ERP Data Migration Checklist: From Data Audit to Cutover
Most ERP migration problems trace back to decisions made — or skipped — before any data actually moves. Here's the checklist we follow on every Sage 100 and Sage 300 migration.
Whether you're moving from QuickBooks to Sage 100, migrating between Sage versions, or consolidating multiple companies into Sage 300, the sequence of steps below catches the issues that otherwise surface weeks after go-live.
1. Audit Source Data Before Mapping Anything
Before deciding how data maps into the new system, audit what's actually in the source system: duplicate customer or vendor records, inactive inventory items still carrying balances, inconsistent unit-of-measure usage, and orphaned transactions. Cleanup is dramatically easier before migration than after.
2. Decide How Much History to Migrate
Bringing forward years of detailed transaction history increases database size and can carry forward old data issues. Most businesses migrate open balances, current-year transactions, and summarized prior-year history, while keeping detailed historical records accessible in the legacy system (read-only) for audit and reference purposes.
3. Map the Chart of Accounts and Inventory Structure First
Master data structure decisions — chart of accounts numbering, inventory item categorization, warehouse/location structure — should be finalized before any data migration begins. Changing these structures after data has been migrated means re-migrating.
4. Migrate Master Data Before Transactional Data
Customers, vendors, inventory items, and the chart of accounts need to exist in the target system before transactions referencing them can be migrated. Sequencing this correctly avoids a wave of failed records during transaction migration.
5. Run the Migration in a Parallel Environment
Migrate into a separate, non-production environment first. This lets you validate the results without any risk to your live system, and gives users a chance to test their workflows against real (migrated) data before cutover.
6. Validate Balances Against the Source System
Reconcile trial balances, AR/AP aging, and inventory quantities and costs between the source system and the migrated environment. Differences found here are far cheaper to fix before cutover than after.
7. Test Every Third-Party Integration
Payment processors, EDI connections, and other integrations need to be reconnected and tested against the migrated environment — not assumed to work because they worked on the old system. This is consistently one of the most common sources of post-migration disruption.
8. Plan Cutover Around Your Business Calendar
Avoid cutting over during month-end close, physical inventory counts, or peak order volume periods. Build in a buffer for users to adjust before a high-stakes business event.
What is an ERP data migration checklist for Sage 100?
A Sage 100 data migration checklist includes auditing source data, deciding how much transaction history to migrate, mapping the chart of accounts and inventory structure, migrating master data before transactions, running the migration in parallel, validating balances against the source system, testing integrations, and scheduling cutover around the business calendar.
For a deeper look at Sage 100-specific migration scenarios, see our Sage 100 Data Migration page, or our multi-company migration case study.
Related Services
This topic connects directly to our core service areas: Sage 100 Data Migration, Sage 300 Data Migration, Upgrades & Migration, and SQL Optimization for Sage. If you're working through a similar challenge, contact us for a free consultation.
