THE STARTING POINT
A working approach to understanding source records, destination rules and reconciliation.
Build a source inventory.
List the datasets being moved and the people who understand them. Identify record counts, date ranges, relationships and unusual values. A sample export can reveal formatting problems, but it does not establish that the full dataset is consistent. Plan a wider review before committing to a migration schedule.
Agree how values will translate.
Document the mapping from source fields to destination fields, including empty values and historical formats. Separate a business decision, such as merging duplicate customers, from a technical conversion. Keep the original data available for comparison and record who approves each transformation rule.
Reconcile before the handover.
Define comparisons that reflect the business records: counts, selected totals and representative linked transactions. Plan how exceptions are recorded and corrected. Agree who decides whether the result is acceptable, and document the recovery approach before changing the system people rely on.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Your discovery checklist
- Inventory source records, relationships and date ranges.
- Approve field mappings and transformation rules.
- Agree counts, totals and exception checks for reconciliation.