DMSR

While system redesign is vital to keep your systems aligned with the latest design and implementation practices, redesigning is not always hassle-free. It comes with its own share of complexities around managing data, migrating records, adding new processes and modules and a whole new set of challenges. Managing data migration and redesign should best be left to the experts who are skilled, and experienced in doing this over and again on various platforms and across functions.

NLS Data Migration and System Redesign team knows how to handle sensitive and valuable data effectively and how to fit it into the redesigned system with ease.

What is Data Migration?

Some key terms in understanding data migration are:

• Legacy data is the recorded information that exists in your current storage system, and can include database records, spreadsheets, text files, scanned images and paper documents. All these data formats can be migrated to a new system.
• Data migration is the process of importing legacy data to a new system. This can involve entering the data manually, moving disk files from one folder (or computer) to another, database insert queries, developing custom software, or other methods. The specific method used for any particular system depends entirely on the systems involved and the nature and state of the data being migrated.
• Data cleansing is the process of preparing legacy data for migration to a new system. Because the architecture and storage method of new or updated systems are usually quite different, legacy data often does not meet the criteria set by the new system, and must be modified prior to migration. For example, the legacy system may have allowed data to be entered in a way that is incompatible with the new system. Architecture differences, design flaws in the legacy system, or other factors can also render the data unfit for migration in its present state. The data cleansing process manipulates, or cleans, the legacy data so it conforms to the new system's requirements.

How do we migrate data?

Once the decision is made to perform data migration and before migration can begin our team analyze the following steps:

• Analyze and define source structure (structure of data in the legacy system)
• Analyze and define target structure (structure of data in the new system)
• Perform field mapping (mapping between the source and target structure with data cleansing, if necessary)
• Define the migration process (automated vs. manual)

Contact us at NLS-Data@nlsinc.com for more information on our offers and practices.