Data Migration Checklist for Retail & E-commerce

# Data Migration Checklist - Retail & E-commerce

## Purpose
Use when switching CRMs, accounting platforms, or any system that holds critical business data to avoid data loss.

## When to Use
A step-by-step checklist for migrating data between systems, including backup verification, field mapping, testing, and rollback planning.

## Instructions
1. Review the template below and familiarise yourself with the structure
2. Replace all [bracketed placeholders] with your retail & e-commerce business details
3. Customise the tone and formatting to match your brand
4. Save in your preferred tool (HubSpot or Xero)

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## Data Migration Checklist

### Phase 1: Planning (Owner: Project Lead)
- [ ] Migration scope defined: which data sets, date ranges, and record types
- [ ] Source system data audit completed (total record counts by type)
- [ ] Target system requirements reviewed (field limits, data types, API constraints)
- [ ] Field mapping document created: source field to target field for every data point
- [ ] Data owner sign-off obtained on what is being migrated and what is being archived
- [ ] Migration timeline agreed with all stakeholders (including downtime windows)
- [ ] Rollback plan documented in case migration needs to be reversed

### Phase 2: Data Preparation (Owner: Data Analyst)
- [ ] Full backup of source system completed and stored securely
- [ ] Data exported from source system in CSV or supported format
- [ ] Duplicate records identified and merged or flagged
- [ ] Data cleaned: invalid emails removed, phone numbers standardised, addresses verified
- [ ] Required fields populated - no blank mandatory fields in migration data
- [ ] Lookup values mapped (e.g., status labels, categories, custom fields)
- [ ] Test data set created (representative sample of 50-100 records)

### Phase 3: Test Migration (Owner: Technical Lead)
- [ ] Test migration environment set up in target system (sandbox if available)
- [ ] Test data set imported into target system
- [ ] All fields verified - data appears in correct fields with correct formatting
- [ ] Relationships between records intact (e.g., contacts linked to companies)
- [ ] Automations and workflows tested against migrated data
- [ ] Reports and dashboards verified against migrated data
- [ ] Issues log created and all test issues resolved before proceeding

### Phase 4: Production Migration (Owner: Technical Lead)
- [ ] Final backup of both source and target systems completed
- [ ] Team notified of migration window and system downtime
- [ ] Production data imported into target system
- [ ] Record counts reconciled: source total matches target total
- [ ] Spot check of 20 random records for accuracy
- [ ] User access permissions configured in target system
- [ ] Integrations reconnected and tested (Zapier, APIs, webhooks)

### Phase 5: Post-Migration (Owner: Project Lead)
- [ ] Team trained on any differences in the new system
- [ ] Parallel running period confirmed (both systems accessible for 2 weeks)
- [ ] Source system access restricted (read-only) after confirmation period
- [ ] Migration completion report filed with record counts and any known issues
- [ ] Stakeholder sign-off received on successful migration

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**Complexity:** advanced | **Setup time:** 25 minutes | **Tools:** HubSpot, Xero, Zapier

Note: This template has been tailored for retail & e-commerce businesses in Australia. Adjust terminology and compliance references to match your specific context.