P2P

14 P E E R T O P E E R : I L T A ' S Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E | S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 deadline, and how long the work will take. Creating a work breakdown structure will assist with this. While it may seem less expensive if your team does the work, consider that they will not be billing and therefore, determine the amount of lost revenue. Be sure to factor in: • overtime costs as your team will likely be doing the work in the evening and on weekends, • an allowance for meals and things that will keep your them motivated throughout the process such as pizza, coffee cards, etc., and • an end of project celebration so everyone has something to look forward to. If hiring a vendor, be clear in what the expectations are for what you will do and what the vendor will do on the project and put this in writing along with the costs. Data migration can be expensive so begin investigating vendors and their capabilities early in the process and be sure to ask multiple vendors for quotes. Also ask for references to see who else they have done work for and then speak with those individuals to determine what exactly the vendor did and did not do and why. On any project, it is also helpful to factor in an additional 10 to 15% for unknowns. Templates An important part of any migration is the development of templates. A template allows you to match up the data and work product in one platform with that of the new one. It also sets the stage for how your users will use the platform. The template should be easy to navigate and use. It is important to spend time in developing a good template at the outset. Consider working on the template with one of your lawyer power users to ensure you are on the right track with what is needed. Do not make assumptions regarding what your users need. Consider creating layouts according to user workflow needs. Ask for input and confirm security settings in terms of who will be allowed to do what and why in the new platform. Consider the risks associated with certain groups of users undertaking specific tasks and communicate same to management. For a smoother user experience, it can be helpful to mimic how information is displayed in the old platform so users can quickly find what they need upon roll out, and then transition them to a newer template as newer databases are created. The newer template can take advantage of all the features which the new software platform provides. In developing the template, you will need an understanding of how both platforms work. The following are important areas to address in developing a template and matching up the information from one platform with that of another: F E A T U R E S "It is important to spend time in developing a good template at the outset."

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