If you’ve made the decision to move to a new ERP system, one of the most critical steps is to migrate your data successfully, or in other words, hassle and headache-free. Whether you’re migrating your data from legacy systems or from another ERP solution, your shared databases need to be carefully transferred over to the new ERP, to prevent system downtime and a smooth and seamless process. But know this – data migration is a complex and time-consuming task, and it comes with several risks, including loss of data, lapses in security, and incompatible database formats.
However, with careful planning and a little assistance when required, you can move all your data to your new ERP system safely and securely.
Let us take a look at how to get ERP data migration – right.
Data migration in the context of ERP
Data migration involves transferring existing business data from a wide range of systems, format types, and devices, over to a single platform. Most companies use multiple software tools for different operational processes, such as accounting, HR, marketing, and customer service, to name just a few. During the migration process, data from all of these departments will be transferred to a single ERP system while ensuring there are no duplicate entries, errors, or redundancies.
Important tips
- It’s not necessary to migrate all of your data. Now is the time to delete what’s no longer relevant, and free up some much-needed space.
- Deploy a team that’ll be responsible for migrating your data. Ideally, the team should be comprised of in-house employees who understand your organizational structure, your business needs, and your technical goals.
- Make data migration a priority during your ERP system implementation. It’s recommended that organizations audit their existing databases while making a decision on which ERP system to purchase.
- Research compliance issues and regulatory requirements before making attempts to move your data. HIPAA, GDPR, and other relevant regulatory bodies stipulate their own rules, so ensure that they’re adhered to.
- Perform an external audit of your ERP system functions once your data has been moved. You can audit your ERP system while keeping your data safe and secure.
4 steps to migrating your data to a new ERP
- Audit your existing data
Data redundancy is a tremendous pain point in almost every organization. Different departments often store their own copies of data, resulting in duplicates, while changes or edits to data are often not updated across departments, leading to inaccuracies and inconsistencies companywide. It’s imperative that you audit your existing data to get a full picture of all the devices, software programs, and file formats currently in use before you move ahead.
- Cleanse and extract your data
As there are bound to be inaccuracies, duplicate entries, and redundant databases, it’s vitally necessary to cleanse existing data. Data cleansing is a process in which corrupt, redundant, and erroneous files are removed. Once your database is cleansed, it can be extracted into file formats that are easily read by your new ERP.
- Make your data compatible
As data is often stored in multiple file formats, many of which may be outdated, it’s essential to make them compatible with modern tools and format types. This process can be time-consuming, especially if your data is extracted from legacy systems that use outdated software programs for which support may no longer be available.
- Make the final import
Once your data has been mapped, extracted, and rationalized, it’s time to make the final import. Completing this process helps you to assess how your new ERP system is operating. In other words, importing your databases helps you complete the final stage in ERP implementation, which is the testing stage. Testing and retesting your data for inaccuracies and inconsistencies in your new ERP helps you achieve and maintain better overall system performance.
Migrate data safely and securely
Data migration can seem like a daunting task even for large size organizations. It is, however the most critical and important step when implementing a new ERP system, as it involves both risks and responsibilities. However, these risks can be mitigated by assigning a dedicated data migration team to audit your existing data. After having decided what needs to be migrated, it’s relatively easy to cleanse and extract data, and import it into your new ERP system. Once all your data has been imported, it makes sense to hire an external team to audit your overall ERP performance.
For more insights into making a smooth, hassle-free ERP data migration, contact us for a no-obligation call with one of our ERP implementation experts.
