Published by JMB Project Management Co. LLC
A migration can complete technically while leaving business users unable to rely on the information. Records may be present but incomplete, duplicated or interpreted differently in the new system.
The migration plan therefore needs two connected forms of ownership. Technical teams manage the transfer and its controls. Business data owners define what the information means and how its suitability will be assessed.
Agree the scope of the data
Identify which datasets are moving, the relevant history and the systems they come from. Record exclusions explicitly. Decisions about retention, privacy and access should involve the organization’s responsible specialists.
Do not assume that every field in the old system has a direct equivalent. Mapping may require decisions about definitions, reference values and how unusual records will be handled.
Define quality before the transfer
Business owners should help establish the checks that matter. Depending on the dataset, these may cover completeness, duplicate records, valid values and relationships between records.
Assign responsibility for correcting source problems. If cleansing is outside the supplier’s scope, the organization needs a realistic plan for completing it.
Validate using several forms of evidence
Record counts can identify some problems, but matching totals do not establish that the content is correct. Consider comparisons of values, relationships and representative business scenarios as appropriate to the data.
AWS Database Migration Service documentation on data validation describes source and target comparisons within that product. The available checks depend on the tools and configuration used; business acceptance still needs its own agreed criteria.
Rehearse the process and acceptance
Use trial migrations to test timings, checks and issue resolution. Record what changes between rehearsals and the final transfer. Make sure the people reviewing the results know how to report discrepancies.
Before approving the migration, present the evidence, remaining exceptions and proposed treatment of those exceptions to the authorized owner. Define how post transition issues will be handled.
JMB supports technology project delivery, including coordination of migration responsibilities, dependencies and readiness decisions. Clear data ownership helps the project move from a completed transfer to information the business can use.