Implementation & go-live
Data Migration Planning: The Underestimated Risk in Every System Switch
5 min read
Ask experienced project leads about the biggest risk in a system switch and the answer is almost always: the data. Migration is treated as a footnote in quotes — and in practice it is a project of its own.
What actually needs migrating
Not everything in the old system belongs in the new one. The honest first question is: which data do we truly need in daily operations? Typically: current master data, open and future bookings, open invoices. Histories can often remain in the legacy system or an archive.
Quality before quantity
Duplicates, outdated entries, inconsistent spellings: legacy data carries the traces of years. If you transfer it unchecked, you import the problems along with it. Cleanup is the operator's job — no vendor knows your data well enough.
The rehearsal run is mandatory
A migration that runs for the first time on go-live weekend is a risk, not a plan. At least one full rehearsal with spot checks by business users belongs in every schedule — with buffer for corrections.
Clarify responsibilities in writing
Who delivers the exports? Who cleans up? Who verifies the result from a business perspective? Who is liable if data is missing? These four questions belong in the contract or at least the project plan — before migration starts, not when it goes wrong.
Bottom line
Migration is not a technical side note but a business sub-project with its own plan, ownership and deadline. Recognizing that early avoids the most expensive surprise of any system switch.
Printable checklist
Planning and checking data migration
Manage migration as a project in its own right: agree scope, clean the data and rehearse the full transfer.
A4 · 1 page
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