WhatsApp
Python
.NET
PostgreSQL
Microsoft Azure
DockerWhy companies migrate ERP
Older ERPs — on-premise systems, heavily customised versions no longer supported or tools the business has outgrown — become expensive and risky to run. Upgrades are hard, integrations are limited and the people who understand the customisations retire or leave.
Migration to a modern ERP, or to a current version of the existing one, is a major project touching every department. Success depends on careful data migration, clear process decisions and a cut-over planned around the finance calendar.
Problems we solve
- ERP out of vendor support or running on old servers
- Customisations that block upgrades
- Moving from QuickBooks or spreadsheets to a real ERP
- Consolidating ERPs after acquisitions
- Operations limited by ERP capabilities
What’s included
Assessment & selection support
Current-state analysis and comparison of target platforms.
Process redesign
Simplifying processes instead of copying old workarounds.
Data migration
Masters, open transactions and opening balances, cleaned and validated.
Customisation review
Rebuild only what still adds value, using modern extension methods.
Integration rebuild
Reconnect stores, CRM, banks and other systems.
Cut-over & hypercare
Planned go-live, parallel runs and close support.
Data migration strategy
Not every historical transaction needs to move. Most migrations bring across master data (customers, suppliers, products, chart of accounts), open transactions (orders, invoices, bills) and opening balances, while historical detail is archived in a reporting database that remains searchable. This reduces risk and cost dramatically compared with migrating years of transactions line by line.
- Trial migrations until results reconcile
- Finance sign-off on opening balances
- Stock counts aligned with opening inventory
- Rollback plan for the cut-over weekend
Timing the cut-over
ERP go-lives are usually timed for the start of a financial period, avoiding peak seasons. We plan backwards from that date: final trial migration, user acceptance testing, training, data freeze and cut-over steps hour by hour. After go-live, close support covers the first month-end close on the new system.
Deciding the cut-over approach
| Approach | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Big bang | One cut-over, no dual systems | Higher risk if issues arise |
| Phased by module | Lower risk, lessons learned | Temporary integrations needed |
| Phased by entity or site | Pilot with one location first | Longer overall timeline |
| Parallel run | Results compared before switching | Double work for staff |
Data migration essentials
- Master data cleaned: customers, suppliers, items, chart of accounts
- Decisions on how much history to bring — often open items plus summarised balances
- Opening balances reconciled with finance
- Multiple trial migrations before go-live
- Sign-off by data owners for each area
People and process
ERP projects fail more often for organisational reasons than technical ones. Involve key users early, redesign processes rather than copying old workarounds, train people before go-live and plan for extra support in the first month-end close. Executive sponsorship helps resolve decisions quickly.
Typical timeline
For small and mid-sized businesses, a focused ERP migration typically takes three to nine months; larger, multi-entity programmes often take a year or more. Time is spent on process design, configuration, data migration, integrations, testing and training — development is only one part. Planning go-live away from year-end and peak trading reduces risk. A stabilisation period after go-live, with extra support and daily issue reviews, is part of the plan rather than an afterthought.
See ERP development, Odoo development and Dynamics 365 development.
Questions to answer before you start
Early clarity reduces the biggest ERP risks:
- Which processes must work on day one, and which can follow later?
- How much historical data must be available in the new system?
- Which integrations must be rebuilt?
- Who are the key users and decision-makers for each area?
Lift-and-shift, re-implement or phased?
| Approach | What it means | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Technical upgrade | Move to a newer version or cloud edition of the same ERP with processes mostly unchanged | Processes are sound; the platform is out of support |
| Re-implementation | Configure the new ERP around redesigned processes, migrating data only | Old processes reflect workarounds; you want to adopt standard practice |
| Phased by module or entity | Move finance first, then operations, or one company at a time | Multiple entities or high risk; needs temporary integrations between old and new |
Re-implementation is usually the best long-term value but asks the most of your team. A phased approach reduces risk but adds integration work while two systems run side by side.
What to migrate and what to leave
- Master data — customers, suppliers, items, chart of accounts: always migrated, after cleansing
- Open transactions — open orders, invoices, purchase orders and stock balances: migrated at cut-over
- Opening balances — trial balance and sub-ledger balances at the cut-over date
- History — often summarised (for example monthly totals) or kept in an archive or reporting database rather than loaded transaction by transaction
Keeping detailed history in a read-only archive with reporting access typically costs far less than migrating years of transactions into the new ERP, and keeps the new system fast and clean.
Rehearse the cut-over
-
Mock migration 1
Load all data into a test environment; measure errors and timings.
-
Fix and cleanse
Correct mapping errors and source data problems found in the mock.
-
Mock migration 2
Repeat with business users validating balances, open items and key reports.
-
Dress rehearsal
Run the full cut-over plan with real timings, including sign-offs and rollback decision points.
-
Go-live
Execute the rehearsed plan, reconcile and hand over to hypercare support.
Two or three rehearsals are a common rule of thumb; each one reduces surprises on the real weekend.
Common ERP migration risks
- Underestimating the time business users need for testing alongside their normal jobs
- Re-creating every old customisation instead of adopting standard features
- Data cleansing left until the final weeks
- Integrations, reports and documents (invoices, labels) forgotten until late
- No hypercare plan for the first weeks after go-live
Related: ERP integration, Odoo development, Dynamics 365 development and legacy modernization.
Training and change management
An ERP migration changes daily work for finance, purchasing, warehouse and sales teams at once. Technical success means little if people revert to spreadsheets. We plan adoption alongside the build:
- Key users from each department involved in design and testing
- Role-based training using your own data and processes, not generic demos
- Quick-reference guides for the most common tasks
- Floor-walkers or a support channel during the first weeks
- A list of known issues and workarounds shared openly
Hypercare after go-live
The first four to six weeks after go-live are a common hypercare period, though the right length depends on the scope. During this time we monitor integrations and data closely, fix issues quickly and support the first month-end close in the new system. A clear exit point — such as a successful month-end and stable integrations — marks the move to normal support.
During hypercare we also record lessons learned, which feed into the plan for any later phases, entities or modules still to migrate.
A short retrospective with finance, operations and IT at the end of hypercare captures what went well and what to improve, and confirms ownership of the new system for the long term.
Related services
Part of ERP development. Related: Odoo, Dynamics 365 and ERP integration.
This page is part of ERP Development Services — see the full overview for related services, approach and pricing.