Switching CAD Systems: Complete Migration Guide

The decision to switch CAD systems is often the hardest part. Once you have committed to the change, having a structured migration plan makes the process manageable and minimizes disruption to your community. This guide walks you through every phase of migrating to CDE CAD, from pre-migration planning through post-migration optimization, based on the experiences of communities that have made the switch successfully.

Phase 1: Pre-Migration Planning

Before touching any technical settings, take inventory of what you have. Document your current departmental structure, including all departments, ranks, and permissions. Export or screenshot your penal codes, ten codes, and any custom configurations. Make a list of all active integrations, including Discord bots, FiveM resources, and webhooks. This documentation becomes your migration roadmap.

Set a migration timeline that accounts for your community's schedule. Avoid switching during peak activity periods or major community events. Most successful migrations happen over a weekend, giving you a full day for setup and configuration, and another day for testing and fine-tuning before the next active period begins. Communicate the plan to your staff and members in advance so everyone knows what to expect.

Phase 2: Setting Up CDE CAD

Department Setup

Create departments matching your existing structure. Define ranks within each department and assign permissions that mirror your current access controls.

Penal Code Import

Configure your penal codes with charges, fine amounts, and severity levels. CDE CAD supports detailed charge categories that match any legal framework.

Discord Integration

Connect Discord OAuth for member authentication. Configure role synchronization so existing Discord roles automatically map to CAD permissions.

FiveM Connection

Set up the FiveM integration resource to connect your game server with CDE CAD. Configure 911 calls, unit tracking, and other live features.

Phase 3: Testing and Validation

Before going live, run your staff through the new system. Have dispatchers create test calls, officers run test lookups, and administrators verify permissions are correct. This testing phase catches configuration issues before they impact your community. CDE CAD's demo mode is ideal for this purpose, allowing you to test every feature without affecting live data.

Create a brief training document or video for your staff highlighting the differences between the old and new systems. Most CDE CAD features are intuitive, but pointing out where commonly used functions are located saves questions during the first few days of live use.

Phase 4: Going Live

When you are confident in the setup, make the switch. Update your community announcements with the new CAD URL, redirect any bookmarks or quick links, and have your staff available to help members who need assistance logging in for the first time. Discord OAuth makes this process smooth since members simply authenticate with their existing Discord accounts.

Keep your old CAD system accessible in read-only mode for a transition period. This allows officers to reference historical records while the new system builds its database. Most communities find that within one to two weeks, all operations have fully transitioned and the old system can be decommissioned.

"We migrated our 150-member community to CDE CAD over a single weekend. By Monday, everyone was up and running with minimal questions. The support team was fantastic during the transition."

Post-Migration Optimization

After going live, monitor usage patterns and gather feedback from your staff and members. CDE CAD offers features your previous system may not have had, so take time to explore and enable additional capabilities. Set up webhook notifications for Discord channels, configure advanced dispatch features, and explore the reporting and analytics tools to gain insights into your community's activity patterns.