Are you worried about migrating data from one software to a new software?
This guide provides you with a behind-the-scenes look at how data migration works, the common challenges of data migration, success strategies, and a detailed checklist on how to prepare for data migration.
What Is Data Migration?
Data migration is the process of moving your data (e.g., contacts, transactions) from your original system to a new system.
How Does Data Migration Work?
There are many different ways to migrate your data, data migration often involves:
- Understanding your original software’s data structure
- Each software has many reports and many data columns - which ones should you use and migrate?
- Exporting your original software’s data (original data) into Excel or CSV files
- (Highly Recommended) Cleaning the original data to improve data hygiene
- Your CRM’s data has become quite messy over time with duplicate data - how should you clean up the data?
- Transforming the data into the new software’s data structure (transformed data)
- How do I transform the original data into the transformed data?
- Importing the transformed data into the new software
What Are Common Data Migration Challenges?
Many orgs try to do data migration in-house and typically run into many challenges that can be time-consuming and demoralizing. Data migration is complex - this is why you may want to consider working with an expert as your historical data is valuable and it is important to get it done correctly and efficiently.
When orgs try to do data migration on their own without any guidance, some common challenges include:
- Time needed on top of daily job: data migration takes a lot of time and you still have your regular daily tasks - where are you supposed to find time for this extra project?
- Getting the right data: most systems have many reports and columns - how do you know which reports and columns are the right ones to use? How do you handle more complex data like soft credits, pledges?
- Dealing with messy data: CRM data typically gets messier over time with duplicates, invalid addresses, overwhelming number of tags etc. - how are you supposed to identify and clean up thousands and thousands of records manually?
- Transforming data: most new softwares require you to transform the original data into the right structure before importing it - do you have experience transforming data?
- No prior data migration experience
How Can You Be Successful?
The key with data migration is that you do not have to do it alone. There are many consultants and companies that specialize in data migration who can help guide you and ensure that this is completed smoothly, efficiently, and accurately.
- Partner with a data expert: data migration experts can help you export the right data, clean up and transform the data - leading your team to save >90% of your time on data migration, improve the quality of your existing data and make sure you migrate all the right data within a targeted and accelerated timeline.
- Clean your original data: if your existing data is messy - importing it into a new system does not change that. It is critical to work with data experts to clean your data during the migration so that you start with a clean and high quality slate of data in the new system, which positions your team for success.
- Define your goal(s) and scope: work with an expert to define your data migration goals, timeline and scope so that everyone is aligned and focused.
CueBox is an all-in-one ticketing, development and marketing CRM software. In addition, CueBox offers end-to-end data migration and data cleaning service to assist organizations with the data migration process. CueBox has migrated data from 20+ different systems and can offer best data practice insights during the migration process.
Want to learn more about data migration? Contact us at hello@getcuebox.com
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