I manage complex platform migrations for a $7 billion company, and I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty:
You never take down an old platform until the new one is live, tested, and stable.
This isn’t just my opinion – it’s basic industry best practice. Whether you’re migrating 500,000 users or 50, the principles are the same.
How It’s Done in Professional Environments
In global organizations, platform migrations are carefully planned, tested, and phased to avoid unnecessary disruption. The goals are clear:
- Minimal downtime → Users should barely notice the transition.
- Seamless data migration → Historical records remain fully accessible.
- Clear communication → Everyone knows when, how, and why the switch is happening.
- Fallback strategy → If the new platform fails, the old one stays live until issues are fixed.
This is project management 101.
What Happened Instead
Our property management company removed Condo Control before UpperBee was ready to launch. That means:
- No access to historical records
- Owners left confused and uninformed
And the timing? “Coincidentally” just before the upcoming townhall meeting – when owners are expected to ask questions about finances, records, and spending.
Coincidence… or carefully planned?
Why This Matters to Owners
When a property management company handles your money, records, and personal information, it has a duty of care to ensure continuity and protect data.
Taking down the existing platform before the replacement is tested and stable:
- Disrupts service requests
- Compromises access to important documents
- Damages transparency and trust
If the timing of this “transition” conveniently reduces owner access to information before a key meeting, that raises serious concerns about accountability and transparency.
The Bottom Line
In every successful organization I’ve managed migrations for, one rule is universal:
Downtime should be close to zero.
Our property management company’s handling of this transition – and its timing – are not aligned with professional standards and undermine owner confidence.
