Plenty of fire contractors know their software is not right and stay anyway, because moving feels risky. Years of asset registers, service history, contracts and client details live in the old system, and nobody wants to explain to a building owner why the records went missing. FireMate’s retirement in 2025 forced the question for many businesses at once, and others are now reconsidering where they landed.
A move done properly keeps your history and costs far less time than people expect. This guide covers what to export, how to clean it, how to run both systems for a cycle, and when to cut over.
Step 1: decide what has to come across
Not everything in the old system needs to live in the new one. Split it into data you will keep working with and records you only need to keep.
| Data | Bring across? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Asset registers | Yes, every site | The register is what technicians test against. |
| Last service and next due dates | Yes | So the new system knows what is due without re-testing everything. |
| Baseline data | Yes, where recorded | AS 1851 compares results against the baseline for each system. |
| Clients, sites and contacts | Yes | Needed for contracts, reports and invoices. |
| Staff and stock lists | Yes | Saves setting them up by hand. |
| Contracts and frequencies | Rebuild them | Set them up fresh so the schedule is right in the new system. |
| Past reports and test history | Archive | Keep them as exports or PDFs you can produce on request. |
| Open defects and quotes | Yes, as a list | So remedial work is not lost in the move. |
Step 2: export everything, early
Ask your current vendor how to export each of these as spreadsheets, and do it before you give notice. Export the past reports as PDFs too. Check what happens to your data when the subscription ends; some platforms remove access soon after. If your old system was retired, as FireMate Desktop was in December 2025, use the export you were given and check it is complete.
Step 3: clean the register before you import it
- One row per asset, with one piece of information per column.
- Consistent site names, so every asset lands on the right building.
- Real dates in date columns, all in the same format.
- Asset types named consistently, so the right AS 1851 schedule applies.
- Keep the old system’s asset ID in its own column, so you can match records later.
- Delete duplicates and assets that were removed from site.
This is the step that takes the time, and it is worth doing whatever software you move to. A clean register makes the first round of visits in the new system far smoother.
Step 4: import and check
In traqR, the asset import reads Excel and CSV files, including workbooks with several sheets. It matches your columns automatically, shows you the mapping to change before anything is added, keeps columns it does not recognise as custom fields, and stores your old asset ID alongside traqR’s own. Clients import from CSV, Excel, Numbers or ODS with a preview of every row, and staff and stock lists import from spreadsheets too. Check a few sites against the old system before going further.
Step 5: rebuild contracts and tag assets
Set up each service contract with its sites, AS 1851 services, frequencies, pricing and renewal terms. In traqR, approving a service contract quote plans every visit for the term and schedules the invoices. Then print QR tags in your branding and fix them to assets on the first visit to each site.
Step 6: run both for one cycle, then cut over
Time the switch around your heaviest servicing period, not in the middle of it. Many contractors start new sites in the new system straight away, move existing sites over as each one comes up for its next routine, and keep the old system read-only for one full cycle. Once every site has had a visit in the new system, you can stop paying for the old one.
Common mistakes
- Giving notice before the export is complete and checked.
- Importing a messy register and fixing it later. Later rarely comes.
- Losing open defects in the move, so quoted work is forgotten.
- Not telling technicians what changes on site, especially new QR tags.
- Switching in the middle of statement season.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my service history if I change software?
Not if you export it first. Bring the last service and next due dates across with the register, and keep past reports as PDFs or exports you can produce on request.
How long does switching fire protection software take?
The import takes minutes. Cleaning the data and rebuilding contracts takes days to a few weeks depending on how many sites you have. Moving sites over as each comes due spreads the work across one service cycle.
What should former FireMate users do?
FireMate Desktop was retired on 1 December 2025 and support closed on 1 February 2026. Customers were offered migration to Uptick or a data export. If you have the export, you can bring it into any platform that imports spreadsheets.
Can I try new software before I switch?
Yes. Run a trial on one or two real sites beside your current system before you commit. traqR’s trial is 14 days with every feature and no credit card.