Managing configuration and data migration is a complex task and must implement learning from the past and best practices. We would like to share our knowledge and best practices of configuration and data migration:

• Always have a configuration management and data migration plan. The solution advisor/partner and customer business owner are both required to play an active role.
• Always baseline the configuration whenever it has to be deployed in production. Be it a full configuration set or delta, it must be tested with all the potential use cases, and the test result should be baselined.
• Collaboration tools should be leveraged as a repository with track changes enabled for traceability.
• There is a lot of decision-making that happens in configurations and data migration, and it should always be updated in the key decision matrix.
• Align your configuration and data migration plans with the implementation methodology.
• Ensure sign-offs on business requirements toward data migration.
• Always ensure that you have a golden environment in your plan and use it to seed the other environments.
• Keep multiple data migration strategies for the following:
  • Initial system load
  • Key configuration masters
  • Business-specific master data
  • Open transactions
  • Regular and cut-over time
• The migrated data must always be verified, tested, and accepted as part of system acceptance.

• Ensure that the mapping and transformation logic is tested for sample data before running it full-fledged for all the data. Always try and keep the transformation as simple as possible with very few conversions.
• The data to be imported should always be reviewed, validated, and cleansed by the business before being imported.
• Do not forget the sequencing of data load; this is one activity that can bring in a lot of rework if it's not managed carefully.
• When making key decisions on configurations and data migration, ensure that they are taken up in the Change Control Board (CCB) for their validation/approval.
• Never run short of documentation and tracking, as these activities evolve with time.
• Always ensure that naming conventions have been defined for the configuration and data migration elements and that they are used consistently throughout the project.
• Conduct human and system data integrity checks post data migration.