Checklist: Managing Data Migration in Housing Associations 

Before starting a data migration project, it’s worth asking yourself: “Can I cleanly break my data?” For example, housing associations that choose to migrate at year-end have the freedom to cleanly break their data, starting the new financial year on a new system with a completely new dataset. Importantly, data migration projects demand a lot of resources, time, and expertise to be successful. So how can housing associations ensure they have the right tools and minds on the task? 

Get in touch to discuss how Xledger supports your finance digital transformation project. 

Begin by vetting your data 

Housing associations often rely on lean finance teams to manage the finances of the entire organisation. To manage an already significant workload and data migration project, preparation is crucial. Housing association finance teams can begin by vetting the quality of their data. Consider the following questions: 

1. How much data do you have to move from your current system into your cloud system? 
2. Where is your data stored? 
3. Can you access your data? 
4. What is the quality of your data? 

After you’ve defined your data quality, location, and volume, you’ll have a clearer picture of how to extract the data and the steps to succeed. Here’s a practical checklist that housing associations can use when planning and executing their data migration project. 

Data migration confidence checklist for housing associations 

Use this checklist to help you reduce risk and plan your data migration project with confidence. 

1. Data audit & discovery

• We have identified all data required for migration (finance, tenants, assets, repairs) 
• We know where all relevant data is stored 
• All required data sources are accessible 
• Data volumes have been assessed 
• Data issues (duplicates, gaps, inconsistencies) have been identified 

2. Data quality and cleansing

• Data has been validated for accuracy and completeness 
• Duplicate and obsolete records have been removed 
• Key data fields are standardised (e.g. dates, addresses, balances) 
• Only relevant data is included for migration 
• Clear ownership of data cleansing has been assigned 

3. Migration scope & strategy

• The scope of migration is clearly defined 
• A migration approach has been agreed (e.g. year-end cutover) 
• Historical vs. active data requirements are confirmed 
• Licensing and right-to-use constraints are understood 
• A contingency plan is in place 

4. Ownership & governance

• Data owners are assigned across key areas 
• Stakeholders are aligned on data structure and definitions 
• Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined 
• Governance and approval processes are established 
• Compliance and security requirements are documented 

The following two steps are typically completed during your data migration project, supported by your vendor and their in-house project managers. 

5. Testing & validation

• Test migrations are planned and scheduled 
• Data mapping is documented and approved 
• Validation criteria are defined (e.g. balances, record counts) 
• End users are involved in testing 
• Issues are tracked and resolved before go-live 

6. Resources & readiness

• Internal resources are allocated and accountable 
• External expertise is engaged where required 
• Timelines are realistic and agreed upon 
• User training is planned 
• Go-live support is in place 

Lean on your software vendor 

Every housing association will have different data requirements. Use this checklist as a starting point, then tailor it to your organisation. Your vendors will provide a wide network of experts to support the project, making it easier for you to migrate high-quality data from a legacy platform to a modern system.  

Book your free demo with our accountancy-trained solution consultants and learn how Xledger can support your data migration and finance implementation.