Mastering the art of software migration: Tips for success

By Nick Taylor, Software Implementation Consultant, Inisoft

If you’re a software vendor or a business partner with one, then you’ll have some experience of the long journey through application migration. As a software implementation consultant at Inisoft, I’ve worked on large multinational, multi-partner migration projects, and these have taught me techniques for managing the bumps in the road that inevitably arise. I know first-hand that a third-party software migration can be a complex and disruptive process. However, with careful planning and execution, you can minimise the risks and maximise the benefits.

A business can decide to embark on a software migration for one of many reasons, whether business or technical in origin. For instance, sometimes third-party software can become unreliable or too expensive. In the digital world, software is ever evolving. Needs can change and change happens fast, forcing businesses to adapt quickly. When dealing with complex systems you, as the implementation consultant, need to be able to think quickly and evolve too. Having the knowledge and problem-solving skills to deal with these situations goes a long way when migrating software.

Technology and people

Even with the deepest knowledge and specialist skillset, you can’t foresee every possible complication, and they will arise, and not from just the software itself. There are many pieces to the puzzle beyond technology. A migration project can span multiple partners and functional departments. A migration plan can have hundreds of tasks assigned to various individuals across these partners and departments, and many tasks are dependent on one being completed before the next can begin. So, managing the people involved can become as complicated as managing the software systems.

Common challenges and mitigation strategies

So how do we make the migration go as smoothly as possible? The priority is to get the right people on board. The best plan in the world can go wrong in the hands of the wrong people. A seasoned consultant will know which stakeholders should be involved or at least will have the experience and skills to face arising challenges in a logical, timely manner.

The known unknowns: How big is big?

You can guarantee teething trouble with a migration if it involves several complex applications and various interfaces:

Reduce the scale of troubleshooting by breaking down the project into phases.
Give adequate time for testing in between each phase.

Unknown unknowns

The unknown unknowns are impossible to predict, but I recommend paying attention to these areas:

Security measures can be too secure: Where information is passed from one application to another, the receiving system might only accept or process incoming data if it’s in a particular format. Each supplier should share documentation of the specifications of their systems and discuss known constraints before designing any integrations.
Historical configuration: Legacy settings in a system can remain obscure and inconsequential until they’re not. Make sure you ask the third parties the right questions about their system before the project gets underway.

Data migration

Data mapping: Clearly define the mapping between old and new systems.
Data cleansing: Ensure data accuracy and consistency and purge redundant historical data.
Data validation: Rigorously test the data integrity post-migration.

System integration

API integration: Use APIs to seamlessly connect systems. Work with the vendor to develop a seamless integration.
Integration testing: Create a solid test plan, working through each aspect of the integration.
Data: Implement mechanisms to maintain data consistency across all systems.
Logging: Make sure your system logs accurately and clearly.

Stakeholders

Who are they? Make sure each stakeholder’s position and responsibility are defined from the start.
Communication: Regular meetings should be scheduled. Discuss pain points, progress and next steps.
Follow up: Anything discussed in meetings should be summarised in an email with key actions assigned to a person.
Flush out conflicts early: Is anyone being too flaky, not completing tasks on time? Call it out early. If a replacement is needed, then so be it.

User adoption challenges

Provide training and support: Offer comprehensive training and support to help stakeholders adapt to the new software. Some users may resist change, while others may simply not understand how to use the new system. Be prepared for lots of, “Well, that’s not how we did it on the old system”.
Give guidance on post-deployment support and documentation: Educate the end user to know where to find self-service support and how to raise a support ticket if their problem requires intervention from a product support analyst.

A happy ending

No software application migration is without its challenges. In my experience, it’s just as important to know how to respond to unexpected issues as it is to have the technical expertise to perform the many implementations involved in a complex software migration project. Making time at the beginning of the project to think strategically and write out a plan, getting buy-in from the significant stakeholders early on, and working together throughout the project are really important factors in enabling clarity around requirements and allowing you to focus on what’s required at each stage.

Ultimately, the project is not just about technology; it’s about the people who use it. The key things to remember are that things can and will go wrong; the difference is how you handle them, and each problem is a lesson learned for next time, so document everything.

The next time you’re faced with a software migration, don’t panic. Take a deep breath, follow these tips, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful migration.

About the author

Nick Taylor is an experienced software and systems implementation consultant. Connect with Nick on LinkedIn.