Data Migration From Legacy Systems-

Data Migration From Legacy Systems-


Data Migration Process and Information

TBN has pioneered a method of migrating data from RBS and Coach Manager into OpsDriver to reduce the amount of manual data entry required. We call this migration service our Concierge Data Migration service. While it is not a magic wand, it will significantly reduce the stress associated with changing software providers. 
"Our data migration process has been painstakingly built to cary much of the heavy lift of moving from one software to another. TBN is a more modern, more complete solution than any other software on the market and this process makes it more accessible than ever. It does not however eliminate the need to be diligent in review and update of the data that has been migrated and will still require some clean up of the old system and manual data entry in the new system specifically surrounding the transition of financial information"      -TBN
THE MIGRATION PROCESS, AS DESCRIBED BELOW, WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF MANUAL DATA ENTRY REQUIRED WHEN TRANSITIONING TO TBN. HOWEVER, YOU WILL STILL NEED TO "TOUCH" & CONFIRM EVERY BOOKING, ADDRESS THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE BOOKINGS INCLUDING ALREADY PAID DEPOSITS, AND VERIFY ALL DETAILS PRIOR TO OPERATION OF THE TRIP. LEGACY SYSTEMS ALLOW FOR SCHEDULE ENTRIES OF “TBD (TO BE DETERMINED) ,” WHICH TBN DOES NOT SUPPORT. THESE WILL NEED TO BE MANUALLY UPDATED IN THE SYSTEM. IN SOME CASES, THIS DATA MAY RESULT IN OUT-OF-ORDER STOPS OR OTHER UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES DURING THE MIGRATION PROCESS. THESE ISSUES CAN BE EASILY UPDATED ONCE THE DATA IS IN TBN.

What Gets Migrated as part of the data migration from a legacy system into TBN as part of the Concierge Data Migration process? 

TBN Migrates the following data as part of the Concierge Data Migration process- 
  1. Drivers
  2. Add-ons
  3. Vehicles
  4. Bookings
  5. Routes
  6. Dispatches
  7. Contacts
  8. Customer Types
  9. Booking Categories 
Because of the relational nature of historic booking migrations, where a particular trip was operated using a specific vehicle and a driver, there will be data migrated that may no longer be operationally relevant to your company. After final migration is complete these elements can be cleaned up, edited, or removed as needed. 

What doesn't get migrated as part of the migration process?

Financial History

Like switching accounting software, the logical switch from one platform to another where financial components are impacted requires a close of one system and an open of another. In this case, when things such as invoices have been issued, closing those invoices in the system generated is an important part of the process. 

We do not migrate individual financial history including the following- 
  1. Invoices
  2. Individual historic payment records including deposits made against future bookings
  3. Amounts outstanding on bookings (total charter cost less payments recieved)
  4. Customer Credits
We do migrate the total cost for the trip including any assigned add-ons
In an effort for clarity in the close of one operational/financial record keeping system to another, payments received against future bookings, that will be operated in TBN, should be canceled in the legacy system and manually entered into TBN against the appropriate bookings. This process will ensure that when reconciling the transition, including the financial aspects, these payments do not show in both systems. 

Quotes
Quotes do not get migrated as part of this process. In TBN bookings can be duplicated/copied for existing customers, but because TBN prices trips differently than Legacy Systems, there is no migration possible of the quotes from your legacy system. 

Attachments
We don't migrate attachments from your legacy system to either bookings or routes. Any relevant attachments will need to be added by your team once the booking are reviewed

Scheduled Service Contracts
The fastest and most effective way to get your line-run/scheduled service contracts into TBN is to build them in the application. This ensures that the data is correct and then uses TBNs propritaty tools to apply those templates to the individual days the contracts run and allows you to take advantage of our tools to manage, update, change and cancel those from the contract level instead of having them come over as individual dispatches. Our support team will provide your team training and support to make this happen. 

What will you need to do before sending us your data?

The following steps should be taken BEFORE sending TBN your data to migrate. 
  1. Ensure that all of your current drivers are updated with current names, phone numbers and email addresses and listed as ACTIVE in the drivers feature. 
  2. Ensure that all of your current vehicles are listed as ACTIVE in the vehicle inventory. 
  3. Update any trips beyond the switchover date with as much data as you have including driver start and end times. (if you don't have all the data for those trips yet, we will still migrate the data but it will require updating in TBN before it can be dispatched) 
It is important to understand that data migration is designed to do the majority of the required data entry and remove most of the manual entry required. TBN only migrates what is in your legacy system and can't make assumptions or guess as to what data should have been there. It is also important to understand that because of the differences between TBN and legacy systems there will still need to be work done on your end to refine and edit the data that is input after TBN finishes the migration process. 

What you will need to do IN BETWEEN sending us your data and when the data goes live in TBN

The backup you send us is a snapshot in time. This means that there is no live connection between your legacy system and TBN once we have the backup. There may be times where there are change requests for bookings after the switchover date that come in during the time between getting your backup and when it goes live in TBN.

In these cases you have a choice
1: you can make the change in your existing system, making note of that change and then make the change again in TBN once the migration is completed
2: You can wait to make the change until the data is ready to manipulate in TBN. 

The process of migration once we have your data backup file submitted takes up to 3 business days.
Please note that we are unable to update your bookings programmatically with changes entered in the legacy system AFTER the data backup has been submitted, processed and uploaded.

What will you need to do after the bookings are migrated?

TBN can only migrate what data exists in your legacy systems database. The process does not "fill in" missing data. This results in the need to review bookings prior to operations for complete data. 
This video will show you how that works- 

For example: IF a trip is currently booked in your legacy system with information that is TBD including actual locations, times, etc, this will create a trip in TBN that needs to be edited to include that information before it will be operationally helpful. This will include accurate times and locations.
We recommend that EVERY migrated booking be reviewed before the trip is operated for accuracy and completeness of the data. 

Data Review and Confirmation

Once the data has been successfully migrated, it is imperative that all subsequent bookings undergo thorough review as part of your standard Confirmation process prior to trip operation. This entails meticulously verifying the accuracy of dates, times, stops, and pricing. This review step serves to confirm that the migrated data aligns with your intended movements. While in the majority of instances, the data will prove to be accurate, there may be cases where discrepancies arise due to the manner in which information was loaded into the previous system, necessitating refinement. Typically, any such anomalies are identified and addressed during the routine trip confirmation process, ensuring smooth operations and client satisfaction.
Users are advised to exercise particular vigilance regarding trips migrated from RBS on the final day of a month. There have been instances where these trips are migrated with data attributed to the first day of the subsequent month. Therefore, it is essential to give careful consideration to all RBS trips commencing on the last day of any month.

What is the process of migration? 

Migration is a well orchestrated process that results in the least amount of data entry and manipulation. While some of these timelines may seem strict, they are designed to ensure the most complete final data set possible. 

Operational Switchover Date-

This date is the day you want to start running your company using TBN. This includes dispatching drivers and vehicles and accepting payment against operated trips. 

Booking Cutover Date-

The booking cutover date represents a day that you decide you will start loading all NEW bookings into TBN directly. For the purposes of this we will assume that the date is April 1st. 
The booking cutover date can't be any less than 14 days prior to the operational switchover date. 

Initial Data Migration- 

Once you started taking all bookings in TBN after the booking cutover date. You will send TBN a copy of your legacy database backup file through a private file transfer link. Once we receive this file we will process the data and upload all FUTURE BOOKINGS into your account.
At this point FUTURE BOOKING are only loaded because there will most likely be changes made to bookings that will operate between the booking cutover date and the operational switchover date. Doing this ensures that the final date migration includes all of the most accurate information and ensures the least amount of manual data migration and updating.
This must be received no later than 7 days prior to the operational switchover date.

Data Review and Refinement

Once the data is migrated into the system the fist step should be data review as mentioned above. Companies should carefully review the first two weeks of operational trips and ensure that those trips are accurate including stops, times, and days.
If that following two weeks includes the last day of a month AND you are migrating from RBS, special attention should be paid to trips departing on that last day to ensure that they are not showing as departing a day later. 

Final data Migration- 

Once you pass the operational switchover date, and you are no longer using your legacy system for the management of trips, you will send a final database backup which we will convert and upload all of the historic data up to the Operational Cutoff Date. 
Our standard dates for data migration is January 1st 2018 through current. While we don't recommend doing farther back than that, you are welcome to give us a date closer that you want to migrate up to. 

Frequent Questions

Will all of my trip data be migrated? 

The two step process of migration first migrates all future bookings and then once your company is live in TBN for about 30 days we will migrate the historical bookings back to 1/1/2018 if you would like that done. Data migrated includes vehicle requests and route information. 

Will quotes be migrated? 

Quotes are not migrated as part of the migration process. 

What happens in trips where I don't have all the times? 

Some legacy systems allow times and locations to be TBD. In those cases we will do our best to align segments and locations of the trip appropritalty, however this often resutls in stops being out of order in the route section of the booking. Adding more accurate times or estimates is quick and easy and will then align the trip properly. TBD is not a function in TBN and as such must be manually corrected either before or after the migration. 

If there is an issue with migrated data will TBN fix it? 

TBN is here to support you in your migration process. If there is data that seems incorrect after the migration process TBN support will help identify what is wrong and the ways to fix it. In many cases data issues stem back to the way the legacy system was being used and are quickly able to be updated by a sales person on your staff as part of the recommended review and update process post migration. 

How long does the process take to migrate data? 

From the time we receive your data backup file migrations can take up to 3 business days.  

What do my team need to do once the migration is done? 

All migrated bookings should be reviewed for accuracy and confirmed with the customer prior to operation. Your team will need to review the trip before confirmation with the customer. There is also a need to move financial liabilities from one system to the other so that there is not duplicated liabilities created during the process. 

Will the trips migrated be operationally ready? 

Trips migrated will be ready to assign a vehicle and a driver however they should be reviewed for accuracy with the customer prior to operation. 

What happens with scheduled services? 

Scheduled service moves are not migrated as part of a data migration process because of the nature of TBNs industy leading Scheduled Service function where it is easier to build the route and apply the templates across operationally relevant schedules rather the import individual moves. This will allow you to take full advantage of our template based system which will make managing, changing and operating these trips easier than ever before. 

Will I have to "touch" every booking? 

Yes; you will need to look at, adjust, and confirm every booking prior to operation. This process is designed to help with the heavy lifting of moving large amounts of data from one system the the other, but will require some interaction with every booking before you operate it. Most of this will happen during the normal process of confirming a trip prior to operation, which would have happened in the legacy system as a normal part of your business process. 





    • Related Articles

    • Editing bookings that are migrated from RBS

      Updating and editing RBS migrated bookings In this video we will cover the following topics- What to do if times are out of order. Understanding what is migrated and how. What to do if you are having issues selecting Google generated places. How to ...

    • Onboarding Process

      OpsDriver Onboarding Process Outline We know that the onboarding process can be the key to a successful transition to a new software. We have created a system designed to ensure your teams success in every step of the process. These are the steps you ...

    • The path to a successful deployment

      The path to switching to even radically better software can be fraught with pitfalls. In this article, we will cover the most common issues that companies must overcome for a successful deployment. New software is exciting. It brings promises of ...

    • Day-to- Day Pricing Calculations

      Day to Day Pricing Comparisons We're thrilled to introduce our groundbreaking feature that lets you calculate prices on a day-to-day basis, empowering you to manage your revenue like never before. With this feature, you can easily distinguish between ...

    • Pricing Strategies TBN Supports

      TBN Supported Pricing Strategies TBN supports the vast majority of pricing strategies used by motorcoach operators in North America. Miles vs. Hours vs. Daily Rate Comparison In this pricing strategy the following calculations are used to find which ...