How We Do It
DISCOVER
Scope and Design Control
Delivery Focus: Scope Certainty
Set scope and design boundaries early so build decisions remain stable.
- Map source scope and critical dependencies early.
- Define key entities and target constraints upfront.
- Log migration risks before build effort scales.
Early control of scope prevents avoidable redesign and timeline drift.
Early Data Quality Visibility
Delivery Focus: Defect Visibility
Surface quality issues early so testing is not blocked later.
- Profile data to quantify defects by domain.
- Prioritise quality rules by migration impact.
- Set cleanse actions with clear ownership.
Early DQ visibility protects downstream build and test capacity.
DEPLOY
Programme Control Setup
Delivery Focus: Governance Readiness
Set governance, sequencing, and resources before delivery pressure builds.
- Define RACI and decision ownership by workstream.
- Sequence migration, testing, and cutover dependencies.
- Validate key design assumptions through proof runs.
Clear governance reduces decision delay across the programme lifecycle.
Control Outputs
Weekly readiness gate updates
Named decision owners by workstream
Dependency path visibility by milestone
Escalation actions for delivery blockers
Resourcing Model
Align migration, testing, quality, and cutover capacity to milestone dates.
Design Validation
Confirm assumptions early to avoid late-cycle reversals.
Standardised Controls
Use shared templates to cut setup time and governance friction.
Realistic Timelines
Plan against scope reality with explicit trade-offs and readiness gates.
EXECUTE
Migration Unit Testing
- Run frequent validation against target constraints.
- Surface defects quickly and fix within-cycle.
- Track test quality trend each run.
Repeatable Migration Build
- Use runbooks so each phase is repeatable.
- Keep build modular for lower-risk change.
- Retain auditability across mapping and release decisions.
Mapping by Business Scenario
Delivery Focus: Build Throughput
Keep build speed high by making mapping ownership and change impact explicit.
- Map by business scenarios, not isolated fields.
- Assign clear ownership at each pipeline stage.
- Design for maintainable post-go-live changes.
Strong mapping discipline cuts rework and stabilises test cycles.
Build Outputs
Mapping decisions by business scenario
Pipeline ownership by delivery stage
Change impact notes per release cycle
Reusable build patterns for later phases
TEST
Readiness Testing
Delivery Focus: Go-Live Confidence
Use cycle evidence to make earlier, safer readiness decisions.
- Test end-to-end operations, not just scripts.
- Report pass/fail by business scenario.
- Link failures to root-cause categories for action.
Readiness is measured at each governance gate.
Readiness Outputs
Scenario-level pass and fail trend reporting
Root-cause categories by failure class
Readiness heatmap for governance checkpoints
Prioritised remediation actions by owner
Frequent Test Cycles
Run high-frequency cycles to shorten feedback loops and speed up decisions.
Scenario Readiness Reporting
Report readiness by scenario so risk is visible before cutover windows.
Remediation Ownership
Assign action ownership by failure type to keep remediation moving.
Targeted Reconciliation Checks
Add reconciliation checks to prove migrated outcomes match intended business behaviour.
DELIVER
Controlled Cutover Execution
- Run cutover to a defined, dependency-led runbook.
- Protect critical windows through role clarity.
- Use test evidence to reduce go-live uncertainty.
Post Go-Live Stabilisation
- Stabilise early-live operations and defect flow.
- Prioritise next-phase scope from live evidence.
- Hand over controls so internal teams can sustain pace.
Cutover Readiness
Delivery Focus: Controlled Transition
Build sign-off confidence through repeatable readiness evidence.
- Run cutover readiness as an ongoing control.
- Publish evidence packs for governance sign-off.
- Carry lessons learned into the next phase.
Cutover success starts well before go-live week.
Cutover Outputs
Final readiness checklist by dependency group
Governance sign-off pack with evidence links
Cutover command sequence with fallback actions
Post go-live stabilisation priorities and owners
Need a more controlled migration delivery model?
We help Housing programmes reduce migration risk through clearer readiness, tighter test cycles, and stronger go-live control.
Talk to us about migration readiness