PIPELINEGuide
What does data migration cost? Factors, process and funding options
There is no responsible flat price for data migration — the projects behind them are too varied. What actually drives the effort, how you get a concrete proposal and which funding options are available in Austria.
A flat price for data migration cannot be quoted responsibly — it depends on the scope of the project, not the provider. Depending on data volume and quality of legacy data. The actual proposal comes only after a brief, no-obligation initial consultation.
01 — Price
What it costs
- Price
- Individual based on effort
- Typical duration
- 2 to 6 weeks
Depends on data volume and quality of legacy data. A fixed price can only be quoted seriously after the initial consultation — send us a brief description of your project and we'll send you a proposal that fits the scope and effort.
02 — Factors
What drives the price
- Scope and number of integrations. Every additional system that needs to participate costs effort — regardless of how simple the core is.
- State of your starting point. Clean data, existing content and documented processes significantly reduce effort. Chaos is the most expensive cost factor.
- How much new material needs to be created. What you can contribute doesn't need to be invented by anyone. This is the biggest lever you have in your own hands.
- Requirements for design and customization. A solid standard system costs a fraction of a custom solution — and is sufficient more often than vendors admit.
- Operating model. One-time project costs or ongoing support: calculated over three years, this often gives a different picture than the quote comparison.
03 — Funding
Subsidies in Austria
For digitalization projects, there are several funding programs in Austria, such as KMU.DIGITAL or the aws digitalization funding. Whether and to what extent one of these is currently relevant for your project, we'll review with you individually. Current conditions: kmudigital.at, aws.at.
Which program is relevant, how high the subsidy currently is, and whether the budget for the current funding period is still open changes regularly — plus there are regional funding programs that vary by federal state. Only the information from the funding agencies themselves is reliable, not a fixed percentage stated here.
The most common mistake is always the same: commission first, then want funding. That doesn't work. Allow several weeks of lead time for application and approval.
04 — Scope
What's included
- Analysis of existing data with report on quality issues, before migration
- Mapping rules between old and new structure
- Cleanup: duplicates, formats, missing mandatory fields
- Test migration with comparison and count log
- Switchover with fallback option
- Log that makes every record traceable
05 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do we need access to both systems simultaneously for the migration?
Yes, at least for the period of trial runs and the actual switchover. After that, access to the legacy system can be restricted or terminated.
What happens to attachments and documents on the record?
They are transferred along, provided the target system supports them. Where the format doesn't fit, it's clarified beforehand whether conversion is necessary or external storage remains more practical.
How do we ensure nothing gets lost?
Through the count protocol: number of records before and after is compared, samples are checked for content. Only after this acceptance is the migration considered complete.
How long does a migration take?
The transfer itself usually hours. The time goes into analysis, rules, and trial runs — typically two to six weeks, depending on the condition of the legacy data.
Can we keep working in parallel?
For short transitions yes, with a cutoff date. For longer migrations, you typically continue working in the legacy system until the switchover and transfer the additions at the end.
What if something is missing after the switchover?
That's why count protocol and fallback option: the legacy inventory remains untouched until acceptance is complete. Subsequent additions of individual areas are possible.
Do we take everything?
Rarely makes sense. Dead records, test datasets, and ten-year-old transactions burden the new system. We recommend migrating the active inventory and keeping the rest archived and accessible.
06 — Error
The most common mistakes
- Starting too big. Projects where nobody can use anything for months fail more often than average. A small, usable first step is almost always the better way.
- Not involving the people who work with it. Requirements that only come from management rarely match the actual work.
- Not defining a success measure. Without a metric defined in advance, you can't say afterwards whether it delivered anything — and the next decision will be made on gut feeling again.
- Overlooking operating costs. The project price is only part of it. What operation costs over three years belongs in the same calculation.
- Creating dependency. If you don't get access, documentation and source code, you're locked in. That needs to be clarified before commissioning, not after.
Next step
Let's talk briefly about whether this makes sense for you.
A twenty-minute conversation is usually enough to clarify whether a project makes sense. If not, we'll say so — that's cheaper for both sides than an offer nobody needs.