COSOL WHITE PAPER 2

Data Standardising & Loading

This paper is the second in a series summarising lessons learned, to provide insight for executives who are faced with a possible large-scale program of this nature within their own organisation.

Our point of view

Experience shows that one critical success factor for these programs to realise the value in their business cases is data migration. The axiom “garbage in, garbage out” remains as relevant today as it did when computers were first invented. COSOL strongly believes:

Introduction to data migration

Data migration can best be explained as three distinct phases

• Pre-migration: data profiling and remediation (White Paper #1)
• During migration: data standardization and loading (White Paper #2)
• Post migration: data reconciliation and archiving (White Paper #3)

Recapping the key takeaways from the pre-migration:

1. Data will typically be exposed as a major risk and cost in large scale digital transformations due to unknown and/or poor quality
2. Strong data ownership and data governance is critical; and
3. Commence data profiling and data remediating as early as possible

With these insights, this white paper examines the phase during migration where data is standardised then loaded into the target system(s).

As can be shown in Figure 2: Data Standardising and Loading, the six dimensions of data quality covered in the previous white paper will continue to be remediated throughout this phase. This reinforces the importance of the key takeaway about strong data ownership and data governance, and serves as a reminder also from the previous paper that “this Is a business issue first and foremost and that the business must take ownership and accountability of its data as a strategic asset”. The project team must have empowered wwners in place to make decisions about their data for the program to succeed.

Program Governance

With the art of migrating data now covered, attention must turn to the key decision of how this “domain” is organised within transformation programs managing consolidation and standardisation of systems.

The pictures below elevate the focus from the data migration method, to the Organisational Units, and “Assets” of each unit within the scope of the program.