/gov · Why switch · Migration playbook
How we move you over — week by week.
18-month playbook. PHA-Web stays running through month 12. We earn the right to take over each function by proving it on your real data first. No forced cutover, full rollback available at any phase, and cutover is timed to your natural PHA-Web renewal so you don't have to break the existing contract mid-term.
Bank feeds, data import, training, baseline audit
Books reconcile both ways. MS 365 live.
HOTMA/NSPIRE/VMS/LOCCS prepared in LC. PHA-Web kept as fallback.
HUD-50058 + all compliance submissions move to LC. PHA-Web sunset.
Phase 1: Foundation (Days 1-30)
Get the bank feed live, import the existing data, train the team, run the first continuous-audit report. PHA-Web is untouched.
| When | Task | Owner | Deliverable / output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Kickoff call: review current PHA-Web setup, identify accounting team contacts, confirm scope | Ledger Copilot CSM + PHA Finance Director | Signed scope statement, RACI matrix |
| Day 1-3 | Read-only access to bank accounts (Plaid Link) + import 90 days of statements | PHA Finance Director | Bank feed live; reconciliation begins |
| Day 4-7 | PHA-Web data export — 50058 history, tenant master, vendor list, GL trial balance, asset register | PHA-Web admin (PHA side) + LC migration concierge | Validated data import; row counts reconciled to PHA-Web reports |
| Day 8-14 | Chart of accounts mapping — PHA-Web codes → FDS-aligned chart we ship | LC migration concierge + PHA Finance Director | Approved COA; first trial balance generated in LC |
| Day 15-21 | Staff training (3 sessions × 90 min): accounting team, compliance officer, executive director | LC training team | Staff certifications; training video library access |
| Day 22-30 | First continuous-audit run + SEMAP/PHAS forecast | LC AI engine (automated) | Baseline audit report with SHA-256 fingerprint |
Phase 2: Parallel Run (Days 31-90)
Same numbers, two systems. If they diverge by >1%, cutover is paused until variance is root-caused. Most variances are due to timing differences or category mapping; rarely real errors.
| When | Task | Owner | Deliverable / output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 31-45 | Parallel-run validation: same month closed in PHA-Web and LC; reconcile discrepancies | PHA Finance Director | Variance report; root causes documented |
| Day 46-60 | Bank reconciliation runs nightly on LC; PHA-Web reconciliation stays as backup but is no longer authoritative | LC sync engine (automated) | Daily reconciliation reports; exception queue worked by PHA team |
| Day 61-75 | First FDS draft generated from LC books (year-end forward) with full tie-out trace | LC reporting + PHA Finance Director | FDS draft validated against audited financials |
| Day 76-90 | First MS 365 integrations (Excel export, Outlook send) live for board reporting | PHA IT + LC support | Board packet generated from LC, distributed via Outlook |
Phase 3: Trust Earned (Months 4-12)
LC takes ownership of advanced functions PHA-Web doesn't cover well (HOTMA, NSPIRE pre-audit) and starts preparing the regulatory submissions PHA-Web still files. For 90 days, every submission gets prepared in both systems and compared.
| When | Task | Owner | Deliverable / output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Month 4-6 | HOTMA impact analysis run across full tenant roster; remediation plan | LC AI engine + PHA Compliance Officer | Per-family rent impact + action list |
| Month 4-6 | NSPIRE pre-audit run on full property portfolio | LC engine + PHA Physical Operations | Predicted NSPIRE score + defect remediation queue |
| Month 7-9 | VMS submission prepared in LC, submitted via PHA-Web (validate match) | PHA Finance + LC reporting | Two-source VMS — LC numbers should match PHA-Web exactly. Variance > 1% blocks cutover. |
| Month 10-12 | LOCCS draw preparation moves to LC; PHA-Web kept as fallback | PHA Finance | LC-prepared draws tracked against HUD acceptance; cutover criterion is 3 consecutive months accepted without correction |
Phase 4: Cutover (Months 13-18)
Board approval, archive snapshot, single-batch HUD-50058 test, then full sunset at the natural PHA-Web renewal anniversary — timed so you don't break the existing contract mid-term and don't have to rush the timeline.
| When | Task | Owner | Deliverable / output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Month 13-15 | Cutover decision meeting — review parallel-run data, sign off on full cutover plan | Executive Director + Board + LC team | Board resolution authorizing cutover |
| Month 13-15 | Final PHA-Web data export (archive snapshot retained 7 years per HUD record retention) | PHA-Web admin (PHA side) | Archive package with content hashes; storage in OneDrive or SharePoint |
| Month 16-17 | HUD-50058 prep cutover — last record prepared in PHA-Web, next prepared + validated in LC; the PHA files with HUD either way. Single-batch test first. | PHA Compliance Officer + LC reporting | Clean LC validation report; the PHA's IMS/PIC upload of the LC-prepared batch succeeds |
| Month 18 | PHA-Web contract sunset (or downgrade to view-only archival) | PHA Finance Director | PHA-Web line item removed from the books; single-engine operation begins |
RACI — Who owns what
R = Responsible (does the work). A = Accountable (signs off). C = Consulted. I = Informed.
| Activity | Ledger Copilot | PHA | PHA-Web | HUD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank feed setup | R | A | — | — |
| Data export from PHA-Web | C | A | R | — |
| Chart-of-accounts mapping | R | A | C | — |
| Staff training | R | A | — | — |
| Parallel-run validation | A | R | I | — |
| HUD-50058 submission (during transition) | C | A | R | I |
| HUD-50058 submission (post-cutover) | R | A | — | I |
| FDS / FASS-PH preparation | R | A | C | I |
| VMS monthly submission | R | A | C | I |
| Cutover go/no-go decision | C | A | I | — |
| Final archive of PHA-Web data | C | A | R | I |
| HUD audit response (during transition) | C | A | C | R |
Risk register
Every concern your board will raise, with the mitigation written down before they ask. We'd rather over-engineer the rollback than miss a HUD deadline.
Data export from PHA-Web is incomplete or corrupted
HIGHMitigation: Pre-cutover, we run row-count + checksum reconciliation against three known sources: PHA-Web reports, the GL trial balance, and bank statements. Cutover blocked until all three match.
Staff resistance to a second system during side-by-side
MEDMitigation: Side-by-side period intentionally limited to 6 functions. Most staff continue using PHA-Web; only Finance team learns new workflows in months 1–6. Compliance team onboards in months 7–12.
HUD-50058 submission failure during cutover window
HIGHMitigation: The PHA-Web-prepared and LC-prepared batches overlap — the PHA files the same batch from both sources for 30 days and compares. If the LC-prepared batch shows any discrepancy, the PHA-Web-prepared one stays authoritative, so the compliant filing still goes through.
Audit timing conflicts with parallel run
MEDMitigation: We schedule cutover phases to avoid year-end audit window. If your fiscal year ends Dec 31, cutover happens in Feb–April or June–August. Never in your audit period.
PHA-Web contract early-termination penalty
LOWMitigation: We don't end PHA-Web mid-term. Full cutover is timed to natural contract anniversary. Side-by-side year ends precisely at PHA-Web renewal.
HUD field office unfamiliar with new tool
LOWMitigation: We notify your HUD field office in writing at kickoff with the migration plan. Provide them with sample LC reports + side-by-side comparison to PHA-Web outputs. They retain right to request either format.
Rollback plan
What "back out" looks like.
We never cross a bridge we can't cross back. Six guardrails ensure your agency can return to PHA-Web-only operation at any phase, with no compliance gap or data loss.
- ✓PHA-Web remains operational and authoritative for compliance submissions through Month 18
- ✓All LC data is exportable to standard formats (CSV, FDS templates, 50058 XML) at any point
- ✓Bank-feed connection can be disconnected without affecting bank account access
- ✓Trial-balance roll-back: if LC books drift from PHA-Web, we re-import PHA-Web data as source of truth and resume parallel-run
- ✓Cutover decision can be reversed up to 30 days post-cutover — PHA-Web account stays paid during this window
- ✓Worst case: PHA returns to PHA-Web-only operation with 90 days of LC continuous-audit data exported as PDF for board records
PHA-Web data importer
What we pull from your existing PHA-Web installation during Day 4-7 of Phase 1. All imports are validated row-by-row before LC accepts the data as authoritative.
Next step
Bring your Finance Director and IT lead. We'll review your specific PHA-Web setup, identify the 3-5 risks unique to your agency, and produce a customized 18-month plan before any commercial commitment.