Many businesses that use Infor Lawson are considering moving their on-prem S3 setup to the Cloud. If that describes your company, or if you’d simply like to know more about the process, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve already written an article about general S3-to-the-Cloud migration tips and tricks, as well as strategies for handling data and security, but read on to learn about common mistakes clients run into during this process (as well as how to avoid them).
Data and Security Mistakes
One of the most common errors we find our clients making is not having a test plan in place or scripts that they can run to validate their target system against their source system. If we had one piece of advice to give you in this whole article, it’d be this: Test. Then test again. (Then test a third time.) The heart of your system is your data, and testing will help you keep it in good shape.
On the security side of things, it’s essential to know that moving from an on-premise Lawson S3 setup to the Cloud comes with a new responsibility in the new Ming.le User BOD (Business Objects Document). An excellent tool provided by Infor, Ming.le will become a key component of managing your system. Securing your data is not only incredibly important, it’s also crucial that whoever is responsible for securing your Lawson system gets involved in the migration process early.
Project Management Mistakes
Like any other major business undertaking, navigating around project management potholes is a must if you want to avoid delays, inflated budgets, and splitting headaches. Solid lines of communication, comprehensive training, and clear areas of responsibility will be your keys to success here.
Whether you’re working directly with Infor or with a third-party consultant, it’s critical that you invest your time from the start and that you remain an active participant in this project. Infor trains early in this kind of project, so you’ll need to decide who will be the key person for training in each area (which might result in a “train-the-trainer” situation), and you should make sure to assign your own project manager to work closely with the Infor client and technical managers. In any event, make sure the trainee receives and stores all documentation for each training session so that you can refer to it later. And don’t forget about the technical team! Clients often focus on the functional folks, but you’ll be doing yourself a disservice if the technical team isn’t involved early on as well.
In terms of project plans, you’ll need to make sure you have clearly defined tasks and resources because these are both critical to a successful timeline. If a partner is handling the project via Infor, make sure that you see the project plan before things kick off. Establish a weekly issues meeting (more if necessary), so that you can be ready to discuss any concerns you may have with your Infor technical manager. To ensure this meeting gets the attention it deserves, make it separate from all other meetings, and keep an eye on the Infor support site for the answers to questions you may have.
Another thing you’ll need to do on your end is to establish a well-grounded individual in each of the functional systems to report issues/successes, and make sure there’s a backup for this individual. (You don’t want your whole project to be delayed for a week because Alex the Admin caught the flu, after all.)
Server and Tenant Mistakes
Technically, some of the following aren’t “mistakes” so much as they are misconceptions that clients often have. For example, some clients aren’t aware that when you move to the Cloud with Lawson,* you’ll be working with an ST (S3 Single Tenant)/MT (Landmark Multi-Tenant) relationship, so keep that fact in mind. Also, if you’re also using Lawson for HR, your data will be dispersed between the ST and MT.*
Not understanding Infor’s patch process as it relates to critical CUs on the Landmark system is another big mistake you’ll want to avoid. Because you’ll be dealing with a multi-tenant server, the patching process will affect everyone on that server. Payroll, on the other hand, will be on the S3/ST server, so you’ll need to decide ahead of time if you’re implementing Absence Management and Benefits Administration on S3 or Landmark. Waiting until the last minute = major headaches.
Now that you’re aware of what mistakes to avoid while migrating from Lawson S3 to the Cloud (not to mention our general tips and tricks, as well as strategies for handling data and security), you’re that much closer to a successful migration. Of course, if you’d like even smoother sailing, bringing on someone from our senior-level Lawson consulting team is the way to go. Having an expert in your corner allows you to benefit from their expertise, not to mention the out-of-the-box solutions they’re able to provide.
Interested in learning more? Contact us today to get started.
*Note that these are more general truths as opposed to hard-and-fast rules. There are situations in which clients will move to the Cloud but who won’t run into a blend of ST/MT servers. (A client that uses Workday for the HCM & Payroll side, for example.) Infor Lawson plans to get Payroll up on the Landmark side to eliminate the need for a dual setup, but in the meantime, things can still get a bit tricky.
