Moving to a new version of your client-records platform feels like a software update. It is closer to a renovation. Your forms, workflows, reports, permissions and training all get touched, and each one needs an owner, a budget and a date.
This checklist is for leaders at BC community-living agencies who are planning a move to ShareVision v5. It is useful whether you stay with ShareVision or look around first. The aim is simple: know what you are signing up for before the work starts.
What ShareVision has published: a different pricing model
One public fact is worth knowing before you plan. ShareVision publishes two pricing pages. The ShareVision pricing page describes two annual editions, each listing "Unlimited Users, Clients, and Services". The v5 pricing page prices monthly plans in bands by number of users, from 1–10 users up to 251–500, with an annual commitment required. (Both checked Sep 22, 2026. They may have changed since.)
So the v5 pages describe pricing that follows the number of users, where the other page lists unlimited users. What your own agency will pay, and when, is between you and your vendor. That is why question 4 is on this list, and why it is worth running your real headcount before you commit.
1. When will our agency be moved, and do we have that date in writing?
Everything else in your plan hangs off this date: staff training, the freeze on form changes, the budget year the cost lands in. Ask for your migration window in writing, and ask what happens if you need to move it. A good answer is a specific window and a named contact, not "sometime next year".
2. Which parts of our current setup carry over, and which have to be rebuilt?
Most agencies have years of custom forms, report templates, folder structures and permission groups. Some of that may come across as it is, and some may need to be rebuilt. Get a list, item by item, before you agree to a date. A good answer names your actual forms and reports, not just "most things".
3. Who does the rebuild: the vendor, or our staff?
If anything has to be rebuilt, someone has to do it, test it and sign it off. If that is your program coordinators, those hours come out of their week and away from the people you support. Ask what is included, what is billable, and how much of the work sits with your team. A good answer is a clear split of responsibilities, with the billable part priced in advance.
4. What will we pay per user once every front-line worker has an account?
Front-line staff are the people who write the care notes, so over time most agencies want every one of them in the system. Casuals, relief staff and new hires count too. Run your real staff numbers against the pricing you are offered, including the growth you expect over the contract. A good answer is a written quote for your actual headcount, with a clear rule for what happens when it changes.
5. Can we get a complete export of our data, and in what format?
Before any move, ask for a full export of your records and look at what you get. Can you open it without the vendor's software? Are attachments included? Does it keep the link between a person and their documents, notes and incidents? A good answer is a complete extract in open formats, delivered within a stated time, at a stated cost (ideally none).
6. Where is our data stored, and does that fit our BC PIPA obligations?
Under BC's Personal Information Protection Act, your agency stays responsible for the personal information it holds, including what a vendor stores for you. A platform move is a good moment to ask again: where are the servers, who are the subprocessors, and where do backups go? Check the answers against your funder contract and your board's expectations. A good answer names the provider and the region.
7. How many staff hours will retraining take, and when do they come out of the schedule?
A new interface means new habits for everyone who logs in, from the ED to the overnight worker. Estimate the hours per role, multiply by headcount, and put them on the schedule, with backfill where you need it. Avoid your busiest months, and avoid year-end reporting. A good answer from the vendor includes training material you can reuse for new hires, not just a one-time session.
A platform move goes well when every one of these questions has an answer on paper before the first form is touched.
If you are rebuilding anyway, compare first
If your answers show that a real part of your setup will be rebuilt, you are already doing the work of a switch. That is a good time to look at more than one option before you commit. At Karis Care, data migration is included in onboarding, not quoted as a line item, and there are no setup fees. We bill per person supported and per staff record, never per login, so front-line workers and families never count toward a band. If it would help to see how your current forms and reports map across, book a demo and bring them with you. For the practical side of moving years of records, read our guide to switching systems without losing a decade of records.