If there was one theme that surfaced repeatedly during Elements Connect 2026, it was this: even with successful go-lives, institutions consistently reflect the same lesson … there is never enough time for testing during a SIS migration.
Whether institutions were discussing student records, registration, financial aid, integrations, reporting, or user training, the conversation often came back to the shared realization: testing is one of the most important parts of a successful implementation, and also one of the most underestimated.
A SIS migration is one of the most significant technology projects a college or university will undertake. It impacts nearly everything department, touches critical institutional data, and shapes the daily experience of students, faculty, and staff.
That’s why testing isn’t just another project milestone. It’s one of the most important investments you can make in ensuring a smooth, confident go-live.
At the start of a migration project, testing often feels straightforward. The new system is configured. The data has been migrated. Integrations appear to be working. Your teams are eager to move toward launch.
But once testing begins, institutions quickly discover that validating a SIS requires much more than checking whether screens load correctly or records appear where expected.
Real-world testing means asking questions like:
Every answer uncovers opportunities to refine processes, correct data issues, and improve the overall user experience. It also can help to identify the gaps that sometimes happen in between transition points – those touch points between registration and billing as an example.
No amount of planning meetings or configuration reviews can fully replace hands-on testing. When end users begin working through actual business processes, they often identify issues that were impossible to spot earlier in the project. A workflow that seemed perfect during design discussions may require adjustments when users perform it in practice. A report that technically works may not provide the full information visibility a department needs. An integration may successfully transfer data but expose formatting or timing issues that impact downstream systems.
These discoveries are not signs of failure. They’re exactly why testing exists.
Finding issues before go-live is a success.
Finding them after go-live is significantly more challenging.
One of the most effective testing strategies is involving the people who will use the system every day. Registrar staff, financial aid teams, admissions personnel, advisors, faculty, and other stakeholders bring valuable perspectives that project teams alone cannot replicate. Leveraging students and faculty members to understand their experiences not only validates data but helps create a smooth transition post go live with real champions.
They understand the nuances of institutional processes and can quickly help identify gaps, inefficiencies, or unexpected outcomes.
The earlier these users participate in testing, the more opportunities institutions have to make improvements before launch.
If there’s one takeaway from institutions that have successfully completed a SIS migration, it’s this: Testing almost always takes longer than expected.
Additional test cycles uncover new questions. Data corrections require retesting. Process changes need validation. Staff schedules and competing priorities can slow participation. Building extra time into your project plan provides flexibility and reduces pressure as go-live approaches.
A SIS migration isn’t successful simply because the system launches on schedule. It’s successful when students, faculty, and staff can confidently use the system on day one.
That confidence comes from thorough testing.
As we listened to leadership and daily users from our institutions share their migration experiences at Elements Connect 2026, one message came through loud and clear: no one regretted spending more time testing. In fact, several wished they had.
If you’re preparing for a SIS migration, make testing a priority from the onset. Your future team, and your future students, will thank you for it.