SKIDATA is a global leader in access solutions and management systems, widely recognized for its cutting-edge technologies in the fields of parking management, people access, and ticketing systems. Established in Austria in 1977, the company has grown from a pioneering local enterprise into a multinational organization, providing innovative solutions that streamline access and revenue management for clients worldwide.

Origins and Early Development

The company’s origins trace back to the invention of the world’s first electronic ski ticketing system in the late 1970s, which revolutionized how ski resorts managed lift access. This innovation laid the foundation for SKIDATA’s expertise in combining hardware, software, and services to deliver efficient, user-friendly access management systems. Over the years, the company continuously expanded its portfolio beyond ski resorts to cover a wide range of industries requiring secure and reliable access solutions.

Business Evolution and Growth

Through the 1980s and 1990s, SKIDATA broadened its reach to include stadiums, airports, shopping centers, amusement parks, and urban parking facilities. Its solutions quickly became synonymous with high-quality and dependable technology. The company also pioneered the use of contactless smart cards and cloud-based platforms, ensuring that its products remained ahead of industry trends.

In the 2000s, SKIDATA experienced significant international growth, becoming a key player in digital access management and automated parking systems. Its reputation for reliability and innovation enabled it to establish long-term partnerships with some of the world’s most recognized venues and facilities.

Products and Services

Today, SKIDATA’s portfolio encompasses:

• Parking Management Systems – Intelligent solutions for urban mobility, shopping centers, airports, and event venues.
• People Access Solutions – Secure entry systems for ski resorts, stadiums, fairgrounds, amusement parks, and leisure facilities.
• Digital Services – Cloud-based platforms, mobile ticketing, and revenue management systems designed to enhance customer experiences.
• Service & Maintenance – Global support networks that ensure uninterrupted operation of access systems.

Global Presence

Headquartered in Salzburg, Austria, SKIDATA has evolved into a truly international company with operations in over 100 countries. It serves more than 10,000 installations worldwide, supported by a strong network of subsidiaries and partners across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and the Middle East. The company employs thousands of specialists combining local expertise with global standards to deliver tailored solutions to its diverse client base.

The tenant-to-tenant migration project for SKIDATA arose as a direct result of a major corporate restructuring. At the time, SKIDATA was part of the Kudelski Group, a global technology conglomerate. Following a strategic decision, Kudelski divested SKIDATA, which was subsequently acquired by ASSA ABLOY, one of the world’s largest providers of access solutions.

This corporate shift required SKIDATA to transition all of its Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (D365 FO) environments and related services from Kudelski’s Microsoft tenant to a newly established tenant under ASSA ABLOY. The migration was essential to:

• Ensure legal and technical separation from the previous parent group.
• Align SKIDATA’s IT landscape with the standards, licensing, and governance of its new corporate parent.
• Guarantee continuity of business operations without disruption to global subsidiaries.
• Preservation of process integrity, ensuring that existing ways of working in D365 FO remained consistent post-migration.

The project represented a critical milestone in SKIDATA’s integration into the ASSA ABLOY ecosystem. It also carried strategic importance, as Finance & Operations served as the backbone for SKIDATA’s financial management, supply chain, and operational processes across multiple countries.

Selecting the Right Approach

Multiple approaches were carefully assessed in terms of feasibility, timing, and business risk. After thorough evaluation, the scenario that best balanced speed, control, and business continuity was selected as the foundation for the project.

The adopted approach focused on replicating SKIDATA’s existing D365 FO footprint into the new Microsoft tenant, followed by a controlled cutover. At a high level, the scenario included:

• Preparation of the new tenant’s environments and governance structures, ensuring alignment with corporate standards.
• Replication of the application environment so users would experience the same functionality and processes post-migration.
• Data transfer with integrity checks, safeguarding that business-critical information and configurations were available in the new environment.
• Planned cutover scheduling, aligned with business calendars to reduce operational disruption, particularly across the Nordic subsidiaries.
• Cross-team readiness, ensuring all functional processes and workflows resumed smoothly after go-live.

Migration Process

Technical Process

The migration was designed to mirror SKIDATA’s Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations environment exactly as it existed in the previous tenant, ensuring business continuity and eliminating the need for process adjustments or retraining. The approach was structured into several key phases:

• Environment Preparation
  A new Microsoft tenant was established under ASSA ABLOY, with all governance and compliance standards applied from the start. The foundation included the creation of a Lifecycle Services (LCS) project, setup of environments, and alignment with corporate policies. This preparation ensured that the new tenant was fully ready to host SKIDATA’s operations before any transfer began.

• Application and Data Transfer
  The existing D365 FO environment, including all business configurations and customizations, was replicated into the new tenant. The goal was to create a system that was identical to the original setup, allowing end users to continue working without changes to their daily routines. Business-critical data covering finance, supply chain, and operations was moved in full, maintaining the integrity of all records.

• Validation
  Once the environment and data were in place, extensive validation was carried out. End-to-end business processes were tested across all core areas, including finance, supply chain, and operations. This step ensured that every transaction, workflow, and reporting function worked as expected in the new tenant, confirming that the system was fully operational.

• User Readiness
  User access was a critical part of the process. The accounts, roles, and workflows were configured to match existing responsibilities and approval structures. This ensured that employees could log in and continue working immediately after the cutover, with no delays or loss of functionality.

Key Challenges

A project of this scale inevitably brought unique challenges, particularly given the short timeframe and the number of parties involved. Careful planning and strong collaboration allowed these challenges to be managed effectively:

• Compressed Timeline
  The migration had to be completed in a matter of months. A tightly controlled project plan, with clearly defined milestones and responsibilities, ensured that every task was executed on schedule.

• Multi-Party Coordination
  Stakeholders from SKIDATA, the former parent company, the new parent company, and the implementation team were all involved. Transparent communication and aligned responsibilities kept the project running smoothly across all parties.

• Microsoft Global Outage
  Shortly before the planned go-live, a global Microsoft outage in Lifecycle Services impacted migration activities. Thanks to contingency time built into the project plan and direct collaboration with Microsoft, the issue was resolved without delaying the overall timeline.

The tenant-to-tenant migration of SKIDATA’s Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations environment was completed successfully, delivering exactly what the project set out to achieve: a seamless transition into a new corporate tenant with no disruption to business operations. The system was mirrored in full, ensuring that every process, customization, and configuration worked exactly as before, allowing users to continue their work without interruption.

Following the successful go-live, a dedicated hypercare phase was immediately established to ensure that SKIDATA’s transition into the new tenant was fully supported. The purpose of this phase was to provide end users with direct access to assistance, enabling any questions or issues to be resolved quickly as they worked in the new environment.