Implementation, migration, and cutover
Move from the old system in stages. Check the data and workflows before expanding use.
Agree on the work and its rules
A successful transition starts with understanding how the agency works today. Start with the agency’s real work. Identify who performs each task and who approves it. Agree on the records and reports needed to support it.
The agency supplies approved rules and source-system details. A data dictionary explains each field. Sample exports let the team inspect the records before migration.
Move and check legacy data
Moving records also means preserving the relationships that make them useful. Legacy migration moves records from the old system. The mapping must preserve IDs and relationships. Historical dates and status codes need an agreed meaning.
Pilot batches expose missing data and duplicate identities. The team checks the result against the source. Original inputs stay available for review.
Pilot complete workflows
A small group can check a complete workflow before the agency expands its use. A pilot follows a complete workflow. It might start with a staffing need and end with a completed deployment. Users test the actions for their actual roles.
Tests also try rejected and interrupted work. An old form should not overwrite a newer record. A revoked permission should stop the next protected action.
Reviewers inspect reports and history alongside the visible result.
Run both systems during the transition
An agency may need to keep the old system running while teams move to DART. During coexistence, the old and new systems both remain in use. Each type of record needs one agreed writer. The plan defines how changes reach the other system.
A phased rollout starts with a limited group or workflow. Expansion follows accepted results. The rollback plan states when to stop and how to recover.
The legacy system is retired after reconciliation and retention decisions. Unresolved conflicts need an owner before cutover.
Train users and prepare support
People need to practice the parts of the new system they will actually use. Training follows the tasks people will perform. Responders practice replies and check-in. Coordinators practice staffing and orders. Specialists practice their review workflows.
The support handoff names who handles failures. It also explains how to monitor jobs and restore service. In-app help remains available during daily work.
Set milestones against actual dependencies
A useful schedule shows what must be ready before the next stage can begin. Delivery milestones follow accepted results. These include working interfaces and checked migration data. Security review and a cutover rehearsal also need clear completion points.
The schedule depends on source quality and agency review. Interface access and approved rules affect it too. Dates are set for the actual program.