Effective CRM Data Migrations: Your Guide to Asking the Right Questions

In today's fast-paced tech environment, the potential for a diverse and expansive tech stack makes data migrations inevitable. While this may seem daunting, it's possible to do without losing sleep or pulling your hair out. If you're doing a data migration, there are several questions to ask before you begin.

1. What type of data are you migrating?

A data migration is very different if you're only migrating one object – such as contacts – than if you're migrating many different objects. Most companies have the following: contacts, companies/accounts, deals/opportunities, products, and activities. However, many also have custom objects.

Before you begin, do an inventory of the information you have in your CRM as well as the properties on these objects. The easiest way to plan your migration is to use a data mapping sheet. In this sheet, you will identify each object, property, property type, and associations between objects. Creating this type of sheet will help you understand what objects and properties you need to create in your new CRM before importing any data.

2. Do I actually need to bring all of this data over?

Data is powerful and you have likely done quite a lot of work to build up your database. That said, not all data is needed. Do you really need to know everyone's favorite color? Maybe in some cases, but most likely not.  Think of data migration as spring cleaning – review everything and keep only what you need. Keep track of the properties of data you do not plan to migrate in your data mapping sheet.

3. What is integrated with my data?

Is my CRM connected to any other tools in my tech stack? Is there automation that kicks off based on specific values in a property in my CRM? All of this is important to know before you simply export your data from one CRM and import it into another. If you have integrations, there needs to be a plan to move those integrations to your new CRM and consider the impact of doing so. If you have automation in place in your old CRM, you will need to recreate that in your new CRM and/or marketing tool to ensure all processes continue to run smoothly.

4. How clean is my data?

This is one of the most important parts of any data migration. To successfully market and sell to people in your database, you must have accurate information. Moving to a new system won’t automatically generate more leads. Removing duplicates, checking that contacts have email addresses, ensuring companies have domain names, and consolidating properties will make your transition much smoother. Some of this work will have to be done manually, but there are scripts and formatting rules you can use to make this easier. For instance, if you use Google Sheets, you can follow the steps outlined here to quickly identify duplicates.

Once you've asked yourself these questions and decided to take the leap and do a data migration, there are things to be cognizant of before you jump in.

Four of the big ones to keep in mind are:

1. Back up your data!

If anything goes wrong, you don't want to be in a situation where all your data is a mess and cannot undo what has been done. 

2. Test with a sample of data.

You never know what will happen until you start the import. It will be quicker and safer to begin with a small sample of data to ensure everything is working as expected. This is when you'll uncover any discrepancies that you did not expect, and you can go back to the larger file to make changes before loading again. 

3. There will be errors.

It's impossible to do an import of data without some sort of error. This doesn't mean the errors are catastrophic and cannot be resolved. You may find out that a couple of records did not upload for a specific reason – for example, the number format may not match what the new CRM is expecting.  When you uncover errors, review them, adjust your file(s), and reimport those records.  

4. Plan downtime.

Nothing is worse than being in the middle of a task and suddenly everything changes without your knowledge. Always communicate migration timelines and include a block of time where nobody is actively working in the old or new CRM. By building in downtime, you can ensure that anything that changes is only due to your imports.

Data migrations are an essential part of evolving your tech stack, but they don't have to be overwhelming. By asking the right questions and preparing adequately, you can ensure a smooth and successful migration process. Remember to inventory your data, determine what's necessary, understand integrations, and clean your data thoroughly. Additionally, backing up your data, testing with samples, anticipating errors, and planning for downtime will help you navigate potential challenges. 

Ready to make your data migration seamless and stress-free? Contact accelant today for expert assistance in migrating your CRM data. Our team of experienced professionals will guide you through each step, ensuring your transition is smooth and successful. Don’t leave your data migration to chance – partner with accelant and experience the difference.