A company decides to move to a new ERP. The obvious question comes next: what happens to all the data in the old system? Customer records, products, invoices, stock levels, open orders and years of historical information cannot simply be treated as one large file to copy.Some data is still needed every day. Some may only be useful for reporting. Some should not be moved at all. A successful ERP migration starts with deciding what the new system actually needs.
What happens to data during an ERP migration?
Data migration involves more than an export and import. Before moving anything, the company needs to understand what information exists, where it is used and whether it is still reliable. This often reveals duplicate records, outdated customer details or products that are no longer sold.The goal of ERP data migration is not to reproduce the old database inside a new system. It is to provide the new ERP with the information needed to support current processes.
What data should you migrate?
Start with information employees need after the transition. This may include active customers and suppliers, current product data, open sales and purchase orders, stock levels and financial information needed for ongoing operations.Historical data requires a separate decision. A company may need previous transactions for reporting, legal reasons or customer service, but this does not mean every record has to be imported. Older information can sometimes remain accessible in the previous system or another archive. It is also worth understanding how the wider ERP system will use the migrated data.
What should you leave behind?
Migration is a good opportunity to clean up data. Common examples include duplicate contacts, inactive products, outdated supplier records and old configurations created for processes that no longer exist. A legacy system may contain years of information accumulated as the company grew. Moving everything simply because it is available can make the new system harder to manage.The key question is simple: will this data still be useful?
In what order should you move the data?
The sequence should follow business dependencies. Master data needs to be prepared before transactional data. Customer and product records, for example, should exist before related sales orders are imported.A typical sequence involves:
- reviewing and cleaning existing data,
- preparing customer, supplier and product records,
- migrating current balances and stock information,
- moving open orders and other active transactions,
- validating the results before go-live.
The exact order depends on the project, but the principle remains the same: move the foundations before the processes that depend on them.
Why is data cleaning important?
A new ERP will not automatically improve poor data. If the old system contains duplicate customers or inconsistent product information, importing those records simply transfers the same problems. Data cleaning should happen before migration, not after it.It can also support wider process optimization by removing outdated information and unnecessary steps before the new system goes live. This is also a good time to decide who will be responsible for maintaining key information once the new system is running.
How do you test an ERP data migration?
Do not wait until the final move to discover problems. A test migration allows the company to check whether records appear correctly and whether key processes work with the imported data. Take real scenarios.
- Can a salesperson create an order for an existing customer?
- Does the warehouse see the correct stock?
- Can accounting work with the required financial information?
Testing data inside real workflows is more useful than simply checking whether a certain number of records was imported.
What should be on your ERP migration checklist?
Before going live, confirm that:
- the data to be migrated has been defined,
- unnecessary or duplicate records have been reviewed,
- master data has been prepared first,
- active transactions have been identified,
- a test migration has been completed,
- key workflows have been checked,
- responsibilities are clear.
This ERP migration checklist helps ensure that data migration is treated as part of the implementation rather than a last-minute technical task.
ERP migration starts with decisions, not data transfer
A good ERP migration is less about moving the maximum amount of information and more about moving the right information in the right order. Review what the business still needs, clean up data before importing it and test real workflows before go-live.If you are planning a move to Odoo, Solvti's Odoo implementation checklist can help you prepare for the wider project. You can also explore Solvti's Odoo ERP services or contact Solvti to discuss your migration and implementation approach.