---
title: Migration Factory Setup
description: Migration Factory Setup establishes the operating model, governance, and tooling foundation required for stable wave delivery.
hero:
  tagline: Migration Factory Setup turns approved designs into an executable delivery factory by aligning partner model, tooling stack, interfaces, runbooks, and governance for wave operations.
  illustration:
    name: product
    position: left
sidebar:
  label: Overview
  order: 0
source_url: "https://framework.stackit.cloud/migration/design-and-mobilize/migration-factory-setup/overview/"
source_file: "docs/migration/design-and-mobilize/migration-factory-setup/overview.mdx"
---

## What This Module Delivers

Migration Factory Setup prepares the actual migration delivery engine. While Design defines what each
application should become and how it should move, this module defines how delivery teams run at scale
with consistent quality, cadence, and control.

<CardGrid>
  <Card title="Factory model and partner setup">
    Selects the right migration partner factory model and defines delivery roles, responsibilities,
    and escalation paths. See [Partner Factory
    Model](/migration/design-and-mobilize/migration-factory-setup/partner-factory-model/).
  </Card>
  <Card title="Toolchain from migration demand">
    Builds the migration tool stack from Design outputs, including discovery exports, migration run
    tools, validation, and reporting utilities. See [Tooling and Automation
    Stack](/migration/design-and-mobilize/migration-factory-setup/tooling-and-automation/).
  </Card>
  <Card title="Operational handover readiness">
    Finalizes runbooks, acceptance criteria, and interface contracts so waves can run without
    procedural ambiguity. See [Runbook Readiness and
    Handover](/migration/design-and-mobilize/migration-factory-setup/runbook-readiness/).
  </Card>
  <Card title="Delivery governance baseline">
    Aligns scope, timeline, release cadence, and communication routines for customer-facing
    migration run operations. See [Collaboration and
    Interfaces](/migration/design-and-mobilize/migration-factory-setup/collaboration-and-interfaces/)
    and [Scope, Timeline, and Customer
    Communications](/migration/design-and-mobilize/migration-factory-setup/scope-timeline-and-communications/).
  </Card>
</CardGrid>

## Why This Module Is Separate from Design

Some frameworks combine design and factory preparation. In this framework they are intentionally
separated to avoid role overlap and hidden delivery risk.

- **Design focus**: Application-level target state, migration strategy, and technical runbook intent.
- **Factory Setup focus**: Cross-application operating model, partner operating mechanics, tooling
  integration, and wave-ready governance.
- **Runbook ownership**: Design creates the strategy-specific runbook drafts; Factory Setup validates,
  operationally hardens, and standardizes them for wave-scale runs.
- **Risk control benefit**: Separation makes delivery assumptions explicit and testable before high-volume
  waves start.

## Core Setup Domains

<CardGrid>
  <Card title="Partner factory selection and governance">
    Match migration demand to the right partner factory profile (capacity, specialization,
    compliance, geography, language, and operating hours), then establish governance and SLAs.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Interface and collaboration model">
    Define working interfaces across customer teams, migration partner squads, platform operations,
    security, and release governance with clear RACI and decision gates.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Migration tooling and automation">
    Assemble and validate the toolchain for migration waves: planning intake, runbook run support,
    test evidence capture, and cutover orchestration.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Runbook finalization and quality gates">
    Convert design runbook drafts into factory-executable versions with entry/exit criteria,
    rollback conditions, and operational sign-off checkpoints.
  </Card>
</CardGrid>

## How to Build the Factory-Ready Setup

<Steps>

1. Confirm migration demand baseline from Design and Migration Plan (application volume, complexity mix,
   dependencies, and target wave throughput).
2. Select the migration partner factory model and define delivery governance: ownership, KPIs, escalation,
   and quality thresholds.
3. Establish collaboration interfaces and communication rhythm across all involved teams, including customer
   stakeholders and release decision forums.
4. Build the migration tool stack from required migration patterns (for example image transfer, data move,
   test automation, and cutover orchestration).
5. Finalize and normalize runbooks for factory run, including mandatory evidence checkpoints,
   rollback triggers, and handover criteria.
6. Align timeline and scope boundaries by wave, including freeze windows, dependency windows, and change
   approval rules.
7. Define customer communication and cutover/hibernate operating procedures, including decision points,
   outage communications, and business restart criteria.
8. Run a pilot wave or controlled rehearsal and update the setup before scaling to full migration cadence.

</Steps>

## Required Artifacts Before Wave Runs

Before production wave runs start, ensure the following artifacts are complete:

- **Partner operating agreement**: Delivery model, team interfaces, SLAs, and escalation matrix.
- **Factory toolchain blueprint**: Selected tools, automation boundaries, integration points, and evidence
  flow.
- **Final runbook package**: Approved runbooks with run order, rollback model, and validation gates.
- **Scope and timeline baseline**: Wave scope boundaries, throughput assumptions, dependency windows, and
  milestone calendar.
- **Customer communication playbook**: Communication templates, stakeholder channels, cutover briefings,
  and hibernate/reactivation procedures.

## Common Failure Modes to Avoid

- **Tool-first setup without demand-fit**: Tooling selected before migration patterns are clearly sized and
  prioritized.
- **Unclear delivery interfaces**: Missing ownership between partner factory, platform team, and customer
  operations.
- **Runbook variance across squads**: Inconsistent runbook quality that causes wave instability.
- **Unaligned cutover governance**: Technical cutover readiness not aligned with business blackout and
  communication windows.

## How This Module Enables Migration Plan and Run

Migration Factory Setup transforms strategy into scalable run capability. If this setup is weak,
the Migration Plan remains theoretical and the Run phase experiences avoidable volatility. Strong setup
creates predictable wave throughput, cleaner handovers, and lower cutover risk.