Data Migration isn't what you think it is.

Data Migration isn't just "moving data". If done correctly, there is a whole process that has to occur before any data is moved.

110% (exaggerating here, but you get the idea) of the systems upgrades and migrations I have been a part of are bogged down by the data migration piece. Not the actual movement of data, the preparation of the date before you ever move one byte of data.

Finding, structuring, and cleansing the data should all be step #1, but I find that few think of this.

Instead, everybody assumes the other party is going to take responsibility for this.

So, the company signs the deal with a Services Provider to migrate/upgrade to another system. The Services Provider promptly gives the customer a template to fill with all of their data....cleansed and structured. This never happens.

Here is what happens:

1. The customer drags their feet because they don't have time, people, or expertise.

2. The Service Provider (SP) warns that the engineers the customer talked to during the sales process have to be put on other deals if the project doesn't start soon.

3. Warnings per above.

4. Warnings per above.

5. Warnings per above.

6. Warnings per above. (you are getting the idea now)

7. Engineers get put on other projects to the consternation of the customer.

8. Customer finally gets frustrated because they don't know where their data is, don't know the data structure, and know that the data isn't cleansed but they don't have the people, time, or know-how to do it.

9. Customer does a massive data dump of "whatever" data they have.

10. SP migrates the system with trash data.

11. Customer is dissatisfied because they spent a ton of money for this migration/upgrade, the the executives are all moaning because they can't get accurate reporting, and all the data in their new system is trash.

Few companies are good at this first step, but I have a close pattern that is.

Let's talk.

david@cyber8technology.com