BRING THE RIGHT HISTORY WITH YOU
A clear path from your existing records.
Start by understanding what you hold, what you need, and who can confirm it is correct. Migration is a series of checked decisions, not simply an upload.
A blank leaving date, a reused identifier or a combined guardian field may have a local convention. Document those meanings with the source owner before mapping. Resolve ambiguous relationships and duplicate identities rather than letting the import invent an interpretation.
- 01
Inventory
Identify source systems, file formats, record owners, and the data needed at launch.
- 02
Map
Agree how fields, identifiers, relationships, and historical values should transfer.
- 03
Clean
Resolve duplicates, missing references, inconsistent dates, and invalid values with record owners.
- 04
Trial
Import an agreed sample and review counts, relationships, and representative learner records.
- 05
Reconcile
Have academic, administrative, and finance owners sign off their records and exceptions.
- 06
Cut over
Agree the final extract, access restrictions, rollback criteria, and post-launch checks.
Keep people responsible for their data.
Agree which records move, which stay in an archive, how long information is retained, and how source exports will be transferred securely. A migration scope should include exceptions and reconciliation, not only a file list.
A CLOSER LOOK
A checked migration preserves meaning, not only rows.
A student count can match while relationships, dates or balances are wrong. Plan the checks around how institutional teams will use the records after the move.
Decide what the source actually means
A blank leaving date, a reused identifier or a combined guardian field may have a local convention. Document those meanings with the source owner before mapping. Resolve ambiguous relationships and duplicate identities rather than letting the import invent an interpretation.
Reconcile an end-to-end sample
Follow a learner through identity, enrollment, family relationships and relevant academic or financial history. Use counts and control totals alongside representative record checks. Record exclusions and unresolved exceptions so sign-off does not imply everything in the source was moved.
Control the final change window
Agree the last extract, edits permitted during cutover, recovery conditions and the owner of final acceptance. Retain the approved mapping and reconciliation evidence so a post-launch question can be traced to its source decision.
Data migrationDecide what the source actually means → Control the final change windowSEE HOW THE WORK CONNECTS
Preserve meaning across the move
An imported file becomes a usable record only after validation and owner review.
- 01
Decide what the source actually means
A blank leaving date, a reused identifier or a combined guardian field may have a local convention. Document those meanings with the source owner before mapping. Resolve ambiguous relationships and duplicate identities rather than letting the import invent an interpretation.
- 02
Reconcile an end-to-end sample
Follow a learner through identity, enrollment, family relationships and relevant academic or financial history. Use counts and control totals alongside representative record checks. Record exclusions and unresolved exceptions so sign-off does not imply everything in the source was moved.
- 03
Control the final change window
Agree the last extract, edits permitted during cutover, recovery conditions and the owner of final acceptance. Retain the approved mapping and reconciliation evidence so a post-launch question can be traced to its source decision.
Illustrative workflow · Shape the details around your institution.
MAKE THE PLAN YOURS
Ready for a checked migration?
Use this session checklist to identify what is ready and what needs an owner.
0 of 5 ready
Plan around the real dependencies.
What should move into the new system?
Agree required active records and relevant history with their owners. Archived information may need a separate retention and access approach; migration is not an instruction to copy every source file.
How do we know the import is correct?
Use counts, control totals where appropriate, relationship checks, and representative end-to-end records. Have each accountable team sign off its data and documented exceptions.
What if a trial reveals conflicting records?
Resolve the source or mapping decision with the record owner, repeat the affected checks, and retain the decision in the migration log before final acceptance.
YOUR CONTEXT COMES FIRST
Let’s make it specific to your institution.
Bring your people, processes, and priorities into the conversation.