Day 90: scope the obligations
Before touching any data, list every reason you might need these records later. Regulatory retention periods, contractual commitments, litigation holds, accreditation evidence, internal policy. Each obligation defines which record classes matter and how long they must be kept. This list drives everything that follows.
Day 75: request the complete export
Write to the vendor with the record classes you require: learners including inactive, enrollments, completions with version, assessment attempts, certificates, attachments, course structures, requirements and settings. Ask for original identifiers on every record. Ask about database backups where the contract allows.
Day 60: capture by every available method
Use file exports, API pulls and database access together. Each method reaches things the others miss. Load everything into staging and keep the raw files untouched alongside any normalized copy.
Day 45: validate
Compare counts per record class against the live platform. Sample-check completions against certificates and against HR records. Document every gap the vendor could not fill, with the reason.
Day 30: govern the archive
Assign a named owner. Define permissions. Set retention per record class based on the obligations from day 90. Mark lineage clearly as preserved from a decommissioned source.
Day 14: run a real audit pull
Ask the archive a question an auditor would ask. If it cannot answer, there is still time to go back to the vendor.
Day 0 and after
The platform is switched off. The archive remains queryable, owned and governed. LearningUnify's historical preservation service follows this plan and provides the governed layer that holds the result. The full checklist is available in our resources section.
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