Catapult Insight: Why Data Migrations Fail And How Flexibility Prevents It
Most organisations approach data migrations like a rigid, linear engineering task. But real-world migrations are anything but linear. They’re unpredictable, full of messy data, undocumented dependencies, and hidden edge cases that only emerge once the migration is underway.
And that’s exactly why data migrations fail: because teams build brittle plans for a system that doesn’t behave as expected.
The data migrations that succeed? They all have one thing in common, flexibility baked into every phase.
At Catapult, across sectors from financial services to government platforms, we’ve seen these patterns play out again and again:
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“Big-bang” migrations break under pressure. Legacy data structures, inconsistent formats, and silent integrations always appear too late for inflexible strategies.
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Small, testable slices reduce risk. Cut the migration into manageable, reversible steps. Validate each assumption early. Scale only what works.
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Parallel running is essential. Real resilience means switching traffic, rolling back fast, and comparing outputs live, not hoping the switch-over goes clean.
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Static plans don’t survive real-world operations. Compliance checks, policy blockers, and data quality surprises are inevitable. A flexible migration strategy absorbs them without derailing timelines.
The goal isn’t a flawless plan. It’s a robust, adaptive data migration strategy that performs under pressure, when the real system finally shows its face.
Flexible architecture. Flexible sequencing. Flexible thinking.
That’s the difference between data migrations that spiral into firefighting and migrations that de-risk delivery, retire legacy infrastructure, and give teams control over their future.
Read the full article: Business Info Mag Link
