Bang Your Drum: Data Migration

Posted on March 2018 By Speller International
Bang Your Drum: Data Migration

In this month’s Bang Your Drum, we examine what organisations are looking for in SAP Data Migration Consultants.

There are few tasks more daunting for any organisation or enterprise than the prospect of a data migration. It really is more than simply moving data from one system to another.

Consolidating archives and data across teams, operating systems and even geographies and bringing it all up to date in without losing (or breaking) compatibility anything is the kind of task that sends a cold shiver down many a spine – even if it’s just a server upgrade.

Now just imagine you’re the one in charge of it. In this Bang Your Drum, we’re going to look at what employers are expecting from their SAP Data Migration team.

PLAN THE WORK, WORK THE PLAN
This one really should be a no-brainer, but it can’t be emphasized enough. Planning for data migration should occur as early as possible. A good data migration consultant will be involved in setting up the data migration plan, strategy and framework… and will stick to it relentlessly.

Far too often, we see data being considered an afterthought. In fact, its business critical – and any good data migration specialist will say the same. Make sure you show your capacity for planning and organisation.

COMMUNICATE EARLY, ENGAGE OFTEN
Any data migration will largely succeed or fail on the strength of the importance the business attaches to the operation. The ability to effectively engage with the wider business then is key.

Get them involved right from the beginning. They’re crucial to understanding current data and legacy systems, what data you’ll need to migrate, and other key relevancies. It really will make your life easier.

If you can establish the importance of this right from the outset, any prospective employer who knows what the deal is will recognise you as someone who understands the risks of data migration, and what’s really needed to overcome them.

GET THE KNOWLEDGE
As ever with any SAP specialty, the more knowledge you have the better. Gone are the days of migrating SAP data using just LSWMs.

Any good data migration consultant today will be upskilled across multiple migration tools, including BODS, SQL etc. You want to have those at least as standard in your knowledge chest.

More importantly though, you have to be across what’s happening in the market in regards to emerging trends and best practice. New SAP products and technologies are inevitable. Get to know them.

Show that you’re capable of keeping up, or you’ll risk getting left behind like old data.

YES, GOVERNANCE
One of the key responsibilities in a migration is establishing the data governance structure, defining who will manage what information and who ultimately will be responsible for supporting data quality through the lifecycle of the project.

If information is missing, duplicated or inaccurate, that can have dramatic consequences for business outcomes. Show that you value and appreciate accuracy and clean data, and that you understand the procedures responsible for ensuring it.

The bottom line is that simply planning early and keeping data in focus throughout your project can significantly reduce the pain of managing a complex data migration.

So If you’re considering an SAP Data Migration position, remember that you’ll be expected to be able to talk to each of these points in turn and display relevant experience – or at the very least, a familiarity with the above.

The main aim should always be to improve the business and hopefully get an edge. Don’t underestimate the challenges. Read the white papers on the subject from sites like Tech Target.

Show you can do the work and remember: simply planning early and keeping data in focus throughout your project can significantly reduce the pain of managing a complex data migration, giving it – and you – the greatest chance of success.

Ready to migrate to new opportunities? Check out all our current listings at Speller International.