ERP Data Cleansing & Migration Strategy 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which metric is most useful for tracking data cleansing progress throughout an ERP migration project?
- Number of ETL jobs scheduled
- Error record count and resolution rate over time (Correct answer)
- Total database storage consumed
- Number of end-user training sessions completed
Correct answer: Error record count and resolution rate over time
Tracking how many error records exist and the rate at which they are being resolved shows whether cleansing efforts are effective and on schedule.
Question 2: Why is it important to migrate data to a 'sandbox' or 'unit test' ERP environment before the production cutover?
- To train end users on the new system interface
- To validate transformation rules and surface data quality issues without impacting production (Correct answer)
- To fulfill software licensing requirements
- To generate invoices from the new system in parallel
Correct answer: To validate transformation rules and surface data quality issues without impacting production
Sandbox migration runs expose mapping errors, missing data, and transformation defects in a risk-free environment before the irreversible production load.
Question 3: A referential integrity violation in ERP migration occurs when:
- A text field contains numeric characters
- A foreign key value in the target has no matching primary key in its parent table (Correct answer)
- Two records have identical primary keys
- A date field is stored as a string
Correct answer: A foreign key value in the target has no matching primary key in its parent table
Referential integrity requires that every foreign key references an existing primary key; orphaned child records indicate the parent was not migrated or was mapped incorrectly.
Question 4: Which sign-off document formally confirms that business stakeholders accept migrated data as sufficient to operate the ERP go-live?
- Business Requirements Document (BRD)
- Data Migration Acceptance Sign-off (Correct answer)
- Change Request Form
- System Integration Test Plan
Correct answer: Data Migration Acceptance Sign-off
A Data Migration Acceptance Sign-off captures stakeholder approval that migration quality meets agreed thresholds and go-live can proceed.
Question 5: During ERP migration, 'data aging' refers to the risk that:
- Historical records lose their regulatory retention status
- Data extracted early becomes stale and misaligned with source system by go-live (Correct answer)
- Old hardware cannot process large data volumes fast enough
- Long-tenured employees resist entering data into the new system
Correct answer: Data extracted early becomes stale and misaligned with source system by go-live
Data aging occurs when the gap between extraction and go-live is long, causing the migrated snapshot to diverge from current source reality.
Question 6: What is the role of a 'mapping specification' document in an ERP data migration?
- It defines network topology for data center connectivity
- It documents field-level transformation rules from source to target (Correct answer)
- It lists all end users who need system access
- It specifies server hardware requirements
Correct answer: It documents field-level transformation rules from source to target
A mapping specification is the authoritative record of how each source field is extracted, transformed, and loaded into the corresponding target ERP field.
Question 7: Which data quality dimension measures whether a value falls within an acceptable range or conforms to defined business rules?
- Uniqueness
- Timeliness
- Validity (Correct answer)
- Completeness
Correct answer: Validity
Validity checks whether data values conform to defined formats, ranges, or reference lists (e.g., a valid country code or a positive invoice amount).
ERP Data Cleansing & Migration Strategy 3
Which metric is most useful for tracking data cleansing progress throughout an ERP migration project?