The Efficient Way To Manage Data Migration

Mapping out a plan is the most crucial element of a migration. Every migration needs a certain amount of strategic digital transformation of the content moving from the source repository to the destination. Considerations should include folder structure, metadata mapping, security, search capabilities, and many other elements that will enable users to find relevant content. It is imperative that you invest the time to identify the problems you’re having and what is necessary to move forward.

Why Do Migrations Fail?

There are several reasons for this, most of which revolve around lack of planning. While many organizations share the same desire to procure data efficiently, they frequently differ on how they arrive there. There are several locations for your use when referring to data organization, but without a thought-out plan in place, these resources can fail to function properly. Be sure you’ve thought it through carefully before migrating.

Wave has been performing enterprise migrations and providing advisement services since the mid ‘90s. We’ve executed migrations for customers utilizing OpenText, Microsoft, IBM, Paperclip, and more.

Our highly capable team understands the unique hurdles that can arise in both modern and conventional ECM tools and we’ve refined our ways over the years as technology has changed. Utilize our expertise to execute a successful migration and digital transformation.

What Should You Consider When Planning A Data Migration?

Take An Inventory

Take the the time to assess what you possess, how it’s cataloged, the quantity and what types of content you possess, and any features you require like versions, annotations, and workflows.
Clean & Organize

Data migrations are similar to moving to a new residence- identify what you want to take with you and what you don’t need. Perhaps you have data that is obsolete. While combing through your content, take a minute to identify opportunities for improvement especially as it relates to your organizational methods and metadata.
Test The Migration Process

Next, you should evaluate your migration and pinpoint a standard to see how drawn-out the migration will be. Also, execute a data swap evaluation to make sure your migration pipeline is snag-free.
Check In Regularly

If you notice that your migration will take longer than anticipated during the standardizing process, be sure to create routine checkpoints during that window and be sure no problems occur. If they do, you can change your schedule.
Validate Your End Result

To be sure that what you end up with in the destination platform is equivalent to what you started with in the source program, have a acceptance procedure in place. If you’ve performed data cleansing during the migration, your acceptance should be able to show that.
Account For New Content

Sometimes you aren’t able to make the whole system read-only during a migration, and new data is created. You’ll want to make sure to justify any new metadata and any new data that’s created.
Leverage AI Where Possible

Many sources now offer Artificial Intelligence elements that can automate the content cataloging portion of your migration. Should you determine to use this tool, you can leverage existing metadata, and improve it with the help of your AI capabilities.