"Migrating data to a new information management system from multiple sources is a complex and often headache-inducing undertaking. Data migration is often necessary to keep up with technological advancements and industry standards, but it requires great effort. Data from various storage areas—both onsite and in the cloud—must be evaluated, analyzed, cleaned up and organized before it can be combined and reconciled."

The right technology can help to reduce the tremendous burden that data migration places on new clients. It can also transform the onboarding process and showcase the unique insights, savings, and benefits your organization delivers. As White notes, “It doesn’t have to be as hard as you may think to get past these challenges and successfully migrate your data.”

Assisting with the pre-migration phase

Research from the independent research firm Bloor paints an ominous picture of data migration projects. Of these projects, 37% exceed budgets, 67% take longer than expected, and 84% fail to meet expectations. In Why do so many data migration projects end in disaster?, Colin Rickard, a data management director with Experian, is asked to explain the high failure rate. “Often there has just not been enough analysis done at the start, so you end up with a lot of data problems at the end,” he responds.One factor that contributes to this onboarding difficulty is accounting for the variety of formats the incumbent TPA may use to deliver client data. Given the short timeframes often involved with go-live requirements for new clients, mapping out a migration plan early in the process, as Rickard recommends, can go a long way toward reducing the high failure rates associated with migration projects. A migration plan should include:

• Triage: Identify the most time-sensitive core data
• Map: Determine how the core data will move from its exported format into your system
• Assess: Plan the schedule for importing the less time-sensitive data

Origami Risk’s integrated claims management solution has powerful conversion tools designed to make the mapping process straightforward and efficient, and ensures that core data follows an orderly, well-managed migration. You will be able to easily adjust and adapt to a variety of data formats while using data import tools to layer in the non-core data at a pace that doesn’t overwhelm. While developing a migration plan is not a task most would want to see on any to-do list, the process provides new clients with a rare opportunity to honestly assess their data requirements, look for ways to streamline processes, and eliminate unnecessary steps.

Enabling effective data validation

Data cleansing is another daunting portion of the migration process. According to a study by Experian, respondents believe that nearly one-third of their data contains inaccuracies. Identifying data errors and addressing them in a scalable way can be a challenge. Providing your clients with access to tools that help accomplish this during migration can make the process more efficient. Dylan Jones writes in How to tackle the data migration cleansing challenge:

"In-flight data quality improvement is a useful tactic for speed improvements because you can reduce the necessity for a cleanup staging area. There is a considerable amount of data processing taking place during the migration anyhow, and some modern data management tools combine data migration and data quality functionality making life a lot simpler."

Your clients can use tools like Origami Risk’s custom data validation, which automatically inspects each record being imported, and either flags those that need manual fixes or applies custom rules for auto-correction. This makes the process efficient while still protecting the integrity of the data entering the new system.

Additionally, the ability to pre-process data further by applying custom formulas and standardizing the formatting of things like dates and times can extend the benefits of this cleanup process and avoid the resource drain of seeking out and correcting these issues post-migration.

Addressing process issues alongside data issues

Data migration is a major undertaking. It also represents the best opportunity for your clients to critically assess and reimagine how they can use their claims data to help achieve their strategic goals. Chances are, new clients selected your organization because they had a desire to improve the claim process. If, however, they only clone existing reports and procedures, they may entirely miss the opportunity to streamline processes or eliminate ineffective portions of the process. As management guru Peter Drucker once said, “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”

Using online portals can allow your organization a venue to present a set of best practice reports. These reports can help remove the blinders from clients stuck trying to replicate the current state rather than exploring the potential of the new system. And with the self-service aspect of Origami Risk reports, clients can make customizations themselves, allowing your staff to create best-in-class client reports once, rather than building customized reports for each new client.

Looking beyond onboarding

The tools mentioned above can certainly help both you and your clients survive the rigors of a data migration and emerge stronger on the other side. Offering clients access to audit technology and incident collection through the online portal can help them achieve next-level results that truly differentiate your organization’s value proposition.

This technology connects your clients’ incident collection and auditing functions with their claims management data to provide comprehensive reporting that can drive an effective safety culture. The best part of this type of solution is that your staff resources don’t need to manage those portions. This integration means that all the data lines up. Additionally, workflow automation and event-based triggers can be used anywhere in the process, from incident entry to safety audit follow up.

Data migration is a daunting part of the onboarding process. By providing tools that make the process easier, more controlled, and successful, your organization can turn the onboarding process into an opportunity to shine. Using custom portals that provide access to best practices for the process can also highlight additional services you provide. This reinforces the decision to select your firm and presents a positive image of what your clients can expect.

Find out how Origami can help your clients slay the data migration dragon, and use the onboarding process to find greater strategic value in your services.