Use this guide when you are switching a key system, such as job management, a customer database or accounts software, and cannot afford to lose records. Have admin access to both systems, a list of the data you rely on and a quiet period in your diary for the cut-over.
Step by step
Decide what moves and what stays
List every type of record in the old system, such as customers, jobs, invoices, notes and attachments. Mark each as move, archive or leave behind. Only move what you will use; keep an archive copy of the rest.
Clean the data first
Merge duplicate customers, close finished jobs and fix obvious errors such as missing postcodes. Agree naming rules so the new system starts tidy. Cleaning before the move is far easier than cleaning afterwards.
Take a full export and store it safely
Export everything the old system allows, in standard formats such as spreadsheet files, before changing anything. Save it in two places, one of them off your main computer. Label it with the date.
Map fields and run a test import
Match each old field to its place in the new system, noting any that have no home. Import a small sample of around 20 records. Check dates, addresses, amounts and special characters carefully and adjust the mapping until it is right.
Import everything and compare
Run the full import, then compare counts and totals, such as number of customers, open jobs and unpaid invoice balances. Spot-check a handful of detailed records against the old system. Investigate every difference before going live.
Cut over and close the old system carefully
Pick a quiet date, tell staff and, if needed, customers what will change and stop entering data in the old system. After a short checking period, take a final export, confirm record-keeping needs are met and only then cancel the old subscription.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Move, archive or leave list agreed
- Duplicates and errors cleaned
- Full dated export saved in two places
- Field mapping written down
- Sample import checked
- Counts and totals compared
- Cut-over date communicated
- Final export taken before cancelling
Practical tips
- Freeze changes to settings in the old system during the move so you are not chasing a moving target.
- Keep a simple log of every issue found and how you fixed it; it helps if you need supplier support.
- Ask the new supplier whether they offer migration help or import templates before you start mapping.
Common problems
Dates or amounts look wrong after import.
This is usually a format mismatch, such as day and month swapped or a currency symbol in a number field. Fix the format in the export file, delete the test records and import the sample again.
Attachments will not come across.
Many systems export records but not attached files. Download attachments separately into folders named by customer or job reference, and link or re-attach the ones you still need.
Staff keep using the old system after cut-over.
Switch the old system to read-only or remove edit rights if you can. Remind everyone of the date and make sure the new system can do the tasks they were used to.