A Better Approach: Analytics-Driven Migration
Instead of approaching data transfer as a process that boils down to moving data from storage location A to storage location B, a more effective approach is to focus on the data itself. In other words, be strategic about which data moves where.
To do this, start by creating a global index of all of the data that exists at the time of the merger, acquisition or divestiture. Your index should allow you to determine which types of data you are dealing with–legal records, compliance databases, files containing PII, video, customer emails and chats, R&D documents, productivity documents and so on—and when they were created, who created and accessed them and so on.
Then, using the data index, develop a plan for transferring the data as efficiently as possible and with minimal risk. Specifically, leverage the data index to:
- Dispose of obsolete data: Data that is no longer needed can be deleted before the transfer to save time and reduce storage costs.
- Archive non-critical data: In some cases, you may determine that you no longer need a given data set, but you may still want to keep the data on hand in case you decide to leverage it in the future. You can place this data in a cold storage solution like AWS Glacier, where it will remain available at very low cost.
- Move data granularly: Referencing your data index, determine where each data asset needs to go. If there are multiple new business entities in the picture, it’s likely that you’ll need to break up some data sets so that different parts end up at different businesses. The data index ensures you can make the right decisions about where to target each piece of data and that files are stored appropriately for specific requirements such as performance and security.
- Update access controls: The data index allows you to determine which security protections need to be in place for each data asset. Ensure that you configure the right access controls after the data transfer, even if access control tooling changes–which it typically will if, for example, you end up moving on-prem data into a public cloud.
- Maintain an audit trail: Keep meticulous records during the data transfer so that you can track which data moves where and which access controls are in place following the transfer.
- Enhance metadata: In some cases, you may wish to add extra context to your data by, for example, creating tags that identify the data’s original source. Use the data index for this purpose gives even more visibility into the data in case you need it down the road.
These principles apply no matter which types of data you are dealing with or how much data you have. A global data index and a data transfer strategy ensure that all of your data ends up in the right place and with the right security controls to protect it. They also help your team complete the data transfer process as quickly as possible, whether they’re moving mere gigabytes of data over the network or they have thousands of terabytes that they need to transfer via physical media.
Getting Stakeholder Buy-In
Although responsibility for actually transferring data will typically fall to your IT team, it’s important to recognize that data transfer following a merger, acquisition or divestiture is not just an IT process. It has tremendous ramifications for legal teams, risk management departments and the business as a whole.
For that reason, it’s critical to ensure that all stakeholders are looped into the data transfer plan and process. You can’t expect IT engineers alone to make decisions about which data needs to go where or how to secure each data asset.
Here again, a global data index provides the foundation for getting all stakeholders to buy into and participate in data transfer operations. The data index makes it easy for everyone—regardless of technical skills—to know which data is in play and how it needs to be transferred in order to protect business interests.
Conclusion
It would be nice if data management following a merger, acquisition or divestiture deal were as simple as moving a bunch of files from one storage location to another. But it’s not. To minimize risk and maximize efficiency, you need a data transfer plan tailored to the requirements of the business entities that emerge from the deal.
Although developing such a plan requires work, having a global index that catalogs all of the data at stake makes the process smooth and efficient. When you know which data you are dealing with and how it impacts the business, you can transfer it with confidence, even in the most complex M&A+D scenarios.