CRM data migration checklist
A migration is not just moving rows; it is moving relationships, history, and ownership from one system's model into another's.
A checklist keeps a high-stakes project from missing a step - the linked records, the history, the validation - that only surfaces after cutover when it is expensive to fix.
Short answer
A CRM data migration checklist covers auditing and cleaning the source data, mapping objects and fields, planning how to migrate relationships and history, running a test migration, validating record counts and links, cutting over, and verifying after go-live. Migrate clean data, preserve relationships, and always test on a subset before the full cutover.
Step by step
Audit and clean the source
Do not migrate dirty data. Dedupe, standardize, and purge dead records in the source first, so you move a clean database, not a mess.
- Dedupe and standardize before moving
- Purge dead and test records
- Document what will and will not migrate
Map objects and fields
Map every source object and field to its destination, including how picklist values and custom fields translate.
Plan relationships and history
Decide how contact-to-account links, deal associations, and activity history carry over, since these are the hardest part.
Run a test migration
Migrate a representative subset, then validate counts, field values, and relationships before the full run.
Cut over and verify
Run the full migration, validate again, and spot-check that history and links survived before switching teams onto the new system.
Relationships and history are the hard part
Moving flat records is easy; moving the links between them - which contacts belong to which accounts, which activities belong to which deals - is where migrations fail. Plan and test the relationship and history migration explicitly, not as an afterthought.
How Ardovo helps
Ardovo's migration tooling maps objects and fields, preserves contact-account links and activity history, and runs a validated test migration first. Rook handles the mapping and relationship busywork, so the cutover keeps your history and structure intact instead of arriving as flat, disconnected rows.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hardest part of a CRM migration?
Preserving relationships and history. Moving flat records is straightforward, but carrying over which contacts belong to which accounts, which activities attach to which deals, and the full timeline is where migrations break. Plan and test that explicitly.
Should you clean data before migrating?
Yes, always. Migrate clean data by deduping, standardizing, and purging dead records in the source first. Moving a mess into the new system just recreates the mess and wastes the fresh start a migration offers.
How do you reduce migration risk?
Run a test migration on a representative subset and validate counts, field values, and relationships before the full cutover. Testing surfaces mapping and relationship problems on a small set, where they are cheap to fix instead of catastrophic after go-live.