Big Brothers Big Sisters AIM Data Conversion
Since 2005 we have become expert in the conversion of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) local agency data to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America AIM System. If your agency is in need of these services, the following information will give you an idea of how our process works.
The huge advantage of using Prism Partners to assist with your data conversion, is that you can continue to use your existing data systems right up until the very last hour when your agency "goes live" on AIM. There is absolutely no need to keep separate records of your agency's day-to-day business while someone does a tedious manual conversion.
Our part of the conversion project will take between 30 and 45 days, depending on any unusual complexity in the process as well as your staff's availability.
This is an overview of how the process will work:
- We will review your data to get a feel for how your data is stored and verify how and where critical fields are stored.
- Once the assessment is made, we'll provide a service agreement with time and cost estimates; a 50% deposit will be requested at that time. Our estimates are remarkably accurate, as we have done more than 50 of these conversions to date, and have the process down to a science.
- We will work with your staff to establish how data will be shared and transferred between your agency and us.
- We will learn how you use your system to store your data and learn your business processes for tracking the status of Children and Vols through your agency.
- We will work with your staff to set up the translation tool on one of your agency computers. Your staff will make the translations and send them back to us.
- We will use the translation data to develop the programming to convert your data into the AIM format.
- We will run a test conversion and review the data with your staff. At this stage we will spot check the data, fix the errors, and re-review; we will continue this process until we get the data right. We're looking to see how your data is going to convert into AIM; for instance, are the children in the right queue? Is the correct custodial adult associated with the correct child? Are the demographics correct?
- Once the data checks out, we will work to put the data into AIM on the test server. Your staff will review their respective case loads and check the data out in detail. If there is anything wrong that we missed on spot-check, we'll work to fix it until everything checks out.
- From there, the BBBS national staff will take over and guide you through the final steps of the "go-live" process.
- Once you go-live, we will invoice you for the balance due for the project. At any point should it look like the project is reaching the higher end of our estimate, we'll notify you in advance and discuss the factors causing additional time and expense and look for ways to prevent the project from going over our estimates.
- Throughout the entire process, we will be asking for updated copies or snapshots of your data. This allows us to continue to review data with you as accurately as possible right up until the point where we go-live. Our goal is for you to have as little downtime as possible between the end of use of your current methods and using the AIM system.
In order to accurately set your expectations, it is important to note that the conversion process does not move all of your existing data into AIM. The national staff members assisting with your conversion will explain this in more detail. Primarily, we are capturing demographic and status information along with important dates. We will capture things like inquiry date, RTBM date, match date, address, phone, and custodial adult info. An example of something we don't capture is program information. Even after we convert the data, your staff will need to go into every record converted to validate data and add supplemental information. Again, the national staff will assist you with all of these "back-fill" operations.
If your BBBS local agency is scheduled to convert to the National AIM System, we hope that will contact us to do that conversion for you. We can save you months of misery. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
