Software migrations worksheet (Azure DevOps - Jira, ServiceNow-Jira, and more)

Unlocking Successful Software Migrations: A Strategic Timeline

How long should you allocate for a successful software migration, such as Azure DevOps - Jira or ServiceNow-Jira? Our experience suggests setting aside approximately three months. This timeframe allows for thoughtful planning, comprehensive tool preparation, rigorous testing, execution of the migration, and a transition period for your team to adapt to the changes.

Understanding the Migration Process: Why Time Matter

1. Stakeholder Alignment: Begin by discussing the migration scope with all stakeholders. Define what needs to be migrated and ensure everyone's on the same page.
2. Tool Preparation: Azure DevOps, Jira, ServiceNow, Monday.com, Asana, Zendesk - each of these collaboration software tools operates differently. Their workflows, setups, and features can differ significantly, impacting your migration process. Preparing the tools appropriately and understanding their intricacies is crucial.
3. Migration Testing: Next, test the migration tool on dev instances to ensure its effectiveness and troubleshoot potential issues.
4. Migration Execution: With testing completed, proceed to the actual migration.
5. Transition Period: Following the migration, offer a transition period to your team. This period, usually ranging from two weeks to a month, allows for simultaneous operation of both old and new tools, helping your team adjust comfortably.

Planning Your Migration: Projects, Types, and Fields

Most software migration tools, like those for Jira, ServiceNow, Zendesk, and Azure DevOps, are project-based. Your migration, therefore, focuses on migrating projects, types, and fields. Start by deciding which projects you need to migrate.

Considering the Types within Projects

Once you've identified the projects, determine the types within these projects that need migration. Address any discrepancies, such as "Incidents" in ServiceNow versus "Work Items" in Azure DevOps and "Issues" in Jira. Map these out accordingly in our worksheet.

Understanding Field Mapping

After mapping the types, decide on the fields that require migration. This could include the title, description, assignees, labels/tags, attachments, and comments, or any custom fields. It's crucial to confirm that all necessary fields are created in both tools.

Strategizing Migration with Custom JQL Labels

For a clean migration, consider transferring only the most essential tasks/issues/incidents. Tag these with a specific label, such as "Jira-Migration".

Determining Your Migration Timeframe

Once you've mapped everything out, decide the age of the issues you wish to move. Are you looking to migrate all issues from 2021? Maybe some from 2020? Or just a month's worth from 2019?

Testing: A Crucial Step in the Migration Process

Post-migration, review reports to verify success. You may encounter instances where certain items, such as subtasks, have not been migrated due to unforeseen issues. The migration tool will provide insights into what happened to help you address these issues.

Opting for Professional Consulting

In some cases, seeking professional help for the entire migration process can be a beneficial decision. If you're considering this route, feel free to reach out to me at jacek@getint.io for assistance.

Ready to start your migration journey? Download our worksheet here.

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