We are often asked by potential ValuePRO users how their data will be imported and cut over from their old system to their new ValuePRO application with as little downtime in between as possible.
Our general approach is to firstly import a snapshot of your data at least a few weeks prior to going live on ValuePRO. This gives you time to assess the import and check that all your required data has been imported as you've expected it to be.
Once you agree that we've got the import right, we then focus our energy on ensuring that we can script and process your import without any manual steps on our part. This makes it a repeatable, tested procedure that can be easily done multiple times in short timeframes if necessary.
You are then free to choose between two possible approaches to importing your data:
1. Live Cut Over (most complex approach)
How It Works
After developing a push button procedure that can be run overnight or over a weekend, we schedule in a cut off attempt date.
Starting on the late afternoon, we proceed to shutdown or stop running your live systems. We then transfer the data and files to our server via the internet.
We proceed to run our pre-tested import procedure. If all runs as planned, we call you to ask you to run a final test before making your new system live.
If there is a non-recoverable error in the outage timeframe we have, we cancel the cut over and reschedule for the next opportunity.
Otherwise, the import is then complete and the following morning your users are free to start using the new system.
Pros
- Instant transition to new system
- Immediate identification of problems and issues due to the high intensity of use
- Users get instant access to all legacy data in their new system from day 1
Cons
- Additional cost as you are paying for after hours support resources to process and monitor the import for you outside of normal business hours
- High pressure and high expectations
- Very difficult technical challenge - possible unknowns on the day
- Complexity increases if multiple different systems need to be cut over simultaneously
- Most other database systems do not have the same job state management concepts as ValuePRO - so exact job status may not translate to ValuePRO accurately during the transition
Ideal For
Large firms with hundreds of current jobs on the go at the same time
2. Staged Cut Over (recommended approach)
How It Works
A few weeks before user training, we do a first cut import of all your data. You check that what we've imported is correct and we make any necessary adjustments.
We do not import any additional data on the day of your cut over to live production use of ValuePRO. Obviously, between training and going live, you data will have changed and increased in volume - we call this your "gap data".
You start using ValuePRO on day 1 for registering all new jobs and continue to use your old system to close off any running jobs that were not completed at time of cut over. For a short period of time, you will be running 2 systems but each system will have a different and clearly defined role.
Once all jobs in the old system have been completely closed off and no further changes are being made to the database on the old system, you ship the data to us and we import the "gap data" over the top of your live production system.
Pros
- Simple and low stress transition
- Can transition to ValuePRO faster and with less cost as import processes can be done during business hours
- Less complexity in designing and testing a repeatable import process
- No downtime on your old or new system
- Any mistakes made in the import process have a low impact on your business processes
Cons
- Users will have a brief period of time when they need to refer to their old system to access gap data
- Users will have to flip between 2 systems until they have completed all in progress jobs on the old system
Ideal For
Firms of any size able to operate with a period of gap data not being available in ValuePRO.