Moving Maconomy to Deltek's Cloud: What Changes and What to Check

Many firms that run Maconomy on their own servers are moving it to Deltek's cloud. For most users, very little changes: the system looks and works the same. What changes is who runs it, how upgrades happen, and the rules for customizations. This article explains what changes, how long a move takes, and what to check before you start.

What changes when Maconomy moves to the cloud

In the cloud, Deltek hosts and operates Maconomy. According to Deltek, that covers:

• servers, infrastructure and monitoring around the clock
• patching of the operating system, platform and application
• managed updates and upgrades, so new features arrive without the firm running the upgrade itself
• nightly and weekly backups, and copies of the database in a separate location for disaster recovery

What does not change is the firm's own setup: its processes, reports, integrations and customizations still have to work, and still need someone who knows them.

Why firms move

• No more servers to run. The hardware, its maintenance and the knowledge to keep it running move to Deltek.
• Easier upgrades. Staying on a current version is no longer a separate project every few years.
• Security and uptime. Patching, backups and recovery are handled by a team that does nothing else.
• Less dependence on a few people. On-premise setups often rely on one or two people who know how everything is installed.
• Work from anywhere. Access no longer depends on the firm's own network.

How long a move takes

It ranges from a few weeks to a few months. Two examples Deltek has published:

• The Danish agency Kunde & Co moved its Maconomy one-to-one, keeping everything as it was, and completed testing and migration in three weeks.
• The US accounting firm Boulay moved from its own servers to the cloud in about two and a half months.

What decides where a firm lands:

• Customizations and extensions: how many there are, and whether they meet the rules for the cloud.
• Integrations: every system connected to Maconomy has to be pointed at the new environment and tested.
• The current version: an old version may need an upgrade as part of the journey.
• Reports and data: what has to be checked and moved along.

Customizations and integrations: the biggest piece of work

In the cloud, custom code has to meet Deltek's security requirements, and Deltek sets out which kinds of customization are allowed. Deltek offers Maconomy in the cloud in more than one form, from templated editions with limited room for extensions to an enterprise option that is close to an on-premise setup, with separate environments for development and test. Which one fits depends on how much a firm has customized.

That makes the review of customizations, integrations and reports the first real task in a move. Some can move as they are, some need changes, and some can be replaced by standard features in a newer version. Integrations usually involve other suppliers, so they need to be planned early.

Move first, then upgrade

Moving to the cloud and upgrading to a newer version are often done together, and both are needed. VOLI usually recommends treating them as two separate steps: move the setup as it is, make sure it runs, then upgrade. It keeps each step smaller and makes it clear what caused a problem, if one turns up. Read more about Maconomy upgrades.

The phases of a move

VOLI runs a cloud move in five phases:

• Discover and prepare: review of the current setup, customizations, integrations and reports, a readiness and risk assessment, and a scope, plan and price.
• Design the cloud foundation: the environments and the choices about what moves as it is and what changes.
• Convert and configure: the setup, customizations and integrations are moved and adjusted.
• Test, train and go live: testing with real cases, training where something has changed, and the switch.
• Optimize: support after go-live and the first improvements that the cloud makes easier.

More on the approach on the Maconomy cloud migration page.

What to check before you move

• What running Maconomy costs today: servers, maintenance and the people who look after it.
• A list of all customizations, extensions, integrations and reports, and who owns each one.
• Which version you run, and whether an upgrade is due.
• How downtime affects you today, and what the cloud would change.
• Which systems connect to Maconomy, and who at the other supplier needs to be involved.
• When a switch fits: away from month-end and your busiest periods.

Frequently asked questions

Does Maconomy work differently for users in the cloud?

Very little. Users work in the same Maconomy. The difference is mostly behind the scenes, in who runs it and how upgrades happen.

Can we keep our customizations?

Often, but they have to meet Deltek's rules for the cloud, and the cloud option you choose decides how much room there is for them. Reviewing them is the first step of a move.

Who handles upgrades in the cloud?

Deltek manages the updates and upgrades of the platform. Your own customizations and integrations still need to be tested against new versions.

Who helps with the move?

Deltek and its partners. VOLI handles cloud moves for Maconomy customers, including the customizations and integrations that come along, and supports Maconomy afterwards. If you are new to Maconomy, start with what Maconomy is.