Learn PDM - in practice,
from first principles
Work through the full PDM methodology step by step, using the DHGS case study - a realistic end-to-end data migration project with real-world complications. 10 modules, video and text lessons, quizzes, and downloadable templates.
What you'll learn
By the end of this course you will be able to plan and manage a data migration project using the PDM methodology - from initial strategy through to legacy decommissioning.
Structure a data migration project using the nine PDM modules across two workstreams
Design business engagement that makes stakeholders invested partners, not passive recipients
Manage data quality with quantified, governable DQR processes
Navigate the commercial and contractual boundary between client and supplier
Design and execute ETL processes that deliver tested, validated data releases
Plan and execute legacy decommissioning as a first-class project objective
Diagnose and recover a failing data migration project
Apply PDM principles within agile, waterfall, or blended delivery environments
PDM online training
A combination of videos, reading, quizzes and case work - ensuring everyone can learn how to apply PDM in practice.
Learning through the DHGS case study
Every module applies PDM concepts to a single, consistent case study - a realistic data migration project running through the entire course. Rather than abstract examples, you see exactly how each tool and technique works in practice, with the same organisation, the same data, and the same complications throughout.
Module 08 brings the full case study together - walking through the complete DHGS migration from strategy and scoping to build, test, and lessons learned.
Downloadable templates and worked examples are available for every phase of the project, so you can apply the same artefacts directly to your own migrations.
The DHGS Project
A composite of real-world migration programmes, the DHGS case study is designed to surface the full range of challenges PDM is built to handle - stakeholder conflicts, data quality surprises, supplier dynamics, and the pressure of cutover.
- Multiple legacy systems
- Mixed data quality
- Complex stakeholder landscape
- Fixed-price supplier contract
- Tight cutover deadline
Course modules
10 modules covering the full PDM methodology, from first principles to crisis recovery.
Course Introduction
An overview of the PDM methodology, the DHGS case study, and how to get the most from the course.
Foundations
Why data migrations fail, the Responsibility Gap, the Four Golden Rules, Super Smart Tasks, and the PDM end-to-end process.
Strategy & Scope
The Migration Strategy Guide, strategy matrices, assessing supplier proposals, project decomposition, and conceptual data modelling.
The Analysis Phase
Landscape discovery, gap analysis and mapping, stakeholder management, business transformation, and data quality remediation in depth.
Governance & Methods
Configuration and release management, the DMZ and commercial interests, and working with waterfall, agile, and blended delivery models.
Technical Design
End-to-end technical design, ETL architecture, ETL design in practice, decommissioning and fallback design, and system retirement planning.
Build, Test & Execute
The build phase, testing your migration, execution and go-live, and legacy decommissioning in practice.
Data Migration Software
The data migration software landscape, how to select the right tool, and a case study of software selection in the DHGS project.
DHGS Case Study
A full end-to-end walkthrough of the DHGS migration project - from strategy and scoping through to lessons learned.
Crisis Recovery
When migrations go wrong: the three phases of recovery - stabilisation, planned recovery, and mop-up - with practical techniques for each.
Who is this course for?
The course is designed for anyone involved in planning or delivering a data migration project.
Data migration practitioners
Technologists who need a structured, repeatable methodology for delivering migrations - whether this is your first project or your fifth.
Project and programme managers
PMs responsible for the data migration workstream within a larger programme of change, who need to understand scope, risk, and dependencies.
Business analysts
BAs working at the IT-business interface who want to understand how data quality, stakeholder engagement, and business transformation requirements fit into a migration.
Executives and sponsors
Leaders who want to understand what good governance of a data migration looks like - the controls, the reporting, and the decisions they will be asked to make.
How the training works
Self-paced, online, and built around a real project.
Video lessons
Core concepts and process walkthroughs are delivered through short, focused video lessons - designed to be watched in one sitting and revisited whenever you need a refresher.
Text lessons & templates
Detailed text lessons accompany every video, with downloadable PDM templates - the same artefacts you would use on a live project, pre-populated with DHGS case study data.
Module quizzes
Each module ends with a quiz to consolidate learning and confirm you have the core concepts in hand before moving on.
Work at your own pace
The course is fully self-paced on Hopp Academy - no cohort schedule, no deadlines. Start any module, pause, and pick up where you left off. Lessons and templates remain available after completion.
Get certified in PDM
Complete all modules and pass the module quizzes and you will be awarded the PDM Certification - formal recognition of your proficiency in the Practical Data Migration methodology.
Your certificate confirms you understand the full PDM process: the Four Golden Rules, the nine modules, the DQR framework, stakeholder engagement, and legacy decommissioning - and that you have applied them to a realistic migration project.
Join the Practitioners Community
On completion you will receive an invitation to join the Practical Data Migration Community of Practitioners - a community of PDM-certified professionals sharing best practices, real-world experience, and practical guidance on data migration.
Opt in to have your profile listed in the Practitioners directory - your name, role, experience, and the migrations you have worked on, promoted to organisations looking for PDM-certified expertise.
Learn from the experience of other PDM practitioners - articles, case studies, and discussions grounded in the methodology, not generic advice.
Data migration is a specialist discipline. The community connects you with others who speak the same language and face the same challenges.
Ready to start?
The course is delivered online via Hopp Academy - work at your own pace, revisit lessons at any time, and download templates to use on your own projects.
Prefer the book? Practical Data Migration covers the same methodology in full - the course and the book are designed to complement each other.