Great news! You’ve implemented and migrated to your cloud MDM! But you’re not done yet. In this blog series on MDM Cloud Migration, we have explored 3 steps – planning, expertise, and execution. The review phase is just as critical as those other steps in a successful MDM cloud migration. It is also a phase that might be overlooked more than the other three. Let’s delve into it and make sure nothing is overlooked for your MDM cloud migration.

Post-migration validation is the most important activity in this phase. You must ensure the consistency and accuracy of your master data in the new cloud MDM solution. Data records must be the same in both systems. But how many should you test? Checking all of them isn’t feasible. Simple random sampling is ok but it may not catch every scenario. We recommend stratified random sampling by segmenting records based on the migration scenario profile (e.g., straight migration, migration to customized tables & attributes, migration to different data model/structure, etc.). We also recommend side-by-side functional testing for adding and updating new records. Again, a stratified random sample by function/service API is the best approach to ensure the new cloud MDM system adds and updates data in the same manner as your on-premises MDM. Experience and expertise pays off. Thoroughly test the new cloud MDM solution in multiple ways to ensure it is functionally sound. 

Ensure that your governance policies and processes are intact in the new cloud MDM solution. You may adapt those policies to fit the new cloud MDM solution and new processes managed by that system. We’ve found that many organizations don’t have a strong link between governance and MDM. While they do have an arms-length relationship, they may not be deeply entwined. Governance policies may not cover MDM business logic and behavior. Governance may not profile and govern master data processes and usage of master data across the enterprise. Now is your chance to improve that. Ensure your new cloud MDM solution has a tight relationship with your governance platform to better integrate and leverage master data across the enterprise.

Everyone knows documentation and training are important. Why is it often shortchanged? Probably because it comes at the end of the project when you’re scrambling for the finish line. My advice – take the time to do this well. Any migration project isn’t about technically “finishing”, aka installing the new solution. It is only done when the new product is adopted and the old one decommissioned. Documentation and training is a big part of that. Train new users with simple, short training sessions – here’s how it was done in the old MDM and how to do it in the new MDM. Let them get hands-on in the new cloud MDM non production environment. Have short training videos available on your internal project portal. Be sure to document all aspects of the MDM cloud migration and new cloud MDM solution – data model, extensions and customizations, business logic, and functional APIs, as well as all decisions made and the rationale behind them.

Ensure that your governance policies and processes are intact in the new cloud MDM solution. You may adapt those policies to fit the new cloud MDM solution and new processes managed by that system. We’ve found that many organizations don’t have a strong link between governance and MDM. While they do have an arms-length relationship, they may not be deeply entwined. Governance policies may not cover MDM business logic and behavior. Governance may not profile and govern master data processes and usage of master data across the enterprise. Now is your chance to improve that. Ensure your new cloud MDM solution has a tight relationship with your governance platform to better integrate and leverage master data across the enterprise.

In many ways, the final step in a MDM cloud migration is the most important one. Reviewing the migration, validating it, documenting it, training users on the new system, and ensuring governance policies are enacted are all critical steps to ensure success. In my experience with MDM cloud migrations, we always dedicate sufficient time to this step. In every project, that investment pays off as we avoid adoption issues and fully cut over to the new cloud MDM solution on time and then decommission the on-premises system. This is important, as a big part of the business case for migration is avoidance of subscription and/or maintenance costs of that on-premises system. If this blog series was informative, check out some of the additional resources below to help you along your MDM cloud migration journey. Q Spark Group would be happy to assist you in your migration, so contact us if you have any questions.