One of the often under acknowledged and overly difficult tasks of data management is that of data migration. Legacy data migration is a challenging process, often resulting in unexpectedly high outlays for acquisition and support infrastructure. Although migrating data can be a moderately time-consuming process, the benefits will often outweigh the hindrances. While legacy data is essential to keep, its transition can often lead to project deficiencies when not addressed properly. In many cases, clients are stuck with legacy data that the vendor does not have; this could lead to inconsistencies in migration. Issues like these can be detrimental to the success of a project and business. It is important to understand the pitfalls and best practices for keeping data intact during migration. The following tips can help resolve any issues and ensure a smooth data migration process.
1. Contractual agreement on a migration strategy – Clients and vendors need to be on the same page when it comes to data migration. Knowing which party is responsible for tasks and asking vital questions along the way is essential to making sure all legacy data is seamlessly transferred to its proper destination.
2. Run a backup migration project – Running an additional and separate migration process parallel to your main project provides insight on any possible data issues that may arise. Even if this initiative is small scale and run by the client, it can pay off greatly if initiated as early as possible.
3. Clients assign key data resources to the migration – Allocating resources to your migration project is essential. Having a team of experts who can work internally is vital. The last thing you need in the midst of a project is to have one individual who has access to all your data resources. This will slow down progress in their absence.
4. Vendors need access to legacy data – Vendors need to be well informed during the entire migration process. Providing a vendor access to legacy data allows them to conduct preliminary analysis. This will help them to quantify the complexities of your particular data migration project. When vendors can see the big picture, migration can run much smoother.
5. Always have a data analyst onboard – A strong technical business analysts with experience in data analysis is a significant team member. Their professional insight will provide greater accuracy and reduce assumptions that can lead to migration pitfalls.
