
4.11 : Conduct Mock Conversions
Objective
Conduct mock data conversions to test transfer of data.
View Lessons LearnedRecommended Best Practices
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Shared
Define and test conversion scenarios
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Shared
Design/build/unit test data conversion including extracting, transforming, & loading procedures
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Shared
Design/build/unit test validation and reconciliation reports
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Provider
Test manual conversion and document results
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Provider
Run mock conversion and document results in a Mock Conversion Report
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Shared
Clean up data issues uncovered during mock conversions
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Shared
Repeat mock conversions, update scripts, cleanse data until program team satisfied w/data accuracy
4.11 Lessons Learned
- Conduct multiple mock conversions to mitigate complex conversion risks and include enough time in the IMS to correct anomalies and update conversion programs
- Use the Data Conversion Plan to identify strategies for converting data from an existing system to a new system environment. Define system structure, hardware and software conversion steps, and type of conversion effort. Identify available data, its preparation requirements for conversion, and necessary updates to available interfaces. Establish data quality assurance controls for before and after data conversion, and define tasks, procedures, and necessary support for carrying out conversion efforts
- Use the Mock Conversion Report to define data required for conversion, understand the percent of data successfully converted, and develop a data conversion issue list to track resolved and outstanding items. Evaluate data conversion against success criteria to determine readiness for cutover and develop history of prior data conversion runs
Stakeholders
Recommended stakeholders, inputs, & outputs may vary by implementation; however, agencies that contributed to this Playbook reported these factors as increasing the likelihood of success.Customer
- Program Manager
- Functional Lead
- Functional SME
- Technical Lead/Solution Architect
- Development Team
- Network SME
- Data Conversion Lead
- Data SME
Provider
- Program Manager
- Functional Lead
- Technical Lead/Solution Architect
- Development Team
- Network SME
- Data Conversion Lead
- Data SME
Inputs
- Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)
- Technical Strategy
- Data Conversion Plan
- Data Cleansing Plan
- Data Quality Results
Outputs
- Data Conversion Plan
- Mock Conversion Report
- Conversion Defect Log