Following last week’s conversation around the timing of data conversions, let’s dive into the data validation process. Consider this a reconciliation process, meaning that there's two types of validation you want to do – one based on the current source of data in your S3 system, and one based on what the cloud accepts. There are rules in CloudSuite when it comes to loading data, so you want to build in a validation process, which is something RPI has done.
While you go through this conversion, you want to verify what data was extracted out of your system and reconcile that with your CloudSuite component. Again, you want to make sure you concentrate that first one on all the major components and tables like your employee record count or pay rate. Anything that affects employee and pay, you want to make sure you have a reconciliation process. This data validation process is part of your audit that we need for the IRS, which proves that you converted everything, you didn’t drop anything or change a pay rate. The other scope you want to do is assess your data based on your data archiving. This will allow you to accurately determine what data you want to bring in, as well as try to limit your historical data conversion as much as possible.
There are a few things about CloudSuite you need to look out for when it comes to data validation. For example, converting all employees is not a problem, but you want to verify your effective date. Everything in this system is effectively data driven, so when you talk about historical data, you want to consider topics like position history. You have to be careful if you want to bring all of those over because then you need to bring all the structures that supports them such as your salary gradings and so on. It's feasible, but a lot of work and effort for the small amount of data you would be bringing over.
Normally, we bring in employee current open plans, and the client will bring whatever they need for the ACA component throughout the conversion. Infor has a nice topic called HRM history which holds four major components, like position history, personal action history, personal action comments, and your PR rate, historical data. Those can be brought over to the cloud as a flat file, but still be accessible and viewable in screens under the employee tab, as well as available for reporting.
