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What You'll Learn
With a global market value that’s expected to grow to USD 141.7 Billion by 2028, SaaS MDM or cloud-based MDM solutions are lifting businesses to great heights. Learn everything that you require to go there and stand out from the crowd. Here are some key practices you must follow to migrate from your on-premises system to a SaaS MDM solution. Read on!
Assess your Current On-Prem Infrastructure
Assessing your current on-premises environment is key to a successful SaaS MDM migration project.
- Start by understanding what you have in place. List all the systems and tools the existing on-prem system supports. Make a list of the data domains it manages and other systems and software that connect to it.
- Examine all the data you have – check if it’s clean and accurate. When you fix issues like duplicates and incomplete data, it helps you avoid complications later.
- If you have specific workflows in your current system, check if the SaaS platform you choose can support them.
- Last but not least, check how much time and effort goes into maintaining your current on-premises system. Identify how much you will save from the SaaS migration project, and what automation benefits will you get. Summarizing these findings will help you define what to prioritize when migrating to a cloud MDM platform.
Craft a Migration Plan with Clear Goals
A SaaS migration project without a well-defined roadmap can turn out to be a total failure! So, it’s important to create an implementation roadmap. This roadmap should have goals and metrics that allow you to measure the success of your migration to a SaaS MDM platform.
Here are some points you can include in your SaaS migration plan:
- The number of days/weeks/months it will take to complete the migration.
- Key milestones that should be achieved within the first month, 2 months, or within 6 months. Here you identify key steps such as data assessment, testing, and go-live.
- Data that needs to be moved to the new SaaS MDM system and listing of datasets that need cleanup.
- Team responsibilities need to be defined clearly – assigning roles for a smooth SaaS adoption
- Having backups or rollback procedures ready in case anything goes wrong.
- Planning on user training – how employees will use the new platform.
- Post-migration KPIs.
Start Small, Achieve More
Migrating from on-prem systems to SaaS MDM is a big change, and trying to move everything at once can be overwhelming. Hence, it’s recommended to adopt a phased approach for SaaS MDM migration projects. You can start with one domain, small datasets, or a single business unit. When you migrate in phases, there are less chances of major disruptions. Plus, it’s easier to fix issues in a smaller scope.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Go for a pilot program. Find out what users or department can volunteer for it. Choose datasets with minimal dependencies. Data and processes need to be moved step by step.
- Track performance, user experience, and check for issues. Based on the feedback you receive from the first phase of migration; you could plan the rest of the move to SaaS strategically.
- Learn from the mistakes, if any. Make improvements and then expand.
Select the Right SaaS MDM Service Partner
As per Gartner’s 2025 reviews and ratings, Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud, Reltio Data Cloud, Oracle Unity Customer Data Platform, and SAP Master Data Governance are some of the top Master Data Management Solutions in the market.
However, knowing about these master data management platforms is not enough. You will require a seasoned SaaS MDM consulting partner who could help build a modern MDM strategy and deploy and maintain the appropriate SaaS MDM solution for your business.
Some important questions you should ask before finalizing your SaaS MDM service partner:
- How many years of experience does the SaaS MDM service provider have?
- Do they have expertise in implementing the SaaS MDM technology/platform that you’ve selected?
- Can they provide a SaaS maturity assessment for your business?
- Have they achieved any certifications by the SaaS MDM platform you’re looking to migrate to?
- Can they share customer stories relevant to your industry?
- How many successful cloud MDM projects have they delivered so far?
- How much time do they usually take to complete the project? Do they have automation tools to accelerate the migration process?
Focus on Continuous Optimization
This one is an important post-migration practice. Your SaaS MDM deployment is successful. But remember, there’s no time to lean back and relax. Right after the implementation stage begins the observation stage. All SaaS MDM tools and technologies require continuous maintenance, and here you track what is working and what isn’t.
Here’s what you do to ensure continuous optimization:
- Check if there’s any inconsistent, duplicated or missing data to keep your SaaS MDM system accurate and reliable.
- Keep an eye out for the latest releases or updates for your SaaS platform. Upgrading to new, better versions helps maximize your system’s performance.
- Make sure your MDM workflows are adjusted to align with new processes, integrations, and governance policies.
- Reviewing security settings should be a top priority. Check access controls and compliance requirements to keep your sensitive information safe.
- Scale, scale, and scale – as needed! As your data grows, make sure your SaaS MDM system scales efficiently to accommodate new business requirements.
Use AI to Make Cloud Migrations Seamless
Remember that data migration to any SaaS MDM platform isn’t just about moving data from point A to point B. Bloor Group suggests that more than 80% of data migration projects run over time or over budget. How do you prevent the failure of your migration project? Enter Artificial Intelligence.
Here are some ways in which AI facilitates SaaS MDM Migration:
- Enables a single, accurate master record in the SaaS MDM platform by intelligently matching and merging duplicate records across various systems.
- Analyzes data quality by identifying inconsistencies, missing values, and invalid data formats before the migration happens.
- Automates the entire data mapping process by automatically mapping source data fields to the corresponding fields in the cloud-based MDM system.
- Frees up IT teams by automating repetitive tasks like data validation, transformation, and more.
- Optimizes your cloud environment and works wonders even after post-migration.
When you empower your team with AI-powered migration tools, you drive better innovation.
Wrapping Up
Although on-premises software remains a highly valuable asset for many businesses, moving from on-premises to SaaS MDM is becoming increasingly popular. Following the core practices mentioned above should help you craft a profitable migration strategy.
Also Read: Drive business transformation with SaaS MDM in 2025
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