by Alina Chihaia
When it's time to migrate your systems, there are a variety of tasks to consider. This could involve upgrading your CRM, switching to a new fundraising platform, or moving your operations to the cloud. It’s easy to underestimate the complexity of these projects. However, each step requires careful planning and attention to detail. A smooth migration can improve efficiency and provide better tools for your team, but an unplanned or rushed migration can lead to headaches.
Things to consider before you start…
1. Define Clear Goals and Project Scope
The first step to a successful migration is to define precisely what you want to achieve. Are you upgrading your systems or replacing an existing platform entirely? Will you be migrating all your data at once, or will you do it gradually (a phased migration)?
It's important to carefully outline the systems, data, and functionalities that will be migrated. A clear project scope will ensure your team knows exactly what needs to be done and prevent scope creep later.
2. Understand the Total Cost of Migration
Migration isn't just about the software or hardware involved; costs are associated with labour, training, potential downtime, and unexpected disruptions. Ensure you consider all the related costs, including those for vendors, consultants, or other third-party resources.
Having a contingency budget is also helpful if unexpected costs arise during the migration process.
3. Roll Out a Detailed Project Plan with Clear Milestones
A successful migration requires detailed planning. Your project plan should include timelines, milestones, and responsibilities for each phase. Whether it's vendor selection, requirements gathering, gap analysis, or user training, ensure everyone knows what's expected and when.
In particular, ensure that the plan includes time for testing and validation so you can catch any issues before the migration goes live.
4. Identify Stakeholders and Allocate Resources
One of the most critical aspects of migration is ensuring the right people are involved at every stage. Identify the internal stakeholders, whether they're database managers, fundraisers, or IT staff, who will play key roles in executing the migration.
5. Plan for Business Disruptions and Downtime
Any system migration has the potential to disrupt normal operations. Several risks must be considered, from data transfer delays to unexpected downtime. Anticipate possible disruptions and create a plan for minimising downtime. This might mean scheduling migration during off-peak hours or communicating with stakeholders about when the systems will be unavailable. Even after you have “gone live” with the new system, it might take a long time for users to adjust to the new tool despite your data migration being perfect.
6. Communicate with Stakeholders
Effective communication is key to managing expectations and reducing resistance to change. Keep your internal and external stakeholders informed about what's happening and when during the entire process. This includes providing regular project updates, managing potential setbacks, and being transparent about timeline changes.
The more informed your stakeholders are, the more likely they are to support the changes and adapt to the new system.
7. Ensure Smooth Integration with Other Applications
Most organisations use multiple systems that work together. Your CRM may integrate with your finance system or email platform. One of the biggest challenges in system migration is ensuring these applications continue working seamlessly in the new environment.
Take the time to assess all the dependencies between systems, and make sure your new solution integrates well with existing software. This might mean adjusting fields in the CRM migration so that they flow better around the organisation.
8. Conduct a Thorough Assessment of Your Current System
Before migrating, it's essential to conduct a thorough assessment of your existing system. This involves reviewing your current data, processes, and workflows, identifying gaps, and understanding how your new system will meet your needs.
A thorough gap analysis will help ensure that your new system is a good fit and that any critical functionality is not overlooked.
9. Data Cleansing and Transformation
Migrating data from one system to another is a delicate process. Ensuring that your data is accurate and up to date before migration is crucial to avoid transferring faulty or irrelevant data into the new system. Data cleansing, which involves identifying and correcting errors, is necessary before any migration project.
This is also a good time to review your data transformation needs and ensure that data formats or structures are consistent with the new system.
10. Ensure Accurate Data Mapping
Once your data is cleaned and ready, data mapping follows. This involves ensuring that all the data fields from the old system are correctly mapped to the corresponding fields in the new system. An accurate mapping process ensures no data gets lost or misrepresented during the migration.
11. Review Processes and Documentation
You can't migrate a process if you don't know what it looks like. Take stock of your current processes and make sure they are well-documented. If they aren't documented, now's the time to start. Clear documentation will help ensure your new system aligns with your processes and workflows, leading to smoother transitions and team adoption. For more on process documentation, have a look at our previous blog.
12. Address Data Security Concerns
Data security is paramount in any migration project. From access controls to encryption during transfer, ensure that your organisation follows best practices to protect sensitive data.
13. Testing and Validation
Before you go live, thoroughly test your new system. Conduct a series of tests to ensure everything functions as expected, including system performance, data accuracy, and user access rights. Any issues identified during testing should be resolved before moving to full-scale migration.
14. Backup Procedures
Ensure that you have robust backup systems in place. A reliable backup will allow you to restore your data in case of issues or corruption quickly.
15. Training Users
User adoption is often the most challenging part of a system migration. Comprehensive user training can make all the difference in ensuring a smooth transition. Provide training materials, hold live sessions, and ensure your users feel supported throughout the transition. If you want to delve further into ideas on how to do this, see our blog.
16. Post-Go-Live Support
Even after your system goes live, issues will likely arise as users adjust to the new platform. Establish a support system for your team to address any questions or concerns. This support is crucial to maintaining productivity and ensuring the success of your migration long after the project is completed.
Final Thoughts
System migration may seem daunting, but with the right approach and a clear plan, it doesn't have to be. By understanding the complexity of the process and planning accordingly, you'll set your organisation up for a smooth and successful transition.
At Productle, we understand how overwhelming system migration can be, so we offer expert guidance to ensure that your data and organisation are in good hands. For support, contact us via our website or email help@productle.com!
