One of the most vital and time-consuming aspects of switching ERP systems is converting data from your previous system. While ERP data conversion may seem straightforward on its surface, the task itself is rife with the potential for costly mistakes.
This guide will help you familiarize yourself with the most common ERP data conversion mistakes as well as some best practices to help you build a solid plan for your next data migration project. If you still aren't sure if a new ERP is the right move for your business, check out
8 Most Common ERP Data Conversion Mistakes
Successful data conversion is a critical component of implementing an ERP system. However, there are a number of common mistakes that you should be aware of and work to address before implementing the new system. By understanding these errors and implementing best practices to mitigate them, you can optimize your ERP data conversion process and set the foundation for a successful implementation.
1. Incomplete and Unrealistic Migration Strategies
For any large project, crafting a strong and thorough strategy to guide things will help keep the project on track, avoid confusion among your team, and allow you to plan for potential complications and setbacks. Leaving your strategy unfinished can result in significant errors and costly delays. In addition to a detailed plan, your strategy needs to include realistic deadlines that leave room for setback. Rushing through the data conversion process could result in data inconsistencies, failed migrations, and compromised systems.
2. Poor Data Cleansing
Data cleansing is one of the most crucial steps in converting to your new ERP system. A poor data cleanse before migration can lead to inconsistent, inaccurate, and duplicate data ending up in your new system, which can lead to data quality issues that are difficult and time-consuming to correct post-conversion.
3. Mishandling Historical Data
Determining how much historical data to pull over from your old system to your new ERP can be a difficult and surprisingly daunting task. While historical data can be valuable for analysis, reporting, compliance, and as a benchmark for comparison, you don't need all of it. Too much historical data slows your system, opens the door for inaccurate or duplicate data, and makes extracting insights difficult.
4. Poor Data Governance
Without robust data governance, organizations could struggle with inconsistent data formats, inadequate data security controls, and unclear data ownership rules. These issues can lead to data mapping errors, compromised data integrity, and security vulnerabilities both during and after the data conversion process. Lack of standardized naming conventions, data quality controls, and data stewardship can all influence reliability and usability.
5. Incomplete Data Mapping
Inaccurate or incomplete data mapping can result in missing, misinterpreted, or misplaced data during the conversion process. These issues can lead to data inconsistencies, incorrect calculations, and difficulties generating accurate reports in the new ERP system, which can then impact business process and decision making.
6. Insufficient Data Transformation
Inadequate data transformation can hinder reporting accuracy, which impacts the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the ERP. Data loss, data corruption, and data integrity issues can all spring from insufficient data transformation. Improper conversion of data formats, types, or relationships can lead to inconsistencies, calculation errors, and difficulties in extracting meaningful insights from the converted data.
7. Lack of Data Validation and Testing
Without comprehensive validation and testing, errors and discrepancies can find their way into the new ERP system through improperly converted data. This can lead to serious issues with data integrity, data migration, inaccurate reports, and incomplete processes. Inadequate testing can also result in operational disruptions, user dissatisfaction, and delays in identifying and addressing data-related issues.
8. Inadequate Training and Communication
Ignoring the responsibility of training will result in end-users that don’t know how to use the system, understand the data structure, or how to navigate data entry processes. These gaps in knowledge can lead to data entry errors, inconsistent reporting, and inaccurate reports. Confusion among employees can manifest as a resistance to change resulting in lower buy-in of the new system.
12 Best Practices for Migrating Data to Your New ERP
Migrating data to a new ERP system is a complex endeavor that requires careful planning and execution. To maximize the benefits of the new ERP system, you should adhere to a set of best practices. We’ve laid out 12 essential steps to successfully migrating data to your new ERP. By following these best practices, you can navigate the data migration process with ease and lay a solid foundation for your ERP implementation.
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1. Plan and Document
A well-defined plan should outline the key steps, timelines, and responsibilities involved in the data migration process. By diligently planning each phase of the processes, you can minimize your potential for errors, maintain consistency across departments, and ensure a smooth and successful transition to the new ERP system.
Documenting the process helps provide clarity and serves as a reference for everyone involved, allowing for better coordination, reducing ambiguity, and enabling effective communication among stakeholders. This documentation also becomes a valuable resource for future reference, auditing, and troubleshooting.
2. Analyze Data Requirements
Analyzing your data requirements will help you gain an understanding of the data needs of the new system and identify any gaps or inconsistencies with your existing data. This analysis should involve evaluating data formats, structures, and validation rules specific to the new ERP system. By conducting a comprehensive data requirements analysis, you can minimize data mapping errors and maintain data integrity.
3. Thoroughly Cleanse Data
Data cleansing is critical as it involves identifying and addressing data quality issues like duplicates, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies. Actions you can take include removing duplicate records, standardizing formats, validating data accuracy, and correcting errors. By cleansing the data before migration, you can minimize the risk of transferring erroneous information, improve your data integrity, and establish a solid foundation for the new ERP system.
4. Carefully Select Historical Data
While it may be tempting to exclude historical data, it holds valuable insights that improve analysis, compliance, and historical comparisons. By evaluating the relevance and importance of historical data, you can make informed decisions about which data to pull over into the new system. Carefully selecting your historical data provides continuity in reporting and analysis, and enables you to leverage past trends and patterns for future decision making.
5. Establish Data Governance
Data governance involves defining policies, standards, and processes to ensure data quality, integrity, and security. By implementing strong data governance practices, you can address inconsistent data formats, unclear data ownership, and other data security vulnerabilities. A data governance strategy helps establish standardized naming conventions, data quality controls, and data stewardship to guide the day to day data management practices.
To learn more about why you need a data governance policy, check out on the Kwixand blog.
6. Prioritize Data Security
Data security measures should be implemented to protect sensitive data during the data migration process. This includes employing encryption techniques when transferring or storing data, implementing access controls, and adhering to data privacy regulations. By prioritizing data security, you can help safeguard against data breaches, unauthorized access, and potential data loss, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all migrated data within the new ERP system.
7. Perform Data Mapping
Data mapping involves establishing a clear and accurate correlation between the source system and the target ERP system. This practice helps identify any gaps, inconsistencies, or potential data loss during the migration process. By conducting thorough data mapping, you can ensure that data is appropriately translated, preserving data integrity.
8. Implement Data Transformation
Data transformation involves converting data from the source system to the format and structure required by the new ERP system. This process can include data format changes, data type conversions, data aggregation, or any other necessary modifications. By implementing effective data transformation, organizations can avoid compatibility issues and data inconsistencies.
9. Regularly Test and Validate
Conducting comprehensive testing and validation can help you identify and address any issues or discrepancies in the converted data before the new ERP system goes live. Prioritize verifying data mappings, validating calculations and formulas, and ensuring proper functioning of business processes and reports. Regular testing and validation provide confidence in the quality of the migrated data and help minimize the risk of errors.
10. Provide Training and Communication
Training ensures that end-users understand the new data structure, data entry processes, and reporting capabilities of the ERP system. By providing comprehensive training to your employees, you can help minimize errors and ensure that end-users are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively work with the new ERP system, which increases user adoption.
11. Conduct Pilot Testing
Pilot testing involves selecting a subset of data and conducting a trial run of the migration process. This allows you to identify any potential issues, validate the data migration strategy, and fine-tune the process before migrating the entire dataset. With pilot testing, you can mitigate risks, optimize the data migration process, and ensure a smoother transition.
12. Monitor and Review
Monitoring and reviewing data is an ongoing process to identify any data-related issues or discrepancies in the migrated data. By implementing a robust monitoring and review process, you can proactively address data integrity, completeness, and accuracy concerns. Continuous monitoring and review allow organizations to make necessary adjustments, optimize data quality, and maintain the reliability and usability of the migrated data for future decision making.
While these best practices can steer you in the right direction, the best way to avoid ERP data conversion mistakes and facilitate a smooth ERP implementation is by working with a trusted ERP partner.
Get Custom ERP Solutions with Kwixand
If you're looking for an ERP partner who can guide your ERP implementation and help you meet your objectives without going over budget or timeline, Kwixand Solutions is here to help. We are a based in Vancouver, Canada, helping businesses across the US and Canada digitally transform and thrive. We offer 2 types of methodologies to help businesses mitigate the risks of ERP implementation. with the team to learn more.
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