ERP Data Migration: The Step Everyone Skips

When implementing Bubely ERP with sample data, I studied migration patterns. The results are sobering.

According to Panorama Consulting, 60% of ERP implementations experience delays due to data migration issues.

The Common Mistakes

1. Migrating everything — historical data from 1998 doesn't need to come over

2. No data cleansing — garbage in, garbage out applies double for ERP

3. Testing with production data — discover issues when it's too late

A Better Strategy

Phase 1: Audit (1-2 weeks)

• Identify what data actually needs to migrate
• Clean and deduplicate source data
• Document transformation rules

Phase 2: Migrate (1-2 weeks)

• Migrate in order: chart of accounts → customers/suppliers → open transactions → historical balances
• Validate each step before proceeding

Phase 3: Verify (1 week)

• Reconcile migrated balances against source
• Run parallel reporting for one period

The rule: migrate 20% of the data that provides 80% of the value. Historical detail is rarely worth the complexity.

Bubely's sample data command (python manage.py sample_data) demonstrates clean data generation — the same principles apply to real data.