Nobody Budgets for the Weekend the Data Moves
New software gets the money and the demo. The cutover gets a Saturday. That Saturday decides whether anyone is still using the system a month later. By Justin Pennington, founder of Infraxio, Ponte Vedra. Originally published on penningtonj.com . Here's a sentence I hear in almost every kickoff: "The data can come over on a weekend." It's said casually, usually right after a clean demo, by…
Moving data on a weekend may appear straightforward, but the real challenges lie in the decisions that occur during the transition. Justin Pennington, founder of Infraxio, observes that many organizations overlook these critical factors when budgeting for system changes. The decision of what information to retain, how to interpret existing fields, and which records are truly relevant can significantly impact the success of the project.
Without proper planning and ownership, the new system may inherit the inaccuracies and inefficiencies of the old one. AI may expedite the build process, but it does not replace the need for human oversight in determining the relevance of data and records. Prioritizing the import of frequently used data, assigning ownership to specific sets of records, and conducting thorough testing are essential steps to ensure the new system accurately reflects the organization's needs and accurately represents business reality.
A well-funded migration project, with clear timelines and responsible parties, is crucial to avoid data inconsistencies and maintain the integrity of the newly implemented system.
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