Data migration is the process of moving a large amount of data from one location to another. In the case of e-File, we are talking about moving employee records to an electronic version.
When migrating to e-File, you can move data:
- from paper to e-file;
- from an electronic version to an e-file;
- from one e-File to another.
Where e-File documents can be stored?
- on a dedicated file server (production-wise)
- on a dedicated cloud (production-wise)
- on a local SAP server (test)
Plan your actions
A proper plan and developed procedures are a determinant of success in many projects. A well-constructed plan will ensure that we take off adequately prepared, anticipate all challenges and possible errors well in advance during the migration process, and complete the project within the allotted time. So it is important to get the data migration plan and procedures right.
“It is estimated that every minute spent on planning saves ten minutes of work.“
-Brian Tracy
What else should be taken care of during data migration?
It is worth establishing a coordinator and a team dedicated to the migration/scanning process. It is worth asking the following questions:
- Who in practice will be responsible for the comprehensive migration process?
- Who will be responsible for the various stages of the migration process?
- Who will be empowered and for what?
- Who will support users during emergencies?
- Does each team member have the right tools and has been trained?
It is worth establishing the format and scope of the migration, i.e. the volume of data.
Here it is worth asking questions::
- How many documents need to be transferred to e-File?
- How long will the migration process take?
- When the actual migration process will be carried out (weekend or weekday)?
Before you start scanning, you need to prepare and catalog the documents for migration. Here it is worth taking care of unpacking the documents, verifying the correct alignment of the documents, making any corrections, identifying missing documents. At this stage, the right tools are crucial to support the migration process and avoid mistakes.
Data migration support tools are used to:
- identify damaged and destroyed documents
- identify documents related to RODO
- exclude duplicates and blank pages
- enable description of documents
- enable generation of PDF documents
- enable qualified signature
- efficiently go through the process of preparing for implementation
Using the right data migration tools is one of the key factors in the success of the entire process. Our tools, developed by experienced professionals in cooperation with users, will help your company to go through this startup stage smoothly.
What kind of features and tools our e-File for SAP has?
- A tool to automatically recognize barcodes on scanned documents and to automatically segregate them. That is, a mechanism that identifies, catalogs, and automatically separates documents by person and type.
- Tool for creating ready-to-use PDF files in PDF-A standard.
- Tool for signing PDF files with a qualified signature and automatically uploading them to the SAP system.
We placed special emphasis on fully automating the data migration process paper -> scan -> PDF -> signature -> e-File.
Frequently asked questions during migration:
KBackups in case of a crisis? Can you keep a hard copy for peace of mind for several years?
Nothing prevents you from keeping employee records in parallel until you are sure that this process has been completed. We also recommend planning to make copies of documents on external storage media, which can be stored for years and take up little space.
External company or internal team to migrate data?
This decision is influenced by many factors:
- designated budget
- the presence of a dedicated team within the company
- qualifications of the people employed by the company
- the daily workload
A single programmer or technical team can prepare the tools, but will not lead the entire project from the beginning. The same can be said about the role of the Project Manager. Without a properly qualified team, the migration project will significantly lengthen.
It is worth remembering that we consider the success of the migration in terms of the entire solution: plan, team, time, IT tools, processes, change.
It is important that those involved in the migration process know the work environment, procedures know what to do in specific situations.
Often companies do not have the potential by their own efforts to carry out the migration. What is needed is an experienced partner who will analyze business issues, advise on technological aspects, prepare and implement migration tools and support at every stage of migration.
Therefore, before making a decision, it is worth choosing a company that has experience in this topic and will advise on the optimal approach. In Haergi we help with everything step by step. Contact with us today!
