Guide · Migration checklist

Move CRM data with evidence, reconciliation and a fallback.

Migration is not a single upload. It is a sequence of discovery, cleaning, mapping, sample testing, reconciliation, user acceptance and cutover decisions for a particular source and destination.

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Customer Thread

The migration evidence chain

Illustrative example

Inventory
Sources and objects
Map
Destination and transforms
Sample
Representative test
Approve
Customer reconciles result
Human decision
Cut over
Freeze, move and review

121 migration methodology. No source, object, volume, timing or service inclusion is assumed.

Migration specification

Map, sample and reconcile before cutover.

The field-level view reinforces why a technically successful upload is not enough.

121 CRM · Migration mapping

Source fieldCRM fieldStatus

Company nameOrganisationMapped

Primary emailContact emailSampled

Free-text notesHistory notesReview

Legacy stageOpportunity stageDecision

12 mapped4 sampled3 decisions open

Illustrative exampleSample records and field names are fictional. A real migration needs source-specific reconciliation.

CRM building blocks

Connect the advice to day-to-day CRM work.

These are the practical tools behind the guide, with enough context to decide where they can help and where people still need to take responsibility.

Capability 01

Import and export

Moves supported records through structured files, with mapping and validation needed before relying on the result.

How it works: Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it: Supports controlled migration and operational extracts when the data is prepared and reconciled.
Plan for: The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review. Bulk migration requires mapping and reconciliation; do not treat a completed import as proof of accuracy or reversibility.
Your team owns: A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions.

Capability 02

Custom fields

Adds structured fields to supported record types so a business can capture information it actually needs.

How it works: Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it: Replaces important notes and spreadsheet columns with searchable, reusable data.
Plan for: The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review.
Your team owns: A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions.

Capability 03

Duplicate management

Uses account rules and review steps to reduce or resolve repeated contact records.

How it works: Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it: Keeps teams from following up with the same person through conflicting records.
Plan for: The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review.
Your team owns: A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions.

Capability 04

Bulk actions

Applies supported updates or actions to a selected group of records rather than one at a time.

How it works: Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it: Saves administrative effort while retaining a review point before a large change.
Plan for: The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review.
Your team owns: A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions.

1 · Discover and preserve

Identify the authoritative source before changing it.

Create a dated inventory and a protected source copy so the migration can be explained and checked later.

Accounts and access

Confirm source owner, export permissions, credentials, formats, limits and any supplier assistance required.

Objects and relationships

List contacts, organisations, opportunities, activities, notes, attachments, users, consent and relationships separately.

Source evidence

Retain agreed counts, sample records, export date and integrity checks without leaving unnecessary copies accessible.

2 · Clean and map

Resolve meaning before transforming values.

A technically valid import can still be operationally wrong when fields or stages mean different things.

Quality profile

Measure missing identifiers, duplicates, stale records, inconsistent formats and unsupported content.

Mapping specification

Record source, destination, type, transformation, default, exclusion and exception owner for each field.

Human decision

Stage and owner decisions

Map opportunities and responsibilities using explicit rules; route ambiguity to a person rather than guessing.

Cutover context

Place the import inside a controlled operating change.

Discovery, acceptance, fallback and handover matter as much as mapping.

121 CRM · Onboarding control room

Discover

Goals and dependencies

Prepare

Data and workflow inputs

Configure

Account and journeys

Customer tests the result

Handover

Owners and next review

Open decision

Migration history depth

Customer owner

Operations lead

Acceptance gate

Representative journeys pass

Illustrative exampleSequence only. Deliverables, timings, support and cost require an agreed scope.

3 · Sample and reconcile

Use a representative test to prove more than record count.

The sample should exercise relationships, duplicates, dates, permissions and exceptions as well as ordinary rows.

Controlled sample

Include each object type, edge case and important relationship in a reversible import.

Reconciliation

Compare counts, key fields, linked records, exclusions, errors and destination behaviour against the source evidence.

Journey testing

Ask users to find, update and progress representative records using intended permissions and workflows.

4 · Cut over and close

Plan final change, fallback and source retention together.

A completed import still needs operating ownership and a documented decision about the old system.

Freeze and final export

Agree the last-write point, data captured after the sample, import order and connection changes.

Go/no-go and fallback

Name the decision owner, blocking checks, repair route and conditions for returning to the protected source.

Post-cutover review

Reconcile again, monitor exceptions, close temporary access and document retention or deletion responsibilities.

Questions about this page

Useful answers, without the sales fog.

1. Can a CRM migration be lossless?

Do not assume so. Products differ in fields, relationships, history, attachments, permissions and workflow behaviour. Define and accept known exclusions explicitly.

2. Why run a sample import first?

A sample reveals mapping, format, relationship, duplicate, permission and workflow problems while the scope is still controlled and reversible.

3. What should be reconciled?

Check object counts, key values, relationships, exclusions, errors and representative user journeys—not only whether the import job reports success.

4. When should the old system be deleted?

Only after contractual, legal, operational and evidence needs are resolved. The customer should approve retention, access and disposal responsibilities.

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