Imagine you're in the middle of a major data migration project—one that’s supposed to modernize your business and bring all your operations onto a sleek, new platform. 

The stakes are high, and your team is working around the clock to ensure everything is ready for the big move. But as you start transferring data, you quickly realize that what’s being migrated isn’t just clean, reliable information. Instead, you’re dealing with data that’s riddled with errors, inconsistencies, and duplicates.  Thus, reports don’t match, key details are missing, and suddenly, your shiny new system is bogged down by the same old problems.

This scenario is all too common for many businesses migrating to new software.

Further, bringing over dirty data can cause a host of problems that undermine the very benefits of your new system, and could lead to several issues which directly impact the company’s bottom line.

That is why you need data cleaning standards. 

These standards provide a structured approach to ensuring that your data is accurate, reliable, and ready for migration. 

We've identified three key cleaning standards you should implement during your next data migration to maximize success and protect your investment.

Data Cleaning Standards 

Data cleaning standards are the established guidelines designed to ensure your data is accurate, consistent, and free from errors before it is transferred to a new system. Whether you’re implementing a new CRM, ERP, or any other system, following these standards ensure the data is high quality, and will drive a stronger return on investment.

1. ISO Standards

ISO standards are globally recognized guidelines that ensure consistency, quality, and safety across various industries and processes. In the context of data migration, ISO standards help you maintain the integrity and reliability of data as it moves from one system to another. 

During a migration project, applying ISO standards involves validating data accuracy, standardizing formats, and ensuring that all data elements meet the predefined quality criteria. This will streamline the migration process and clean and consistent data from the start.

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2. Master Item Management

Master item management involves maintaining accurate and consistent records of raw materials and finished products within your data systems. 

This practice is particularly crucial during data migration, as inconsistencies in item data can lead to significant operational inefficiencies and errors in the new system. By managing this data meticulously, you prevent issues such as duplication, misclassification, or inaccurate inventory tracking.

During a data migration, applying master item management standards involves validating item codes, standardizing units of measurement, and ensuring that all product data aligns with industry best practices.

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3. Optimal Standards for Destination Systems

Different systems often have unique data format requirements. Ensuring compatibility is critical to the success of your migration project. For instance, a CRM system might require full country names(e.g., "United States") for customer records, while an ERP system may require a 2-digit country code (e.g., "US"). Failing to account for these differences can lead to data mismatches.

To avoid these pitfalls, thoroughly understand the data requirements of each destination system before starting the migration process.This involves mapping your current data formats to the required formats of the new system and implementing conversions as needed.

Maximize ROI with Clean Data

Clean data enhances the performance of your technology investments and safeguards your business against the inefficiencies and errors that come with dirty data.

If you’re preparing for a data migration and want to ensure that your data is as clean and reliable as possible, reach out to Datagence. Our experts specialize in implementing data cleaning standards that guarantee the success of your migration!

Don’t leave your data quality to chance—contact us today for a consultation to discover how we can help you protect your technology investments.