Inspire WFD Inventory Checklist

Migrations go sideways when somebody forgets what a job actually did. A WFD workflow file bundles a job's data inputs, data processing and scripting, layouts and output settings, and the person who built it may have left years ago. Before you rebuild anything in another tool, write down everything each workflow does so nothing gets lost in the move.

Start with the job list

Make a master list of every Inspire job your shop runs. Include the client, job name, WFD file name and location, how often it runs, typical record count and who owns it on your side. Mark jobs that no longer run. Retiring dead jobs is the cheapest migration work you will ever do.

Then open a separate inventory sheet for each live WFD. The sections below are what belongs on it.

What to capture for each WFD

Data inputs and formats

List every file or source the job reads. Note the format (fixed width, delimited, Excel, database), the delimiter and text qualifier, character encoding, header rows and where the file arrives from. Save two or three real sample files with the inventory, including one with problem records.

Field mappings

Record each input field, what it's called inside the job and where it lands on the page. Flag fields that are renamed, combined or split. These mappings become your merge field list in the new tool.

Data processing and scripts

This is the section people skip, and it's the one that bites. Document every step that changes the data before it reaches a page. That includes sorting, filtering, deduplication, lookups, calculations, date and currency formatting, and any script logic. Write each rule in plain language next to the original. "If balance is over the threshold, add the past-due page" is something an operator can rebuild and test.

Layouts and pages

List each page layout, its size, and the static artwork behind it. Note fonts, colors, envelope window positions, fold marks and any variable images and where they come from.

Conditions and versioning

Write down every rule that picks a page, version, paragraph, offer or image. Note what happens when data is missing. Versioned jobs often carry the most hidden logic.

Barcodes and postal elements

Record the IMb setup, including where the tracking code values (Barcode ID, Service Type ID, Mailer ID and serial number) come from and how serial numbers are kept unique. Note the address block format, endorsement lines, any QR or 2D barcodes, and whether the job outputs in presort order.

Outputs and file naming

Document PDF or print stream settings, page size, bleed, imposition, split rules, batch sizes and the exact file naming pattern. Downstream systems and press operators often depend on those names.

Reports

List every report the job produces, such as counts, proofs, audit files and manifests, and who reads each one.

Schedules and connected systems

Record what starts the job and what happens after it. Note upstream steps like data pulls, CASS, NCOA and presort, and downstream steps like press queues, mail tracking uploads or client notifications.

Scripting parts of the inventory

You don't have to do all of this by hand. Parts of the inventory can be scripted in PowerShell or Python. A script can walk your project folders and list every workflow with its size and last modified date. It can also match job names to your scheduling records and run logs, and profile sample input files for field counts, lengths and empty values.

With some work on the exports and reports your Inspire environment can produce, a script can also give you a breakdown of each project's data processing, so you can see which jobs carry heavy logic and which are simple layouts. Treat that output as a starting point. A person who knows the job still needs to review each rule and explain why it exists.

Inspire migration checklist

Use this as the cover sheet for each WFD.

[ ] Job name, client, owner, run frequency and typical volume recorded
[ ] WFD file location and current version identified
[ ] Sample input files saved, including edge cases
[ ] Input formats, encodings and delimiters documented
[ ] Field mapping table complete
[ ] Every data processing step and script written in plain language
[ ] Page layouts, artwork, fonts and window positions listed
[ ] Conditions, versions and missing-data rules documented
[ ] IMb source, serial number handling and address block format recorded
[ ] Output settings, imposition, splits and file naming captured
[ ] Reports and their readers listed
[ ] Triggers, schedules and upstream and downstream systems mapped
[ ] Reference output from the current system saved for comparison
[ ] Complexity rating assigned (simple, moderate, complex)

That reference output matters. Save a full set of current output for each job from a known input file. You will need it for the parallel run.

Using the inventory

Once the sheets are filled in, sort jobs by complexity and value. Simple, high-volume jobs make good first conversions. Jobs with heavy data processing are often good candidates for moving that logic upstream into SQL Server before the merge, which simplifies the layout work. Our WFD to PSL conversion plan picks up from here.

The inventory pays off even if you never migrate. It's the documentation most shops wish they had the day their Inspire specialist leaves.

How MhetaData helps

We build WFD inventories as the first step of our Inspire to PSL conversion service, including scripted breakdowns of each project's data processing. Where it makes sense, we move data preparation into SQL-to-press automation so the new jobs stay simple. Call (800) 625-0369.

Quadient and Inspire are trademarks of their respective owner.

How to Inventory Your Inspire WFD Workflows Before You Migrate