August 5, 2022

Homecare Software Switch- How to Streamline Data Migration?

When it comes to data migration, it can be a massive undertaking if you want it done right and with accuracy. Millions of dollars are spent migrating data between applications that require a lot of information. In fact, up to 75% of migrated systems fail due to errors that result in data that is incorrectly validated.

Data accuracy is the raw material that maximizes the value of enterprise applications. Data migrations always aim to increase corporate performance and competitiveness, regardless of their specifics. Transferring data into a more sophisticated application without understanding both the source and target will amplify inaccurate or irrelevant data, amplify hidden system issues, and increase the likelihood of data breaches. In this regard, it is crucial to develop a plan based on effective data migration strategies and best practices.

Here are a few tips that will help you streamline data migration:

Set Data Migration Goals:

Before moving your data to the cloud, it’s important to understand why you should. Modernizing a business through cloud computing and flexible work takes it into a new area. The question is what are the specific goals your company is trying to accomplish with this move? For your data migration strategy, consider the following examples:

  • Increase opportunities for hybrid and remote work to expand operations without increasing overhead costs.
  • Faster and more flexible service around the clock will improve the customer experience.
  • Improve accountability by tracking when and who accesses files.
  • Streamline tasks so that employees can spend less time on tedious activities and more time on creative solutions.

 

Choose the Type of Data for Migration

Always keep in mind what type of data you are migrating. Migrations can be divided into three types:

Cloud Migration: Documents and applications that are on a hard drive are usually transported to the cloud for more reliable storage. Moving data from one cloud to another can also be considered cloud migration.

Application Migration: In application migration, data and applications are transferred from one platform or web hosting service to another in order to improve connectivity.

Database Migration: If you are running out of space or wish to upgrade your database, you should consider this type of data migration.

 

Budget and Timeline:

Defining the scope makes it easier to plan how the project will be resourced and to obtain business approval. The estimate should include all costs associated with auditing and profiling data, developing mapping specifications, writing migration code, building transformation and cleansing rules, and loading and testing data.

A typical project lasts between six months and two years. The deadlines must be realistic, taking external dependencies into account, and allowing for contingencies as necessary.

 

Analyze the quality of your data:

Assessing and normalizing your data quality is essential to a successful project. By doing so, you will be able to identify areas for improvement and ensure that your data is clean and consistent before you begin the migration process.
A few things to keep in mind when assessing data quality are:

  • Verify completeness
  • Ensure accuracy
  • Ensure consistency
  • Verify uniqueness

 

Top-Down, Target-Driven Priorities:

By applying a top-down, target-driven rationale to scoping decisions, you can prioritize them according to the value they provide to the organization. Data refinement outward from the core saves time and effort.

Among the key benefits of profiling and auditing are the following:

  • Create a single repository for all analysis, regardless of the source system
  • Identify and investigate data problems with clarity, with the ability to investigate anomalies to any depth required
  • Make it easy for nontechnical staff to diagnose unknown data issues by finding answers to questions they didn’t know to ask
  • Identify any inconsistencies across the whole scope of the migrated data and assess how they affect the whole migration project
  • Review issues using a simple, business-friendly interface

 

Repeatedly Rehearse:

Good migrations are those in which everyone involved knows what to do – and when – since they have practiced several times during testing. You’ll be even better off if you know how many data items won’t load. No one is saying that data migration will be easy. However, if your organization follows these time-tested tips, it will likely succeed in meeting its data migration challenges.

 

Create Backups of the Data:

Ensure all your data is backed up as part of your data migration plan! Taking a backup of your data is a good idea before cleaning up your house. In case something goes wrong, this provides peace of mind.

 

Test and Validate Migrated Data:

The final step in the data migration process is to determine if the migration went smoothly. It requires testing and validation. Make sure your data migration strategy includes the process for this.

 

Decommission Old Systems:

In the long run, how you dispose of or repurpose these devices could pose cyber security and compliance risks. Assess the best course of action and determine how to expire data with the help of data security specialists.

 

Concluding Thoughts:

Now with the right strategy in place, we are all set for data migration, but what if you get to increase your efficiency with the use of an experienced data migration team to determine the best approach? Get ready to make your data migration process as smooth and stress-free as possible with ZoftSolutions. Our data migration services are tailored to meet the needs of your business. Our strategy for data migration is based on a thorough understanding of the data you have, and what you are trying to accomplish with it.