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What exactly is a data migration?
To put it simply, it’s the transfer of data, such as name, address and billing information, from one system to another. It’s usually completed within a realistic timeframe, and often involves a team effort to pull the data together correctly.
The data migration process is not just daunting, but risky and complicated. More often than not, it can be expensive too. There are many things to consider before initiating a data migration, two that might be at the front of your mind is how to remain compliant and how can you reassure your accounts team.
Let’s say for the purpose of this piece, you have already decided on a new case management system.
Before jumping in headfirst with a new, shiny and modern system, you should ensure that the software meets your compliance requirements, whether it’s the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) or Cilex. You can stay compliant by keeping your accounts balanced correctly after the data has been copied over. We’ll look at this in more detail shortly.
If you’ve never completed a data migration before, you might not be familiar with the processes available and how it might affect your accounts. The three options we use here at Hoowla are:
Basic Migration: This option isn’t usually selected by customers, due to the lack of information that is put into the system. Basically, you don’t migrate anything. You open an account with your new provider and any inbound cases are opened in your new system, alongside your new office and client ledgers. All your current cases would be closed in your old system, as well as any outstanding bills and invoices. Once all the previous cases have been closed, and your accounts reconciled, you can begin using your new system fully. This is called the ‘run down method’ and because it requires your team to balance two systems, it often leads to conflict within the team, as well as unnecessary stress and confusion.
Standard Migration: You would have a case for every case you opened in the previous system, including client and office ledger information. You would also have the fee earner and client information (name and email) attached to the case. With this option, you will typically store the remaining historical data (letters, emails and case notes) in a location of your choice.
Full Migration/Gold Standard: Like a standard migration, but would include migrating case documents, emails and critical dates. This costs more and depends on the number of cases you need to migrate and the time it takes to migrate the data into your new system.
Even with a full migration, we still recommend storing your backup safely. All these options rely on your existing provider giving you the case file information in a friendly format, which isn’t unreasonable.
Once you have decided on what sort of migration you want to do, you need to request your data from your current case management system for a test run. Your previous system is responsible for giving you your data in a format you can work with in any final scenario. If you’re not regularly requesting your data, you might be concerned to ask as it might be a dead giveaway you’re looking for a new management system. If this is the case, you can suggest that, as a firm, you’re getting organised and want a copy of your data for good practice management.
A side note: Ideally, you should be requesting your data often. It’s a brilliant disaster recovery practice. Your current provider may promise that in the event of collapse, they’ll supply you with your data before closing; it might even state that in your contract with them. But realistically, they may not bother, especially if they’re closing doors for good. It’s your responsibility to keep on top of your data, and how it’s used and stored, so we highly recommend taking regular backups of your data.
You might be asking yourself “why would I do a test migration?” and the short answer is, to make sure that your data transfers well into your new system. It’s much easier to correct issues in a system that’s not being actively used. Once a test has been done, and you and your provider are happy, you can then request a final data collection from your old system.
At this point, you and your team would stop using the old system so there is no outstanding data left behind. This stage is usually done on a Friday afternoon so that the data can be uploaded that afternoon, ready for your team to begin using the new system first thing on Monday morning.
Most good case management software providers would encourage you to perform a test before pushing the button to go live. It’s not wrong to go straight into using a live system, but it can create a feeling of uncertainty for your team, there’s no guarantee your files and accounts will be moved over correctly.
A provider that does recommend a test run will also work with you to set a realistic timescale for the work to be completed. Typically, and what we work to at Hoowla, it takes around 2 – 3 months, starting from you saying “yes” to the software, to you and your team using your new software. It can be done quicker, but like most industries, quicker usually means more expensive and there’s opportunity for more errors to occur.
The migration process can be summarised in these steps:
- Get access to your data.
If your data is in a format your provider can’t read, they’ll tell you the steps to convert it. - Spend time reviewing the data and understanding its structure
- Your provider will work with you on establishing the scope of the data migration.
(what will be migrated, and what won’t be). - Build a custom program to migrate your data into their software, ready for testing.
- Migrate your data into a test environment and give you access to it. Together you’ll then review the data, and this is where you will be able to provide feedback. This stage is generally done a few times so your feedback can be used to update the migration programme accordingly, and then review data again. Typically, you would want to compare reconciliation statements, client balance reports, trial balance and profit and loss match on both systems.
- Once you are satisfied with the migration tests you have performed and that the data is accurate, then your provider will require this to be signed off by your company owner.
- You’re now in a position to schedule an actual go-live date for the live migration, typically done over a weekend and will require coordination with your previous supplier to provide the latest version of your data within an allotted timeframe. An example scenario for this could be:
- A final reconciliation is done on all accounts, and the reports are sent to us.
- Your team stop entering data into your system at mid-day on a Friday.
- The system provider backs up your data and gives us access within a few hours.
- We download the data and run the migration over the weekend into your live system.
- On Monday, the team will start using your new system, and no more data will be entered into your previous system.
This is a tried and tested workflow at Hoowla. We’ve already migrated clients from several systems, such as ALB, Redbrick, Osprey, Proclaim, LEAP and more. Some suppliers have a slightly more challenging process when supplying and using data. It’s not impossible, just more time-consuming!
If you’re looking to move from your existing supplier and would like to talk to us about any of the subjects mentioned in this article, please feel free to call us. We recommend having a free, no-obligation Demo of Hoowla to ensure we’re the right fit for you.