Data Migration Rehearsal

Prepare your sample

Choose one source export and the import template for the system you are moving to. Use up to 100 de-identified rows. Replace names, email addresses, identifiers and sensitive free text with fictitious values. Keep examples of blank fields, duplicates and unusual dates so the rehearsal covers the cases you expect to meet.

Rehearse the mapping

We map each source column to its destination and agree how to handle dates, required values, blanks and duplicate keys. We use that map to prepare a trial import file and check the sample against the target template. The rehearsal uses sample data only. We do not import anything into production.

Review the handover

You receive four working documents: a field map, a trial import file, an exceptions report and a repeatable checklist. The exceptions report explains which rows need attention and what to correct. Use the checklist to repeat the trial with a fresh sample before deciding whether to schedule your live migration.

Request a project quote

This is a one-off service quoted per project. Use the enquiry form on this page to name the source and destination systems and explain what you are moving. Describe the sample in your first message; we will agree how to share the de-identified files before the rehearsal.

Before we begin

Name the source system, the destination and the kind of records you want to move. Find the destination's current import template before preparing the sample. A rehearsal is most useful when it can compare actual source columns with the fields the target expects, rather than guess from a screenshot or a broad description.

Choose up to 100 de-identified rows that show the variety in your export. Keep examples of missing values, duplicate keys and unusual dates, using fictitious replacements for names, contact details and sensitive free text. Do not send a full live database as a shortcut. Describe the files in your enquiry and agree how to share the sample first.

An illustrative walkthrough

For an illustrative product-catalogue move, the source might contain a reference, description, price and category while the destination expects a different column order and required category values. A field map makes those relationships explicit. A row with a missing reference belongs in the exceptions report rather than being silently treated as ready to import.

Another sample might contain the same reference twice or a date written in a different format. Those cases help you understand which corrections are needed before a larger move. The trial file is a rehearsal output for the agreed sample and template; it is not evidence that every unseen row in a production export will pass.

Using the result

Review the exceptions report alongside the field map. Decide who owns each correction and repeat the checklist when you have a fresh sample. Keep the source export and destination template identifiable so the team knows which versions were used for the rehearsal. A changed template may require another review of the mapping.

Use the outputs to make a better-informed decision about the live migration, including whether the source needs further cleanup. The service does not perform a production import or supply a production rollback plan by implication. If you need a live move, additional systems or a larger preparation exercise, describe that separately so the responsibilities and acceptance checks can be agreed.