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Migrating all your CRM data, including customer and sales information, from one CRM to another can feel overwhelming. Concerns about lost records, formatting issues, or system incompatibilities often make businesses hesitate to switch, even when adopting a new CRM could significantly boost efficiency and growth.
This CRM data migration checklist is designed to guide you step by step, giving you the confidence to transfer your data accurately and efficiently. You’ll learn how the CRM data migration process works, how to ensure data integrity after successfully exporting the CRM data, and practical tips to make the transition to a new CRM smooth and stress-free.
If you’ve been using your current CRM for a while, you may have recorded lots of data. While some information will still be highly relevant, some may be outdated and inaccurate. Use this CRM migration opportunity to clean and organize your CRM data. This ensures that all your sales information in the new CRM will be valuable and accurate.
Additionally, the fewer data you migrate, the shorter the data migration time, enabling you to get your business up and running without missing a beat.
Having a data backup is a safety net. This way, you’ll be assured that your data won’t get lost if things go south during the CRM data migration process. You can do this before or after the data clean-up.
Depending on the amount and complexity of the data, a CRM data migration can take hours or even a couple of days to run. Surely, you don’t want this process to interfere with your business. We recommend moving the CRM data on the weekend so that your team can get back to their daily routine on Monday.
As for the tools used to migrate the CRM data, some CRM solutions offer a data migration app that allows you to connect between the existing and new CRM software and let the data transfer run in the background. We’ll talk more about this in the next section.
Before transferring all your sales and customer data, it is recommended that you test and move some data first. Choose different data types, files, and formats, such as customer details, lead data, and sales information. See how the data translates in the new CRM system, then proceed with the complete data migration.
After all data is migrated to its new database, check for discrepancies. This includes missing data, duplication, or other data transfer errors. Then, play around with the new CRM to see how to find, edit, and move data to support your sales activities.
Generally, there are two ways to migrate your CRM sales data: using a CRM data migration tool or importing the data via files (CSV or XLS).
Many CRM solutions offer a data migration service. This typically involves using a CRM data migration tool to connect and move all your data to the new CRM database.
The data transfer will run automatically and will translate different data sources to their relevant content, types, and formats.
Another way to migrate your CRM data is to import it into CSV or Excel files. This option is more complex than using the data migration tool, as you need to manually save, import, and then export the CRM data to the new software.
However, this option comes with a drawback. There is a high risk of missed information or an unaligned data transfer, which typically happens on custom field data.
We recommend formatting your sales information correctly and preparing the new CRM before importing anything.
To better understand CRM data migration, let’s examine the sales data transfer process using a data migration tool. We’ll use Pipeline CRM as an example.
Pipeline CRM’s no-code data migration tool simplifies the process, allowing you to move all your sales-related data to Pipeline CRM within hours, sometimes even on the same day! The best part? Your data will be presented in the familiar format you’re used to (including picklists and dropdowns), and any attached files will be transferred seamlessly. This ensures a smooth transition with minimal disruption to your business. No missing data, no downtime.
Here’s how the CRM data migration process works with Pipeline CRM:
Your CRM data is the cornerstone of your sales success. Losing even a single record can disrupt your workflow and hinder performance. That’s why migrating to a new CRM shouldn’t mean risking data loss or errors.
The five steps outlined above provide a solid foundation for a smooth and accurate CRM data migration. But for an effortless experience, consider Pipeline CRM.
Pipeline CRM is a user-friendly sales CRM specially crafted to support old-economy businesses like construction, manufacturing, and professional services businesses. If you have any questions or need a helping hand, our dedicated support team is just a chat away.
The first step in migrating your CRM data is analyzing your current data. Then, remove duplicates or outdated records, and organize it into a clean, structured format. This ensures only valuable and accurate data is moved to the new CRM.
Some CRM software offers CRM migration services free of charge, including Pipeline CRM. These services typically handle the entire data transfer process for you, including moving contacts, deals, custom fields, and attachments, while preserving the original data structure. Alternatively, you can manually migrate data using CSV or Excel files, though this method requires more time and carries a higher risk of errors.
Yes, Pipeline CRM, for instance, can help you transfer custom fields, dropdowns, and attached files during a CRM migration to preserve your complete dataset.
The duration depends on the amount of data and complexity. Using a migration tool or a CRM migration service can complete the process in hours or the same day, while manual methods may take longer.
Always create a data backup before starting. If issues arise, you can restore your original data and troubleshoot with your CRM support team or migration tool assistance.
After the CRM switch and data migration are complete, check for missing, duplicated, or misformatted records, test custom fields and attachments, and ensure reporting and search functions work as expected in the new CRM.
