NSC Group | Barlow House, 4 Minshull Street, Manchester, UK, M1 3DZ

So how do you go from an expensive legacy system to DataNovata? It’s simpler than you think…

Stage 1:


The first step is to estimate the size of the project in terms of timescale & cost. Although a DataNovata solution is largely automated, there is always some configuration that will depend on the database platform, whether data migration is necessary, the size of the database and any customisation required.

To gauge this effort, NSC uses a T-Shirt Sizing Model to quickly provide an estimate of timescale & cost. Stakeholders can then make an informed decision on whether to proceed.

Stage 2:

Statement of Work

If the proposal is agreeable, all NSC need from the client are database access and any user requirements. If some screens need to look similar to the old system, then NSC just require screenshots. And that’s all. There are no sessions with users to arrange and the client can get on with their day-to-day business.

NSC will then prepare a detailed Statement of Work that precisely defines the project cost, timescales and deliverables, plus the resources required to host the solution.

Stage 3:


If the data is already on a relational database platform then data migration may prove unnecessary. However, in cases where it isn’t, or an organisation wishes to move or consolidate onto a different platform, the NSC Migration Toolset is used.

After migration, DataNovata is configured with the location of the data, allowing it to interrogate the data structure and produce an XML blueprint of the application. From this an HTML user interface is automatically generated.

For a DataNovata Premium solution, the DataNovata Toolkit is then used to refine the user interface to fulfil any additional user requirements, for example to replicate the layout of the old application. The toolkit allows for a fast turnaround (changes are made using configuration files) and templates already exist for a number of ERP systems, with new ones constantly being added.

Stage 4


Deployment is simple thanks to a wizard that allows the application to be promoted from development to test to production environments. Once deployed, day-to-day operation is straightforward thanks to the use of standard infrastructure and software components.

As the needs of the business evolve, requirements for new queries, reports or features may emerge. NSC provides technical support throughout the lifetime of every DataNovata solution, enabling systems to be quickly updated to satisfy changing business needs. Routine updates are also supplied as software standards change and Operating Systems are updated.


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