The challenge of migration projects: it's all about the start.

The challenges of complex data migration projects, especially for insurance companies and banks, are diverse. This makes it all the more important to approach the project in a focused and structured manner right from the start. A common understanding of the project and good communication are indispensable. In her master's thesis, Louisa Laudi, a consultant specializing in MIGSuite, worked on exactly such a concept for developing and strengthening a common understanding by means of good communication and collaboration. In it, she used the Interaction Room method to sensibly design and develop a way to start data migration projects, laying the foundation for on-time productive migration right at the start of a project.

The Interaction Room (IR) is a workshop method in which a select group of heterogeneous stakeholders is expected to develop and strengthen a common understanding of the subject matter, requirements, and project content that are critical to success. This is to be done through communication, interaction, and collaboration. Workshop content is developed and presented interactively in the form of model sketches, and through annotations. Model sketches illustrate processes or objects, among other things. To explicitly highlight challenges that are particularly relevant and aspects that are critical to success, value, expense and risk drivers are labeled with so-called annotations. These can, for example, label frameworks, complexities, and security requirements and bolster the accuracy of a project's effort estimation.
The entire workshop is led by two experienced IR coaches. Due to the heterogeneity of the group, it aims to provide a complete project overview. This overview can have different degrees of abstraction - but organizational decisions can already be made on the basis of abstract requirements that are nonetheless complete.
By individually adapting the Interaction Room to the workshop goal and topic, this method enables and ensures a perfect fit for each project.

To start migration projects, it is from the very beginning important to approach the entire complexity in a structured way. That is why we have used the IR:MIGSuite to define the following basic components for the project start. This process was based on our many years of expertise and the IR:scope, which was developed to help define the project scoping:

• Introduction through keynote presentation
  The keynote presentation will provide initial insights as well as an introduction to the topic of data migration and the general project plan.
• Elaboration of the model sketches
• Model sketch: process
  On the process map, the flow of the data migration project or the data migration routes is elaborated and mapped in a time-logical sequence.
• Model sketch: objects
  The objects model sketch enables you to display the data structures and therefore also the relationships between business objects. This allows you to create business object networks. Explicit labels can be used to discuss and highlight data structures that are not relevant to migration, as well as the depth of the histories to be migrated.
• Model sketch: migration map
  On the migration map, the source and target system landscapes are combined and displayed in full. Based on the objects model sketch, one knows which business objects are relevant for migration. These are plotted and their migration path is transferred from the source to the target system landscape. Finally, we derive the migration order for the business objects.
• Model sketch: data quality
  The already known anomalies regarding the data quality in the source system landscape are recorded here in a structured way so that they are transparent and available for the subsequent course of the project. Effects on the migration can therefore be identified at an early stage and resolved - through data cleansing, for example.
• Model sketch: infrastructure
  In the model sketch of the infrastructure, the source and target system landscapes are used to map the environment structure for the migration routes and the systems required for them. This occurs over several stages.
• Inserting the annotations
  Upon completion of each model sketch, we use a selection of Interaction Room annotations - pre-built by us for migration projects - to label value, effort and risk drivers. This greatly increases the value of the jointly produced model sketch for the upcoming course of the project.

Upon completion of each model sketch, we use a selection of Interaction Room annotations - pre-built by us for migration projects - to label value, effort and risk drivers. This greatly increases the value of the jointly produced model sketch for the upcoming course of the project.

In conclusion

With IR:MIGSuite, you will have a successful start to your migration project thanks to a clear view of the important topics and first steps. At the same time, it enables a laser-sharp view of the productive migration target.

Are you facing the challenge of having to replace a system or migrate data? We actively support you with our MIGSuite product, our approach to complex data migration projects, and the IR:MIGSuite. We look forward to tackling this challenge as your partner and completing it in a timely manner! Feel free to contact our data migration expert Michael Schuboth.