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Step 1 for cloud MDM migration was building a detailed plan. Part of that plan is a self-assessment to determine if you have sufficient in-house expertise. If you don’t, then the plan itself is incomplete. Step 2 is all about acquiring and applying that expertise.
Expertise can’t be artificially manufactured. It comes from experience, both successes and mistakes. The expertise required for a successful cloud MDM migration is broad. So broad that it needs to cover an understanding of use cases, requirements, functionality, source systems, consuming systems, and migration from one MDM solution to another (because cloud MDM solutions, even from the same vendor, are a new platform and quite different from on-premises MDM. That’s quite a resume for any one individual or team.
Is your in-house expertise current or dated? Many companies implemented MDM 3, 5, or even 10 years ago. Their expertise in use cases, functionality, implementation methods, etc. was dated from that time period. It may not have progressed beyond maintaining that existing solution. What’s more, the experience is in context of your organization, your use cases, your on-premises implementation. Broader experiences – new ways to address use cases, new functionality, different functional requirements – are very useful in planning a migration to a new MDM solution.
The top benefit of outside experience is the ability to identify and take a different approach to MDM use cases and requirements. More often than not, in-house MDM teams become focused on documenting the existing MDM system and making sure the cloud MDM solution behaves the exact same way. Well, sometimes it can’t. Was the way you addressed that use case 10 years ago the absolute best way to address it today? Perhaps not. Perhaps a new approach will yield new benefits. Expertise in different ways to achieve the same requirement is necessary when migrating to cloud MDM. Sometimes adjustments to the functional use cases are necessary. Anyone can identify a requirement and the necessary functionality and document gaps in a new solution. Only an expert can find ways around those gaps and get you to a new cloud solution.
Expertise also helps you identify subtle nuances of your cloud MDM migration. Exception handling is but one example. Analyzing how the current MDM system handles exceptions for rules and processes, and ensuring the new cloud MDM solution handles them in the same way, is a very detailed and nuanced task. Identifying new functionality in the cloud MDM solution and suggesting new use cases to address is another area where expertise shines through. In addition, identifying the best ways to migrate incrementally is a product of expertise. Incremental execution is a given, but there are many choices of how to do it, and there is a best answer. The experience of dozens of successful cloud MDM migrations will help you find that best answer.
Having more context always leads to better solutions. Cloud MDM migration is a challenging task, and the context of outside expertise and experience from prior cloud migrations will be invaluable. In my experience of over 25 years in MDM, it’s always a good idea to get a second opinion. We’d be happy to be that second opinion for your MDM team. Try our MDM Cloud Migration Readiness assessment free of charge.
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