Practice Data Migration

Data conversion is a bit like taking the pieces from one jigsaw and changing them around to make a new picture in a different jigsaw!

You first take the jigsaw apart, understand how each piece fits together and why then figure out how to make them fit into the new one. This requires a combination of specialist technical skills and is why many practice management system suppliers are reluctant to do data conversions and often charge eye-watering prices for them.

We start by analysing the data in the current system. We will produce or modify the routines to convert the data into the Insight Legal system. This stage usually raises questions like matter types, departments, fee earner codes, chart of accounts etc. These are resolved in a conversation with the firm’s principal point of contact for the project. Once everything is converted and balanced, the data is made available in practice as a trial run. This provides all project staff with the opportunity to ensure that all data is present and correct. The experience of multiple migrations has taught us that we can produce numerous reports and printouts. But nothing compares to the experience of seeing and using the Firm’s own data, live, in the new system. This is next made available to all end-users when one or two further unforeseen issues might come to light. These will be resolved ahead of the live conversion.

Typically, conversions will include the following;

• Clients Details – Including names, addresses, contact details, etc.
• Matter information – Including dates, descriptions, case workers, etc.
• Fee Earners
• Departments and Matter Types
• Branches
• Banks – including Transactions
• Matter Ledger Transactions – Including Bills, Disbursements,
• Time Recording – Including Entries, Charge Rates, etc.
• Nominal Ledgers – Including Chart of Accounts and Transactions
• Document History – Including Word Documents, emails, PDFs, etc.

Confirmation of what can be converted will be provided per customer in a report after completing the trial run.

The price for a standard transactional data conversion starts from £750 + VAT.

We have a range of offerings to suit all firms, from those wishing to bring forward basic details and opening balances to those requiring an entire migration.

We can usually accommodate requests from firms looking to change or refine their data structures and those simply looking to migrate existing data.

We will always provide a fixed-price quote at the outset and are happy to perform a ‘trial run’ as part of the cost, so there will never have any nasty surprises.

In certain circumstances, we can discuss splitting the cost of any migration over 6 months.

The amount of data does not affect the time taken to do the conversion or the cost. To convert 200 cases is not dissimilar to converting 200,000 cases. The time-consuming part of the process is designing and completing the data conversion procedure.