PCSS Conversions: Moving from Legacy Systems to a New Case Management System

PCSS has been in the business of providing judicial applications to its customers since 1985. Full data conversion has been a regular part of project plans for many years and is considered unusual if a full data conversion is not a requirement. PCSS has a near 100% rate of success assuming all pertinent information is provided.

During a data conversion, data is moved from an existing Case Management System to a new Case Management System. In most situations, data from one legacy system becomes the primary source of historical information for the new system. This is accomplished in a series of iterations, which include the following:

• Determination of Files to be Converted – Once the data sets and database tables to be converted have been identified, the Court will provide data files to PCSS in a standard, agreed-upon format. Business rules for data conversion will be defined jointly before data conversion programs are written.
• Initial Submission of File Layouts and Sample Data – PCSS will then conduct an analysis of files submitted by the Court.
• Data Mapping – PCSS will map the source to the target schema. A complete mapping of every field to be converted is documented, along with a list of any potential issues.
• Data Cleansing – The customer should review current data and correct any issues found.
• Data Import – Following internal data consistency checks by Customer and submission of the data files to be converted, PCSS will import the tables into SQL based JEMS, PAS, or JMS tables.  In the event errors or corrections are required, PCSS will provide a report of conversion errors encountered with recommendations for revision. PCSS will also be comparing total record counts for the original and converted files and reporting inconsistencies to insure that records are not getting dropped, lost or distorted during the conversion process.
• Conversion/Testing Iterations –Typically, PCSS performs three cycles of running conversion programs, testing, and modifying the programs. The testing of data conversion requires extensive participation by Court personnel. Active participation of IT staff is also very important because in many cases they are very familiar with the data structures, integrity and content of the tables used by the current system. 
• Verify Conversion Completion – The Court staff will be required to verify that the converted information is complete and corresponds to their interpretation of the data.  The process is finished when PCSS received final approval.