How InfoSpark brought Yarra Trams' Smartsheet data onshore using MirrorSpark

Yarra Trams operates Melbourne's tram network, delivering public transport services across metropolitan Melbourne. The organisation maintains safe, reliable, and efficient tram operations, supported by a broad range of corporate functions. Its work spans operations, asset and engineering management, project delivery, and other supporting corporate services — engaging a diverse network of stakeholders and operational teams across the city. As part of Yarra Trams’ Project Management Information System, Smartsheet sits at the centre of project planning and delivery. It serves as a central hub for project and portfolio management, enabling planning, tracking, reporting, and collaboration across multiple initiatives. The platform is used daily by the Project Management Office (PMO), project delivery teams, and business units that rely on structured workflows and reporting.

For an organisation with onshore data hosting requirements, the location of its Smartsheet environment was critical. Previously hosted in the EU region, this constraint limited Yarra Trams to solution development — restricting the broader rollout the team wanted to achieve. Moving a live environment to a new region is rarely simple, particularly for an operation whose value depends on continuity, accuracy, and real-time reporting. The driver was clear: align data hosting with organisational requirements while ensuring continuity of operations and protecting the integrity of data and workflows. The objective was equally clear — a seamless migration with minimal disruption to existing usage.

When Yarra Trams looked at how to make the move, it did not need to weigh up a long list of alternatives. MirrorSpark — InfoSpark's purpose-built Smartsheet Data Region migration tool — had been part of the InfoSpark and Smartsheet engagement from the start, and it offered exactly what a migration of this kind demands: a structured, automated approach designed to minimise risk and disruption. What stood out was the combination of automation and a repeatable, structured migration process — the ability to move a complex environment without manual rebuilds or unnecessary exposure. Just as importantly, Yarra Trams was looking for a partner with strong technical expertise, a structured delivery approach, and reliable support throughout the project. InfoSpark, already engaged as the organisation's Smartsheet strategic partner, fit that brief precisely.

InfoSpark approached the migration through a clearly defined, staged process: pre-migration exploration, execution of the migration, data validation, and post-migration hyper care. Specific considerations for the environment were discussed during planning, and InfoSpark worked closely with Yarra Trams to align the migration approach with how the organisation actually used the platform. Coordination between teams was well managed at every stage. As with any migration of this scale, some challenges arose along the way — but they were anticipated and managed effectively, with InfoSpark providing responsive support, clear communication, and practical solutions as issues emerged. The result was a migration completed with minimal disruption to business operations and very low end-user impact.

The move from the EU to the AU region delivered exactly what Yarra Trams set out to achieve. Data, workflows, and configurations were fully preserved, and existing integrations continued to function as before — meaning teams could carry on using Smartsheet without significant changes to their established processes. The structured approach reduced the need for rework and kept operational disruption to a minimum. Most importantly, the environment is now aligned with the organisation's data residency requirements - the AU region. Early feedback from users has been positive, with minimal impact on day-to-day usage — the clearest sign that business continuity was protected throughout.

"We are very happy with the overall delivery of the project. The migration was completed successfully, with minimal disruption, and the support provided throughout was responsive and effective." — Izwan Rashid, Principal Advisor, Project Management Office of Yarra Trams

With its Smartsheet environment now onshore and stable, Yarra Trams is well positioned to expand its use of the platform. The organisation sees clear opportunities to further optimise its use of Smartsheet, expand its capabilities, and continue improving operational efficiency — and looks to InfoSpark as its Smartsheet strategic partner for the journey ahead. As the team reflected, early planning, clear communication, and structured execution were the foundations of a successful migration, and the same partnership now underpins what comes next.