7 factors of Data Migration.

In theory, you shouldn’t need a data migration company like binary10 for your data migration project!

Once your new database or ERP system has been selected, it should be a relatively straightforward process -

• To extract the data

• Transform it to match the target system.

• Load it in. Simple, right?

Sadly, it rarely works like that.

Your data is not perfect, and most people in the organisation know that. Ageing legacy systems don’t hold all the data required by modern systems, or they store it in different formats. It might be poorly updated or have data that's stored in the wrong fields… There are endless reasons why your data is incorrect to one extent or another!

Normally, these issues may not cause major problems until it’s time to migrate everything to a new system.

Then the quality of the data becomes the main factor that will decide if the cut over to a new system will be painful OR painless.

There are several factors you need to consider before launching into a data migration process!

1 Audit and Analysis.

At binary10, we like to say, "the devil is in the details", and nowhere is that truer than in data migration!

→ Start with a data audit

A successful migration starts with a thorough audit of your legacy system. This means analysing,

• Where your data is

• What condition is it in

• What’s missing, duplicated, or misaligned

  
  

This is not a small task, it often involves multiple departments, disparate systems, and data stored across various formats.

→ Don’t skip the data mapping phase

Once you understand the state of your data, the next step is data mapping. This is where you define the relationship between data elements in your legacy system and those in the target system. It acts like a blueprint for your ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) process, helping ensure your data arrives in the right place - clean, complete, and usable!

→ Why it matters

A well-executed audit and data mapping process improves:

• Data accuracy

• Migration efficiency

• System compatibility

2 Resource Planning.

Resource planning in data migration is often overlooked, but getting it right is critical to avoid roadblocks later!

→ Who’s doing what, and when?

At the most basic level, resource planning means identifying-

• Who is responsible for each migration activity

• When they are needed throughout the project

But in large organisations, things aren’t so straightforward. Responsibility for certain elements can sit across departments, across dispersed teams working to different KPIs, deadlines and holiday calendars. Key individuals can often find themselves spread too thin.

→ Collaboration is key!

The most successful data migration projects are built on strong inter-team collaboration. That’s why at binary10, we embed this from the very start.

→ Use a framework like RACI

A RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) helps bring clarity to roles, preventing confusion or duplicated effort. This can be a key difference between success and failure in a data migration project.

3 Team Expertise.

Data migration sounds simple, but experience makes all the difference. At first glance, a data migration project might seem straightforward. Extract, Transform, Load (ETL). Job done.

But anyone who’s done it knows that’s just the surface.

→ Why experience matters

Even with the best tools, data migration involves -

• Complex legacy systems

• Inconsistent data formats

• Business-critical dependencies

• Tight deadlines and competing priorities

  
  

Having someone on the team who’s successfully led data migration projects before can help anticipate problems before they arise and keep the project on track.

→ Spot internal blind spots

During the resource planning stage, it’s vital to identify -

• Skills gaps or areas where your team lacks experience

• Specific technical or domain knowledge required

• Teams or departments that may need additional support

  
  

→ Partner up for success

If gaps exist, bringing in an external data migration expert can be the difference between a smooth transition and costly delays.

4 Cleanse & Enrich

Poor data in = poor results out.

Don’t skip this critical step!

A successful data migration project isn’t just about moving data, but it’s about improving it.

→ Why cleansing and enrichment matter

Before migrating, it's crucial to cleanse outdated, inaccurate, or duplicate records.

• Marking redundant entries as "closed".

• Correcting incorrect or missing values in key fields.

• Standardising formats (e.g. dates, postcodes, naming conventions).

  
  

→ Data enrichment goes a step further

When moving from a legacy system to a modern ERP or CRM, your target system may require data that your current system never captured!

This means you may need to -

• Enrich records with additional attributes.

• Augment data based on new “to-be” business processes.

• Fill in gaps through cross-referencing or third-party data sources.

→ Wider buy-in is essential

This stage often extends beyond the core migration team. You’ll need support from -

• Business units that own the data.

• Departmental leads who can validate and prioritise updates.

• IT teams ensure system compatibility.

5 Data Security

Protecting your data during migration is non-negotiable. Data security is a critical part of any data migration strategy. With sensitive information moving between systems, the risk of data breaches or leaks increases significantly.

What can we do?

→ Third-party compliance

Ensure all external vendors, contractors, and consultants involved in the project are covered by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and data protection clauses.

→ Data encryption

Use strong encryption methods both in transit (as data moves between systems) and at rest (when stored during staging or testing). This helps prevent unauthorised access.

→ Access controls

Limit access to the migration environment using role-based permissions. Only authorised personnel should be able to handle or modify sensitive datasets.

→ Rollback protocols

Have a disaster recovery plan in place. If something goes wrong during the transfer, the rollback plan will allow you to restore data without major loss or downtime.

6 Testing & Reconciliation

In data migration projects, testing and reconciliation are often overlooked, especially when stakeholders are juggling day jobs and business-as-usual (BAU) responsibilities. But skipping this phase can lead to major issues at cutover.

Why is this important?

• Running several dry-run migrations before go-live helps identify recurring issues and allows time to fix them before they become critical.

• Testing should include migrated data from the legacy system and newly created test records in the target system. This gives a fuller picture of how the system will behave post-migration.

• By comparing the outputs from the legacy and target systems, you can catch mismatches, omissions, or transformation errors and correct them early.

  
  

7 Timeline & Clashes

One of the biggest risks in a data migration project is underestimating how long it will take. The timeline can be impacted by 3 main factors -

• The number of data entities and the volume of records

• The complexity of data and mappings

• The availability of key people across departments

Your migration activities need to dovetail with testing phases to ensure quality and stability throughout. Just as importantly, you must be aware of other business-critical events that could clash with your project.

For example, retailers often avoid launching major system changes in Q4 (the Golden Quarter/ Christmas or year-end period) due to peak sales risks.

Good timing = fewer headaches

Spending time early on to create a realistic schedule, factoring in resource availability, business events, and risk windows, helps avoid bottlenecks, missed deadlines, and last-minute surprises.

Conclusion

Data migration is a complex process that involves more than just moving data from one place to another.

A successful data migration requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a strong focus on data integrity, security, and compliance. Proper execution of data migration can lead to improved data quality, increased efficiency, and better decision-making capabilities for an organisation.

At binary10, we’re data migration experts who’ve led successful projects across the central government, retail, higher education, and manufacturing industries. Over the last decade we’ve probably seen every legacy and target system and encountered every potential problem along the way!

We can help your data migration project succeed - enquire now to see how we can help!