So you happened to click on this site or another Linux site and were intrigued about the new world that opened up to you when you heard of the benefits of a Linux operating system: modularity, security, versatility, etc. Then you chanced upon some articles related to using LibreOffice, the much touted drop-in replacement for Microsoft Office. You figured to yourself, "Maybe I could garner operating expense cost-savings in the long run if I decide to replace all my Windows desktops loaded with MS Office with Ubuntu desktops pre-installed with LibreOffice..."
Here are things to consider before you make the migration:
1. Interoperability - How important is the integration of documents or files within LibreOffice to other applications your business relies on? Does your SAP, Oracle or other ERP system allow you to export data to LibreOffice Calc or Base?
2. Collaboration - To what degree does your business share document or files internally and externally? Is this critical to the execution of your business processes? For example, do you share large documents which are heavily formatted with version tracking with customers, vendors or employees? If so, can it be handled with LibreOffice Writer?
3. Compatibility - Think of all the file formats your business uses and whether LibreOffice can handle them. For example, LibreOffice Calc was able to read an Excel Chart and data with an .XLS file but unable to read the Chart with an .XLSX file in my video below:
If this is the case, think of how you want to handle this situation. Do you want to give users access to both LibreOffice and MS Office to account for situations like this?
4. Process Execution - Can I execute this particular process and all its associated set of tasks using LibreOffice? For example, can you take all your processes which rely on Microsoft Access/Excel VBA code and macros and recreate them in LibreOffice Base/Calc Basic and Python code?
5. Support Resources - If you are considering migrating over to LibreOffice, do you have an experienced resource you can rely on when you run into issues using the new software? For commercial support, LibreOffice provides a list of certified partners.
6. Differentiation - What does Office have that LibreOffice doesn't have? How often are those features or functionality being used by your users? For example, if you are a small Design firm and your staff primarily use office to send Powerpoint presentations with associated Artwork to clients, it is probably overkill to have each member have a licensed copy of Office. If the presentations can be viewed in Impress and occasionally there is a Word document with formatting that does not translate to Writer, then you only need one copy of Office stored on a Windows laptop or server for the staff to use when they need to view Office documents or files.
Here are things to do to make the migration successful:
1. Create a detailed LibreOffice Migration plan.
2. Encourage your employees to start using LibreOffice at home in preparation for the actual migration. To download a free copy of LibreOffice, click here.
3. Decide whether you want to standardize on LibreOffice or operate with a mixed environment.
4. Create the business case for the LibreOffice migration and determine if there is a return on investment (ROI).
5. Start a pilot project with departments where the migration change is going to be the least disruptive to evaluate the usefulness of the product and how it integrates with the department's normal workflow.
6. Evaluate the pilot project after the evaluation period is over: 30 days, 3 months, etc.
7. Conduct meetings with staff members from the departments which evaluated LibreOffice to determine whether there were any gaps in business processes that LibreOffice did not meet and whether they could be adequately addressed by using a substitute process or technology.
8. Determine any additional benefits gained from using LibreOffice over MS Office.
9. Compile the pros, cons, migration costs and operational savings gained to complete your business case.
10. Make the decision to migrate based on the results of your pilot project and business case in Step 9. Do the benefits and operational cost savings that will be gained from the migration outweigh the cons and migration costs?
11. If you decide to migrate, ensure that you have appropriate Support resources and a plan to handle legacy documents created with Windows formats. Perhaps, you want to keep an old Windows 7 laptop loaded with Office 2010 with each department or put a few licensed copies of Windows 7 loaded with Office 2010 on a citrix server that any employee can access via thin client.
There are numerous benefits to using LibreOffice: no license costs, cross-platform compatibility (Linux, Windows, MAC) and a near drop-in replacement for MS Office. However, before you take the plunge, you must evaluate whether LibreOffice can fill most of your office critical needs. If you find that LibreOffice will fulfill most of your critical business needs, you must prepare your organization adequately to ensure that the LibreOffice migration will be successful.
If you would like a Consultant to evaluate your organization for a potential migration to LibreOffice or other Linux products, please fill out the form provided in the Contact Us page.
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