“Data Migration” – Have you ever heard of it?
Well… You must have! That is the reason you are here.
Yes… Whether you are in the process of automating your business operations or upgrading your IT systems to bring in more efficiency, going through data migration to make changes to how data is stored, records are kept and information is processed can be rather overwhelming.
Most people, especially budding entrepreneurs, may be careless when it comes to data storage and retrieval, however, it has become imperative for businesses to carry them out properly to succeed today.
While the efficient management of data has become the necessary way forward, it can be costly to implement a data migration system. Nevertheless, considering the competition today, improving data management is important, and data migration a necessary process!
Data Migration – More Than Just a Secure Gateway for Data Transfer
Data migration not only assists with transferring data between a network of computer systems but also helps with the efficient processing of different file formats. Data migration also helps with website consolidation, relocation of data centers, and server maintenance. These are all the processes that add value to an organization.
Can Data Migration be Risky?
Yes… Of course, it can! BUT, this is when you do not give importance to your data records when upgrading your systems, or expanding your IT operations. Therefore, apart from the product implementation or service costs, there is an even greater cost associated with data migration that you need to worry about if your precious assets (data records) disappear in the process.
5 Biggest Data Migration Mistakes to Avoid
Being aware of the pitfalls before starting the process of data migration may do you good because then, you will have an idea of how much time and money you will have to spend over the process and to repair the errors and retrieve data should anything go wrong.
Here are the five, most common mistakes you should avoid when you decide to migrate your personal records or business data:
- Not Involving Users of the Business Systems
Today, the majority of businesses prioritize data warehousing to manage their precious records. Having a large network of operations spread through several floors of a business complex means consolidation is necessary. Therefore, when choosing to migrate data for any reason, not involving the users of the systems may harm the further progress of your business. Anyone who will be affected needs to be informed so that precautionary measures are taken beforehand.
- Implementing Out-Dated Business Rules
Since the implementation of the first legacy system, your business rules may have changed. Doing things the old way even if the systems have been upgraded means that you are not working with full efficiency. It is now time to make sure that you are operating with current capabilities and that any disputed areas are being resolved. With the new database in place, you may also want to modify the current data fields so that nothing is left out. Also, make sure that every change is documented.
- Not Testing, Checking, or Validating Data Links
Whether the project is assigned a medium difficulty level or a complex one, it may have several different and unique data links from a variety of applications. Moreover, the discovery or connectivity of new data sources can throw you off schedule. Identifying external data sources upfront, making connections, and documenting them beforehand will be the right move.
Furthermore, not testing the data links before starting data migration will result in a recipe for disaster. Questions in the pre-migration phase like how will the data be tested, who will do it, and conduct the evaluations are important to the whole data migration process.
- Waiting for Your Target to Be All set
When it comes to data migration, not having a plan for making up for the time lost in executing the process can hurt you monetarily as well as affect your reputation… How? There is a lot of work to be done, including consideration for data quality and business rules therefore, do not stop your operations or delay them because you may be disappointing your clients with this.
- Absence of Relevant Expertise
Going for off-the-shelf products may give you cost-saving opportunities but incomplete knowledge and expertise of the software may put you at a disadvantage. Here, your data is more important than cost savings, therefore compromising may not be the smartest move. Each data migration project needs specialists so that data discrepancies can be eliminated, as well as the chance for data corruption. In addition to sufficient knowledge of the users, having specialists for assistance will give you more confidence.
ExistBI is the leading data migration services provider around the globe. ExistBI has brought together the business and IT industry by providing impeccable products and solutions designed to enhance the decision-making processes and improve the overall experience of doing business in the modern, technology-driven world. They do this through experienced and certified software professionals and representatives.
Now you can conduct your day-to-day operations with more confidence. For more information, visit www.existbi.com. You can also contact us on +1 866 965 6332 (Canada / US) or +44 (0) 207 554 8568 (UK / Europe).
