Don't Migrate the Mess: Preparing Your Data for ERP Success

When organisations talk about ERP implementations, the conversation tends to focus on software, timelines and budgets. Data often gets far less attention.

There is a common assumption that migration is mainly a technical job: export the old records, import them into the new system and move on. In practice, it is rarely that simple.

Customer records may be duplicated, product descriptions may follow different conventions, supplier details may be incomplete and units of measure may mean different things from one site to another. These issues already cause inefficiency, but a new ERP brings them into sharp focus because its processes and reporting rely on consistent information.

That is why data preparation needs to be owned by the business, not left solely to the technical team. The people who understand how the information is created and used should help decide what to keep, correct or remove. They also need to agree common definitions and decide who will look after data quality once the system is live. If they do not, the same problems will soon begin to build up again.

Starting early makes a real difference. Data can be reviewed, cleansed and tested in manageable stages instead of becoming a last-minute rush before migration. It also gives the project team a more honest view of the work involved and often brings hidden process decisions to the surface before testing begins.

A new ERP can improve visibility and efficiency, but it cannot clean up poor data by itself. Get the foundations right before migration, then put the ownership in place to keep them that way.

How MGJCS can help: MGJ Consulting Services helps organisations treat data readiness as a business issue, not just a migration task. We work with teams to clarify ownership, agree workable standards and put sensible controls in place, giving ERP and SAP S/4HANA programmes a cleaner, more reliable starting point. Contact us here to book a discussion