Client Successful Migration Journey To Platform 2.0

Facing the Challenge of Seamless Platform Migration 

When performing a major platform rewrite and redesign like we did with Platform 2.0, you are presented with the challenge of how do we now upgrade our existing customers. As many clients will tell you, moving to a new platform is not always easy. It can be risky and disruptive from every business perspective: reputation, revenues and cost of switching platforms. Many of us have sat in front of customers trying to arrange several hours of downtime followed by validation, user testing and often extensive re-training for the new solution.

At TAINA, we have been working very hard on the platform and making sure that the upgrade and migration process is seamless and painless and does not require any additional work from our clients. One of the main advantages of having a leading edge tech stack and a small fully committed team is that it made this very possible .. and in fact almost routine.We are delighted to report that thanks to Platform 2.0 upgrades, our dedicated client management and dev teams and a clear migration plan we were able to roll out all changes automatically, without disrupting our clients' business operations. Allowing for a smooth transition for our clients from the old TAINA platform 1.0 to Platform 2.0 without any downtime.

Platform 2.0 Migration Plan

Success is always in the planning, this is especially true when it comes to upgrading and migrating clients. The answer to how we were able to successfully execute our migration of our clients with minimal disruption and zero downtime is simple. We followed the 3Ps: 

• Process

• Preparation

• Practice.

1.Process: We have built a process specifically to upgrade to Platform 2.0 consisting of the following key steps:

• Analysis: We have built scripts that verify and check that the clients data is ready for upgrade, this produces a report we share with our clients to address any issues it highlights and it can be re-run after any changes are made. 

• Upgrade Process: On the day of upgrade, the initial focus is all on data.  We have built a 3 Stage Process for upgrading databases with full roll back capability at each stage.

• Verification: As each module is upgraded we verify it is running and no unexpected errors are occurring.  If any unusual activity is detected we can pause or rollback at any stage.  Once all modules are upgraded we handover to our clients for their sign off and then continually monitor the platform whilst normal daily operation continues.

2.Preparation: We go through a comprehensive set of preparation steps ahead of the Upgrade.  

• Training: We run  Platform 2.0 training sessions with our clients tax operations and technical teams highlighting the key changes, walking through how the new functionality works and addressing any changes in Imports and APIs that may be involved with our clients setup. 

• Upgrade: We upgrade our client to the latest Platform 1.0 version to ensure the step up to Platform 2.0 is the smallest it can be.

• Timing: A time for the upgrade is chosen in collaboration with our clients to ensure the minimal impact to their daily operation. All the files needed for upgrade and any configuration changes are prepared ahead of the agreed date.

3. Practice: we practice each stage of the process before it needs to be done.

• Test system:  We upgrade our clients test systems first using the process described above. This gives them an environment in which to test and train their operational staff and enables us to highlight any issues specific to our clients setup that may need attention ahead of the Production System Upgrade.

Global Online Broker First To Go Live on TAINA 2.0

A Global Online Broker client was the first to experience the upgrade and migration journey to Platform 2.0. We worked closely with this client, having open communication throughout the development of Platform 2.0, offering their tax operations team in-depth training and allowing plenty of time prior to migration for them to test and get comfortable with the platform changes in their own dev environment. This preparation allowed for our online broker client to upgrade seamlessly to Platform 2.0 without any downtime and with no changes to the investor portal and online customer experience. 

Feedback from the clients’ tax operations team; “The switch to Platform 2.0 was effortless and smooth. The new system was as familiar, with the same look and feel, and did not feel like we were logging into a completely new system. It is as easy to use as the old version, meaning we did not need extensive training to understand the updates. All in all there are some great new features that will make our lives much easier now and in the future.”

The full TAINA team is committed to ensuring that all Platform 2.0 migrations are as seamless, painless and hassle free for our clients as they were for the above global Online Broker. To use a well know analogy switching to TAINA Platform 2.0 is like changing all 4 engines on a jumbo jet whilst flying across the pond, without our clients  experiencing any turbulence mid Atlantic that stops the meal service .. or spills glasses of fizz and then landing in JFK was so smoothly that you hadn't realised you were already there or that we performed an upgrade at all!

TAINA continues to demonstrate its commitment to the industry by keeping ahead of the technology curve, and building sustainable systems that deliver on all facets of client needs. For more information on how the evolved TAINA Platform and it’s newest capabilities can add even more value to your business, get in touch or request a demo to see it in action.