.
Run both for one cycle
Keep the old sheets read-only for one reporting cycle and compare the numbers. When they agree, move the owners over, archive the originals and tell everyone where the plan now lives.
Turn on the follow-up last
Once the data is trusted, point the Status Chaser and Forecasting agents at the new workspace. Start them at Observe, so they only report, then move to Propose when the findings match what your project managers would say.
Checklist
- Live plans are separated from archives and templates.
- A pilot programme is chosen and has an owner.
- Column names, statuses, owners, dates and predecessors are consistent.
- Formulas that reference other cells or sheets are listed for rebuilding.
- Access is set up with roles and sharing in the new workspace.
- Reports are rebuilt as live dashboards, not exports.
- Both tools run in parallel for one cycle before the switch.
- Agents start at Observe once the data is trusted.
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