Manual Migration Onboarding Timeline (Spaces Schools Only)

Overview

This article is designed for schools moving to Arbor using the Manual Migration service. This guide outlines the tasks and training that should be completed over the course of your onboarding.

Your Onboarding Process

You will need to set your Arbor MIS up from scratch if you are a Manual Migration school. For more information on Manual Migrations, click here

As you begin this journey, you will have the support of Spaces. Spaces will be helping you with your onboarding by guiding you toward the right training and data entry tasks each week, ensuring you stay on track for a successful launch.

In addition to instructions in Spaces and the site setup videos on The Arbor Training Hub, we have provided an overview of your weekly tasks below, broken down into Before Go Live and Post Go Live.

If any steps in this guide are unclear, please contact the Digital Onboarding team at myonboarding@arbor-education.com.

Week 1: Kick-Off 

Your onboarding officially begins this week. You will receive an email from your Onboarding Specialist containing a link to your new Arbor site.

Your Actions:

• Access your Onboarding Space: A centralized hub where your schools Project Lead can track real-time progress, manage all onboarding tasks, and find all necessary resources.
• Log in to the Training Hub: Access the training hub and start you Manual Migration training that will guide you through your site setup, starting with an overview of your onboarding and moving into Week 1 
• Download and access your Data Entry Checklist: A tool you can use help manage data entry.
• Access your Arbor site: You’ll have access to your blank Arbor site from day 1 so you can start building it from scratch. 
• Add staff members: Include any staff who will be assisting with the Manual Migration process.

Week 1: Initial site set up

• Add School Details: Start by adding your school details and checking if any existing ones are correct. 
• Create Academic Years: Create your Academic years starting from the earliest year, ensure your term dates and holidays are set up for the current academic year.
• Create Pastoral Structures: Create your year groups and registration forms for at-least your current academic year
• Schedule Registration Forms: Schedule your morning and afternoon registration sessions for attendance purposes.

Week 2: Continued Setup of your Arbor Site

This week, focus on downloading the Entity Importer templates and populating them with data from your previous MIS. Spaces will be available to help guide you toward the specific training and data entry tasks required this week.

• Complete Manual Migration Training: "Week 2 - Entity Importers" on the Training Hub.
• Download Entity Importers: Start populating these with data from your previous MIS, these will need to be updated if any changes are made before adding to your Arbor site. Have a look at the following article for more about the Entity Importer. How to use the Entity Importer tool to add data to Arbor
• Import Staff: Use the 'staff template' importer. Once teachers are added, assign them to the registration forms created last week.
• Update Progress: Tick off the relevant tasks in spaces to track your progress.
• Contact Third-Party Applications: If you have any applications outside of your current MIS that you would like to connect to Arbor following your migration, to inform them of your move and of your Go Live date which can be found in your Onboarding Space Arbor's Third Party API ntegrations

Week 3: Staff Profiles and Data Entry

• Complete Manual Migration Training: "Week 3 - The staff profile" on the Training Hub.
• The Staff Profile: Learn how to add data to and manage certain areas of the staff profile 
• Continue Onboarding Training: Learn the basics to operate successfully from day one.
• Populate Entity Importers: Continue populating your entity importer templates with the help of your data entry checklist 
• Update Progress: Tick off the relevant tasks in spaces to track your progress.

Week 4: Importing Students and CTFs

This week’s focus is ensuring your students are added to Arbor.

• Complete Manual Migration Training: "Week 4 - The student profile and CTFs" on the Training Hub.
• Create an Intake Season: This allows you to enrol students in bulk. Must be linked to any CTFs when uploading.
• Import Student CTFs: Export student CTFs from your previous MIS and upload them to Arbor whilst linking them to the intake season you created. 
• Enrolment Date Script: Once student data is in, contact your Onboarding Specialist to run a script that ensures all enrolment dates are historically accurate. Then off-roll any students who have left.
• Start Arbor Foundations training: Start your Arbor Foundations training to help you learn the basics of the Arbor system and how to use it. Ensure all key staff have access to training and are completing it before your Go Live date. 
• Update Progress: Tick off the relevant tasks in spaces to track your progress.

Note: Once student CTFs are uploaded, contact the Onboarding Team at myonboarding@arbor-education.com so they can correct start dates for students who started prior to September.

Week 5: Preparing Attendance Data and Data Upload

This week, ensure your attendance data is ready for import.

• Complete Manual Migration Training: "Week 5 - Attendance data import" on the Training Hub.
• Request Attendance Data: Ask your current MIS provider for this on your final day before moving to Arbor, do this by providing them with Roll call attendance template.
• Upload Entity Importers: Move your completed templates into Arbor.
• Update Progress: Tick off the relevant tasks in spaces to track your progress.

Week 6: Go Live Preparation

You are one week away! Ensure all required data has been added. Spaces will help you review your Data Entry Checklist to ensure nothing has been missed.

• Complete Manual Migration Training: "Week 6 - Final steps before go-live."
• Upload Entity Importers: Move your completed templates into Arbor.
• Finalise Data Entry: Ensure all students, guardians, and staff are in the system.
• Review your data entry checklist: Ensure all students, guardians, and staff are in the system. Confirm you are ready for your Go-Live date and share your URL with your wider team
• Import Attendance: Use the Entity Importers to bring in your final records.
• Update Progress: Tick off the relevant tasks in spaces to track your progress.

Week 7: Your Go Live Week

Welcome to your new Arbor site! You can now begin using Arbor for all MIS needs, starting with attendance.

• Take Attendance: On your new Arbor MIS!
• Check Third-Party Integrations: Approve your third party integrations to ensure they can connect to Arbor.
• Attend Additional Training: Start thinking about the other Modules you will want to eventually use in Arbor, revisit our guide on Preparing to set up and launch your modules  to discover what those could be

Week 8: Onboarding Journey Complete

Congratulations! This week marks your handover from your Onboarding Team to your support with your ongoing success

• Handover: Your Onboarding Specialist will transition you to the Customer Success team or your dedicated support parter. 
• Attend Additional Training: Finish up your onboarding training and start thinking about the other Modules you will want to eventually use in Arbor. Revisit our guide on Preparing to set up and launch your modules  to discover what those could be. 

If any steps in this guide are unclear, please contact the Digital Onboarding team at myonboarding@arbor-education.com.