Data Extraction
Data Extraction is another critical area that requires careful consideration as to the wider impacts it can have on your project. Generally, either the project team or the business will own the responsibility for delivering data extracts into the data migration processes.
In our experience, and almost without exception, the standard approach from the “Big 5” consultancies (and probably the next 50 too!) is to make the business responsible for data extraction. This is prone to risk, adds overheads to the project throughout the timeline and often is the root cause of slippage and delays.
There are reasons why this approach is favoured. Data extraction, in particular from an old system with limited controls and governance is complicated, compounded when the business is lacking in technical knowledge or has to engage a 3rd party to perform the extraction.
This approach makes the business the owner and accountable for the data extracts, it removes one of the most difficult activities from the scope of the project team and places it in the hands of a team who will most likely lack the required abilities. It is also expensive, more so when the system is hosted by a 3rd party who will potentially be losing a revenue stream and will therefore make every effort to maximise their income while they can.
The requirement given to the business will be a set of file templates that they must deliver to in order that their data will be processed and subsequently loaded into the new system. In most cases these templates will be based on a future state system where the business will have little to no knowledge of the data structures or requirements (mandatory fields etc.) which could be significantly different to their current legacy system. In summary they will try, and consistently fail to produce quality extracts and will be the cause of project delays. Even with high levels of project support initially, this approach will continue to drain more and more project resource until ultimately the project is doing most if not all of the work.
Enisus recommends that the project team take full responsibility for the development and provision of data extracts. Whether this done directly, through working with 3rd party Suppliers or the business team, overall this will be the most cost effective way of keeping the project to plan. Enisus can assist with the scoping of data extraction, the technical approach and can assist with a simplified template format as this will still be required as a project deliverable. In our experience, the data migration events have run much more smoothly when the data team has ownership for the data extracts.