A system that can manage your entire client base, track new prospects throughout the customer journey, and monitor marketing campaigns are just some of the functionalities a CRM system can offer. By migrating to CRM systems, like Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 CRM, businesses can streamline their various departmental administrative processes to create an integrated system for both efficient internal and external communication.
Before jumping headfirst into a CRM migration journey, planning is key to facilitate a smooth transition. Start by mapping out a migration plan. Some key questions to ask when forming a migration plan are:
- How much data needs to be imported over?
- What fields need to be transferred?
- Are your customizations and third-party apps supported by the new CRM environment?
- How long will it take to set up a test environment?
- When do you want to initiate the migration process?
- How long will the entire migration take to be completed?
Deciphering which data to migrate can first seem a bit overwhelming, but view this as a great opportunity to clean out your data. You most likely have collected an abundance of data over time, some vital to your current operations and some not so much. Take this chance to clean your data by getting rid of any duplicated, outdated, or miscellaneous information in your system.
Now that the data is cleaned, it’s time to document and map out the migration by determining the fields to be migrated. Please pay special attention to the look-ups and pick-list fields when migrating to Dynamics 365. Evaluate if the values are the same between the old and new system when transferring the fields. If they are not, a translation table needs to be created. For more information about migrating fields and other tips, take a look at this blog.
Other components to examine are customizations, implementations, or third-party apps. If you have customized functionalities and/or utilize third-party apps, you need to confirm if they can be supported by the new CRM system. There are a variety of methods that can be employed to check the compatibility. However, the older your current system, the greater the possibility you will need to rebuild the customizations.
Following the information cleanse and collection phase, remember to inform your CRM end-users of the migration. You don’t want to surprise them with an entirely new system one day and be flooded with waves of panic. Preschedule times in your migration plan to not only introduce the migration but also hold training workshops to acclimate the end-users to the new CRM system.
These are just a few of the elements to take into consideration when planning a migration. Companies also often seek assistance from a Microsoft partner for guidance during the migration journey. As a gold-certified Microsoft partner, our consultants hold high-levels of expertise in Dynamics 365 CRM migrations. Want to ask them your migration questions? Schedule a complimentary initial phone consultation with one of us today.
