What travels, in what form
Patient master, visit history, outstanding balances, rate cards, and open claims each migrate differently — some as structured data, some as documents, some not at all. The written migration scope, item by item, is the contract clause that matters most.
The parallel-run window
A cutover without a parallel period bets the billing desk on day-one perfection. A defined parallel run — old system read-only, new system live, discrepancies logged — converts the bet into a checklist.
| Item | Standard | Consequence / owner |
|---|---|---|
| Migration scope | Item-by-item, written | Before signing |
| Data validation | Counts + samples verified | At migration |
| Parallel run | Defined window, discrepancy log | At cutover |
| Open claims | Tracked across the boundary | Insurance desk |
| Exit terms | Format + cost + timeline | In the contract |
The exit you negotiate now
The question that predicts vendor behaviour for the next five years: how do we get our data out, in what format, at what cost, when we leave? Ask it at purchase, in writing. The answer is the relationship.
What to do on Monday
- Get the migration scope in writing, item by item.
- Insist on a parallel-run window in the plan.
- Put exit format and cost in the contract now.
Worked examples on this page are illustrative arithmetic on stated assumptions, not measured market statistics.