Data Migration Methodology

Any new system implementation is a complex undertaking, and the project to manage this will include multiple workstreams to handle different aspects. These are likely to include workstreams such as technical infrastructure, system configuration, training and testing.

But the critical pathway for any new system implementation will be data migration – if you can’t get your data into your new system, you can’t start using it. 

This article focuses on the importance of a sound migration methodology to underpin the delivery of your data migration.

The Key Challenges to Data Migration 

There are several challenges to delivering a successful data migration on-time and within budget. 

Legacy Data Complexity 

• Many institutions possess extensive historical data that has evolved over decades. Migrating this complex data into a new system requires thorough analysis and meticulous planning to prevent errors. 

Data Quality Issues 

• Legacy systems often contain incomplete records, duplicates, and inconsistencies in format. Newer systems will enforce stricter data integrity rules, making it crucial to resolve these issues before starting the migration. 

Downtime and Business Continuity 

• Core business operations cannot tolerate prolonged service interruptions. Minimizing downtime requires precise scheduling, proactive communication, and extensive testing to ensure a smooth transition. 

Lack of Migration Expertise 

• Although new system suppliers provide documentation and tools, successful migration depends on a diverse set of skills. Migration specialists, technical architects, account managers, and program managers must collaborate to oversee the process effectively. 

Elements of a Successful Data Migration 

Start Migration Preparation as early as you can

Don’t leave it until you’ve already selected your new system. Carrying out a full Landscape Analysis before you go out to tender will give you a much clearer idea of the actual requirements of your new system. This step identifies and analyses source systems, defines desired outcomes, and specifies what the data migration needs to deliver in detail. One of the most common mistakes is underestimating the complexity of legacy system dependencies. 
 

Communicate your Planned Approach 

Documenting your planned approach in a Data Migration Strategy will help you to clearly define how the data migration integrates with the wider implementation project. You should also ensure that the migration sign-off requirements are agreed with the business at the beginning of the project. 
 

Put Migration Issue Management at the Centre of your Process

The migration issues process is fundamental to the management of the whole data migration workstream, so it should remain independent of any other risk and issue logs, including the project risk and issue management and any IT fault management systems in place. For project risk and issue logs, the migration issues would quickly overwhelm any other issues being recorded. Systems used by IT departments to manage issues tend to be poor at handling migration issues where the business priority is very high, but the technical priority is low. 
 

Select the Best Tools Available

Modern migration control software plays a critical role in migration success, reducing manual effort, enforcing consistency, and accelerating timelines. You should select tools with automation, data lineage tracking and reconciliation capabilities, to ensure higher accuracy and compliance. 

Test for your Sign-off Requirements

This may seem obvious, but testing is often managed by a separate workstream of the project. You need to ensure that migration testing requirements are derived from the sign-off scenarios originally agreed with the data owners in the business. 

Include Archiving in your Migration Plan

There will be data in your legacy systems that you don’t want or need in your new system, but which you need to retain for regulatory reasons. For instance, there may have been significant business process changes in the past, and you do not want to configure your new system to support redundant data structures. Planning for archiving from the beginning will allow this to be integrated into the migration plan and ensure that you can realise the benefits of decommissioning your legacy systems at the end of the project.