How to move your data to a new system without losing anything
Moving to a new system is the moment most businesses discover how messy their data really is. A simple, tested plan keeps every record safe and your team working.
Whether you are moving to Odoo, a new CRM or a new online store, the software is rarely the hard part. The data is. Customer lists, product catalogues, stock levels and years of order history all have to arrive in the new system complete, correct and ready to use.
Done well, a migration is the moment your data gets cleaner than it has ever been. Done in a rush, it brings every old problem across and adds a few new ones. Here is the approach we use.
1. List every source before you start
Most businesses have more data sources than they think: the main system, a few spreadsheets, an email inbox used as a customer list, a supplier price file. Write them all down, note who owns each one and how often it changes. Anything not on the list will be forgotten.
2. Clean before you move
Remove duplicate customers, fix inconsistent formats such as phone numbers and addresses, and archive products you no longer sell. Cleaning in the old system, or in a staging spreadsheet, is far easier than cleaning after the move.
3. Map every field
Each field in the old system needs a clear home in the new one. Agree the mapping with the people who use the data every day, because they know which fields really matter and which can be left behind.
4. Run trial migrations
Never do the real move first. Run at least one trial into a test copy of the new system, then check totals against the source: number of customers, stock value, open invoices. Ask your team to look up records they know well. Fix the mapping and run it again until the numbers match.
5. Plan the final move for a quiet time
Freeze changes in the old system for a short window, run the final migration, check the totals once more and switch over. A weekend or end of month usually works best.
6. Turn the clean data into reports
Once everything lives in one place, set up the dashboards your managers actually use: sales, stock, cash and marketing. Agree one definition for each figure so every report tells the same story.
Need a hand?
Our data migration and analytics team moves businesses off spreadsheets and old systems every month, with trial runs and checks built in. See how we work or book a free consultation.
