What this episode is about:

Data migration rarely gets the recognition it deserves.

It's one of the most critical workstreams in any digital transformation programme, yet the people delivering it are often the ones quietly working behind the scenes!

In this episode, Jamie and Steve look back on the project that started it all for binary10, sharing the stories, lessons and laughs that inspired the idea of International Data Migration Day.

It's a celebration of the people who work tirelessly to move, protect and transform data and a reminder that while data migration can be incredibly challenging, it's also one of the most rewarding parts of delivering change.

Because at binary10, we're data people. We help organisations make data-driven decisions they can trust.

In this episode, we cover:

• How the idea of International Data Migration Day was born (00:41)

• The story behind binary10's very first data migration project (01:13)

• Why data migration deserves more recognition (01:49)

• Why 23rd May became International Data Migration Day (02:21)

• Celebrating the people working behind the scenes on transformation programmes (03:32)

• Why humour and team spirit matter during high-pressure projects (04:12)

• The story behind "See You Next Tuesday" (04:37)

• One of the most nerve-racking moments of Jamie's career (05:55)

• Lessons learned from early data migration projects (06:40)

• Why data teams often carry the responsibility for project success (08:04)

• How we can celebrate the data migration community together (09:19)

Why data migration deserves its own day:

When organisations talk about digital transformation, the spotlight usually falls on the new technology. But behind every successful implementation is a team making sure the right data arrives in the right place, at the right time.

• It's challenging.

• It's stressful.

• And when everything goes well, nobody notices.

That's exactly why we think data migration deserves its own day of recognition! Behind every successful project is a great team. One of the biggest themes throughout this episode is the people.

The long evenings.

The early mornings.

The pressure of go-live.

The shared laughs that keep everyone going when the stress levels are high.

Projects aren't remembered just because they were delivered successfully. They're remembered because of the people who delivered them together.

Every project leaves you with a story. But they're a reminder of just how much responsibility data teams carry and why preparation, testing and teamwork matter so much.

Data migration isn't just another task on the project plan. It connects systems. It enables change. And it gives organisations confidence that their new technology is built on trusted data.

That's why we believe the people delivering it deserve recognition. Not just when something goes wrong. But every year!

Final thoughts:

Whether you've worked on one migration or one hundred, you've helped organisations move forward. That's worth celebrating.

So, we're putting a date in the diary. 23rd May.

International Data Migration Day.

Who's with us?

🎧 Listen to the episode and join the movement

Help us celebrate the people who keep digital transformation moving.

And if you're planning your next migration, integration or transformation programme, we'd love to help.

Get in touch with our team: LINK

EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION:

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by an AI tool that did its best, but it's never met different British accents it could fully decode. Expect a few funny mistakes. Enjoy!

[00:00] - James B

2026, episode four.

For a split second, I thought I had actually kicked off a program, which then deleted all the data. I

remember that. Back out of the system, we were just my.

[00:09] - Steve S

We were just stood there with gawping...

[00:13] - James B

Yeah, it turns out that you know anything that you're proud of or that you want to promote or anything, you can you can turn it into a date. There it is, 23rd of May. Put it in the diary. Let's get the let's get the the promotion out there and an opportunity to celebrate the the fantastic work up and down the country and you know across the world of of people that do this super rewarding, but sometimes goes a little bit unnoticed maybe.

[00:36] - Steve S

Hi, Jamie.

[00:38] - James B

How are we doing?

[00:38] - Steve S

I'm doing well. Looking forward to this one. This is going to be a good one.

[00:41] - James B

Yeah, this is a bit left field, isn't it? Yeah. One. Yeah. But no, we we thought, you know, we we did a series on the birth of binary ten, didn't we? And yeah, something sort of reminded us or come out of that, and and we thought it was a great opportunity to to tell a few more stories, some of our experiences, but they kind of circle around a specific day, a day that, let's be fair, we haven't got much traction in yet, but there's still time. Yes, yeah, we're working on it, and that is to bring forward an international data migration day.

[01:12] - Steve S

Absolutely, yeah, yeah.

[01:13] - James B

Data migration, you know, obviously, you know, we do lots of different services now. You know, you know, we've got a fantastic consultancy, but data migration was always the bread and butter.

[01:21] - Steve S

Where we started, wasn't it?

[01:22] - James B

Where we started, and I remember we, you know, we we were on a fantastic project, really hard, really hard work. Very tough. We were super passionate, great people. You know, we were

desperate for success. And we just remember working really hard, and this was even before we we cut over. But just to get to the point where we could prove we were ready. And I think it was. I just remember. I think we were doing some late shifts. I think we were staying over in a local hotel, getting up very early.

[01:49] - Steve S

Yeah, I was really long hours. Wasn't it?

[01:50] - James B

Really long hours. Um, you know, really, really putting forward to our cause. And I remember when we got to that stage where we we had everything done. We got the data ready. You know, we we thought, you know what? Like, yeah, of course we're proud of ourselves. You know, this is hard. This is hard. What we've done, and it's fantastic that we've enabled the program to get to this point.

You know. But data migration needs to be taken more seriously, yeah. Like, and and obviously we've taken it more seriously. We're hopefully taking it to the next level, yeah. You know, we're doing a podcast on it, so so we definitely have. But we thought, no, you know, I think the world needs, you know, international data migration.

[02:21] - Steve S

Absolutely, yeah. I mean, it was in way of celebration as well as the the effort we'd put in to get to that point, and you know, but also it's you know it's a bit tongue in cheek, and and and we want to sort of sort of lighten the mood a bit as well because it's been tough times, and want to get everyone in the team. Up a bit, and what better way than saying, "Well, actually, we're going to designate today International Data Migration Day..

[02:43] - James B

Absolutely. And can you let everyone know what that date is?

[02:46] - Steve S

It's a it's in May, and I always forget the date, but I shouldn't do really because my birthday's in May. But it's May the twenty third.

[02:52] - James B

There we go.

[02:53] - Steve S

So International Data Migration Day, everyone.

[02:55] - James B

So it's it's the beginning of something potentially huge, but I think um you know if anyone's out there and and understands how you can make a Day formal. I mean, interestingly, we remember we Googled. You know, is there any other importance? Oh.

[03:10] - Steve S

It's something about turtles today, isn't there?

[03:11] - James B

I think it's Turtle International Day. Yeah, I think that's that's one of them.

[03:17] - Steve S

So it turns out of turtles. Yeah.

[03:19] - James B

Yeah, it turns out that you know anything that you are proud of or that you want to promote or

anything, you can you can turn it into.

[03:24] - Steve S

I think we I think we need to petition the United Nations, don't we? See if we can get United Nations.

International Data Migration Day. I mean, that would be fantastic, wouldn't it?

[03:32] - James B

It would be fantastic. You know, it might be that we have to take a few steps to get there, but let's see. You know, anyone out there that can support us or help us, you know, really promote this, I think. I think it's important because there's a lot of data migration analysts out there. You know, if they're listening to this, that, you know, they get it. They've been there. Those stressful times. Absolutely. Yeah. You know, and sometimes we're, you know, we can be seen as, you know, the quiet people in the background, the back office. You know, keeping things turning over, keeping The world, moon being in our own small.

[03:58] - Steve S

Always in the back room. We need a bit of recognition, don't we?

[04:00] - James B

Yeah, I think so. I think so. So, yeah, let's see how we can do that. But let's talk about, you know, some of the other things that were happening at that time. You know, they, you know, that very stressful time that, that you know, sort of brought this to bear.

[04:12] - Steve S

I'm trying to think. We had a few phrases that we used to use quite often, just to amuse ourselves. I think a lot of these sort of things that we're talking about, we're really just, as I mentioned, to lighten the mood. And when you're sort of working hard, doing really Sort of long hours and stressful periods. I think you need to try and lighten the mood at times, and and just to break, you know, to break that sort of stress. And we used to come up with various different things, didn't we?

[04:37] - James B

We did, and I know exactly where you're going with this one. And it means that you have let the cat out of the bag a little bit. So people might notice. For those of you, if there are people out there that watch this podcast, we tend to end it in a specific way, don't we? We always do. Yeah, we always do. Yeah. I'll allow you to get to the end of this one, or watch another one, and you'll see what we say at the end of it. But a little bit about where they come from. So, as you can imagine, very stressful time delivering data migration. Lots of things, you know, stopping you getting in your way, causing you issues. And there was always a word not a nice word. I really don't like it. I'm not a fan of swearing, but sometimes these things come out, don't they? They do. You can't help it. And so we realise there was a bit of time. You know, it's important that we vent and that we say these things, but maybe let's say them in a different way. So. It was very common that me and Steve would

always tend to see each other on a Tuesday. That's right.

[05:28] - Steve S

Yeah.

[05:29] - James B

And for those of you in the know, the phrase "see you next Tuesday" references this specific word that would come out quite a bit. But we think "see you next Tuesday" is just a nicer way of venting.

[05:43] - Steve S

Yeah. It was. Yeah. And I think I think because I think you weren't in the office on Mondays, were you? So you would. True. So on the Friday, we'd always, you know, see see you next Tuesday. And and have a good laugh about it, didn't we? So yeah.

[05:55] - James B

And that's now found its way onto the end of our podcasts. So there you go, right? It just proves how these little moments in time, you know, they they were part of us then spanning up a business, a consultancy that did this and and getting us to this point. But and I remember, you know, apart from that, you know, some of the things that actually caused us to say these things, you know, debt migration is extremely stressful. I mean, I remember I remember actually when we came to the end

of that project and we'd actually put everything live. Um, and it was fantastic, and everyone was cheering and celebrating, you know, and you know, huge success. And I remember we were doing some clean-up tasks in the days after, and for a split second, I thought I had actually kicked off a program which then deleted all the data. I remember that back out of the system.

[06:26] - Steve S

We were just we were just stood there with gawping, what we going on?

[06:40] - James B

Yes, and you know, I turned into you know, the whiteness of my skin was at new levels, and yeah, panic attacks were setting in. Luck, luck to have it. It turned out I'd only ran the development package, so it had only cleared out the data in the development bit. But again, it just you know it just makes you realise just how close you can be. You know, a good lesson for us, though, right? Yeah, yeah. Systems are now built up. You know, we we we can't allow that to happen. Can't happen

again, no. And SaaS solutions help that as well. But as you can imagine, I pretty much thought I was never going to see you on a Tuesday again after that point in time.

[07:15] - Steve S

Yeah, it's it's funny that looking back on that because that was really our first project, wasn't it? As Binary10, and it was a great place to work. But but I know me and you were just constantly sort of trying to keep that mood sort of raised and sort of laughing and joking and all that. And quite often we'd be hysterics, and the whole rest of the IT department was sort of looking round us and what those are those guys laughing again? Why why do they keep laughing? But I think you've you know you it's good to have that that light mood. in in stressful times and and just sort of you know keep sort of keep spirits up because otherwise you know particularly when you're working hard long hours on on very difficult complex and stressful projects you do need to have that sort of levity in there as

well don't you and and keep everyone's mood up I mean we want to enjoy working don't we we we have to work we we might as well try and enjoy it.

[08:04] - James B

Yeah, no, absolutely, and you know, like we're we're a workstream, or you know, data migration, whether it's integrations, testing, whatever workstream you do, you know, you think your world is you know the most important one, and I think that you know, but if I think we're really honest, you know, data it it lives and breathes everywhere, you know, it connects everything together, and you know, on many projects, on that project alone, you know, it's important that we lead the way a little bit, you know, and give that confidence because we're on that critical path, and you know. And and

it's kind of like you spend a lot of your time testing, practice, testing, practice, but then the spotlight's on you, and you've got to perform. So it can be stressful. But you're right; you can't you can't allow that stress to get out or for others to see it and for it to sort of dampen the mood or create concern. You know, it's that classic kind of you know, is it the swans or ducks swimming on water, and you know the feet are going crazy underneath. That's absolutely kind of you know how we how we do these things, and and and yeah, and I think you know, and that's why. You know, we want to promote you know these people. You know, International Data Migration Day is a is an opportunity to do that for all the people that do this very difficult, this very challenging activity, and just to you know give them a bit of the the limelight and appreciation. You know, for that work that they do.

[09:19] - Steve S

Absolutely. So, what any plans for for this forthcoming Data Migration Day then?

[09:24] - James B

Well, it tends to fall. You know, we like to go to the races, don't we? Like to enjoy a bit of the races and and celebrate it there. You know, but with it being May, you know, it's a fantastic time of the year. The sun starts shining, you know. And weirdly, I mean, I don't, I don't think we've ever. It's a good time for Data Migration Day because nothing tends to go live sort of mid-end May, does it? Yeah. It's not sort of a common, common one. So, so there is definitely an opportunity to celebrate it. But yeah, any ideas? You know, I think we need some.

[09:29] - James B

We we need some sort of social event, don't we? I think we do to mark this.

[09:52] - James B

We do need something. We'll have to think about that of how we can. How we can mark International Data Migration Day, but yeah, but there it is, twenty third of May. Yeah, put it in a diary. Put it in a diary. Let's get the let's get the the promotion out there and an opportunity to celebrate the you know the fantastic work up and down the country and you know across the world of of people that do this you know this this activity that is super rewarding but sometimes goes a little bit

unnoticed. Maybe yeah.

[10:49] - Steve S

That's been great.

[10:20] - James B

Yeah.

[10:21] - Steve S

I'm really looking forward to it this year. It's going to be good.

[10:23] - James B

So I wonder when I'm going to see you next.

[10:25] - Steve S

Probably see you next Tuesday. Imagine, yeah. See you next time.

[10:26] - James B

Steve.

[10:25] - Steve S

See you next time.