Key Takeaways:
* Data cleansing before data migration can prevent inefficiencies.
* Evaluating relevance and designing data with flexibility can save costs and facilitate effective data migration.
* The involvement of actual data users from the beginning of the process can ensure a successful outcome.
* Leveraging the benefits of proper data migration can set a stronger foundation for future endeavors, including mergers, acquisitions, and AI initiatives.
In the current digital climate, many organizations are exploring data migration processes to enhance their operational efficiency. However, many are leaving significant value untapped due to inefficiencies in their approach. Two pivotal aspects that should be addressed for optimal results include data relevance and design.
Prioritize Pre-migration Cleansing
One of the most common roadblocks in data migration is the lack of preparation before the migration process. Analyzing or cleansing the data precedes moving it. Failure to do this initial step can translate into wasted resources, since the data moved may not be useful to the organization in its new setting.
The Relevance Factor in Data Migration
The relevance of data is a crucial aspect that companies often overlook. It refers to how useful a set of data is to a specific business goal. Many organizations, when initiating a migration process, erroneously assume all their data is relevant.
Take the case where an organization with a million materials is preparing for a migration. The logical step would be to cleanse and load all materials. However, evaluating the relevance could reveal a subset of these materials as actively relevant, while the rest could have been unutilized for years.
The best strategy is to either leave outdated, irrelevant data behind or relegate it to a data warehouse for access when needed. Applying complex relevance logic can help determine which materials hold relevance, based on factors like inventory and sales orders.
Design for Agility
The second challenge in maximizing data migration efficacy lies in the realm of design. Frequently, companies conceptualize a design on day one and then refuse to make alterations, deeming the plan as rigid and unchanging. This rigid perspective can lead to setbacks, as data migration, being a complex project, demands fluidity in design.
A thriving design could be likened to a well-written article, full of revisions. Imagine initiating a data migration with no room for modifications. This is why the design should be flexible, expecting changes that could be seamlessly integrated into the migration project.
For instance, a company might have to re-map international business units in their new system due to global differences in accounting laws. Flexible design enables such changes for unified global decisions to find their space in the migratory journey.
Simplified, relevant designs can significantly increase efficiency. Streamlined data, devoid of obsolete materials, vendors, and customers, can further refine the stability of the design.
Achieving Migration Success
As businesses embark on their data migration journeys, a data-first mindset must underpin their strategies. This involves getting the stakeholders familiar with the data involved, especially for smaller companies where data conversion is majorly an IT function.
Achieving data migration success not only sets a better foundation for future business endeavors, like mergers and acquisitions but also enhances the quality of data governance practices. Plus, clean and business-ready data forms a solid groundwork for data analytics missions, including AI and machine learning initiatives.
Overall, the efficiency of a data migration project is heavily reliant on a data-first approach. With due concentration on data cleansing, functional designs, and the all-important ETL process, businesses can ensure a smooth migration, yielding data that is ready for action from day one.
As organizations realize the intensity of this task, many are turning to data migration experts, such as John Munkberg, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Syniti. His years-long experience in making processes more efficient and integrating systems has seen him transition towards product development. His current passion lies in making Syniti Migrate the prime solution to the world’s challenging data migration projects.
In the evolving digital landscape, an improved approach to data migration is no longer an option but a necessity for businesses aiming to stay ahead. The money and effort saved through efficient practices can be funneled into profitable ventures, steering the organization towards unparalleled growth and success. Therefore, it’s time to view data migration not as a taxing process but a gateway to business transformation.
