Best Practices for Data Migration During NetSuite Implementation

Implementing a new ERP system like NetSuite promises powerful benefits - from improved efficiency to deeper business insights. However, realizing the full value depends on seamlessly and accurately migrating your legacy data into NetSuite. Without clean, complete data, you undermine reporting, analytics, and day-to-day operations.

This blog provides best practices and expert tips for planning and executing data migration during your NetSuite implementation. Follow these data migration strategies to save time, reduce costs, and set your organization up for success on the NetSuite platform.

Map Data Elements and Flows Upfront 

The first step is gathering a comprehensive understanding of existing data touchpoints and flows across your organization. Identify all:

• Data sources - CRM, ecommerce, finance systems, etc. 
• Data types - customers, products, transactions, documents etc.
• Integrations between systems
• Users and use cases of each data type

Document how data is created, consumed and updated across departments. This provides clarity on what modules need migration along with cross-functional dependencies.

With this 360-degree view, you can effectively plan data migration for business continuity during and after go-live. Your implementation partner can also customize migrations per your workflows.

Cleanse and Consolidate Data

Legacy systems inevitably contain duplicate, outdated and irregular data that causes reporting inaccuracies and inefficiencies. 

Before migrating data into NetSuite, thoroughly cleanse and consolidate existing information:

• Resolve duplicate customer, product & other records
• Standardize data formats like addresses and phone numbers 
• Fill missing values like email IDs and invoice details
• Eliminate unused/obsolete records and fields

Though cleansing is tedious, it pays long-term dividends through quality data and minimal post-migration fixes. For large datasets, use scripts and automation to accelerate profiling, matching and merging. 

Migrate in Phases for Control 

Rather than a single mass migration, move data in stages - starting from non-transactional master data like customers, products etc. Validate outcomes at each phase before proceeding, to minimize downstream corrections.

Break data migration into manageable batches while preserving integrity:

• Phase 1: Master data (customers, vendors, items etc.)
• Phase 2: Open transactions (orders, invoices, returns etc.)   
• Phase 3: Financial history (prior years’ transactions)
• Phase 4: Documents, audit trails etc.

Phased migration gives finer control over continuity and data accuracy as you progress towards go-live. With transaction data, coordinate migration cut-over dates with business teams to prevent order/shipment disruptions.

Validate Migrated Data

The proof lies in actually testing the migrated data for completeness, accuracy and functionality. As migrations can involve data conversions, critically validate that:

• All records pulled from source systems reflect correctly in NetSuite
• Field mappings are accurate across both systems (no mismatched data)
• Key functionality works as expected (invoices pulling correct line items etc.)
• Transaction history matches values across system

Fixing data issues post-migration slows processes and teams. So despite pressures, keep validating to prevent go-live pains or inflated support volumes later.

Secure Buy-in for Data Cleansing

To management, stopping processes for large-scale data cleansing often seems non-essential. Pushback is common - “our data works fine as-is” or “we’re too busy”. 

However, migrating messy data jeopardizes system adoption and outcomes later. Educate stakeholders (especially executives) on the hard and soft costs of bad data. Demonstrate value through pilots - by showcasing improvements from cleansed data in their own modules.

With tangible proofs, it becomes easier to secure organizational buy-in and participation for thorough data cleansing prior to migration. 

Automate Where Possible

While certain aspects of data migration require manual work, automating repeatable tasks is key for efficiency at scale. Scripted imports, record matching algorithms, merging routines, data validations etc. compress timelines and effort while minimizing human errors. 

Work with your implementation provider to assess suitable processes for automation - like customer and item migrations, transaction imports etc. Ensure algorithms are thoroughly tested before deploying automation suites. 

Appoint Data Stewards

For long-term governance, appoint internal data stewards to sustain information quality after go-live. Stewards act as business-IT liaisons to continuously monitor data health across NetSuite usage - fixing bad data like duplicates as well as expanding data sources.

With executive support, empower stewards to drive enterprise-wide data standards and change management as business needs evolve. Investing in data governance protects system ROI over time.

Why Choose SuiteRep for NetSuite Implementation? 

While sound practices enable smooth data migration, executing seamlessly at scale requires specialized expertise. SuiteRep offers end-to-end guidance and services for successful NetSuite data migration and adoption.

Proven Methodology and Tools

Refined over 300+ NetSuite projects, our exclusive 7-Stage Implementation Roadmap provides structured frameworks to accelerate data migration while de-risking continuity. Our solution toolkits automate key aspects like data profiling, validation, cleansing, import-export handling and testing.

With optimized processes and automation, we compress traditional timelines by 50% or more - enabling clients to realize NetSuite ROI faster. Our methodology ensures quality outcomes despite tight deadlines. 

NetSuite Alignment and Insights 

Our data specialists and technical NetSuite consultants possess deep mastery of NetSuite capabilities from years of exclusive focus. We optimize data migration and integrations based on intimate knowledge of NetSuite data structure, storage and performance optimization. 

The team also maintains close alliances with NetSuite product leaders to stay ahead of platform evolution. These insights translate to future-proofed solutions for enduring value from your investment.

Technical Excellence and Innovation

SuiteRep continuously innovates solutions to address evolving client challenges - from custom importers for complex transaction data to AI-powered data cleansing for speed and accuracy. 

Our engineers leverage leading technologies like process automation, machine learning and connected cloud to redefine possible. The team has executed successful data migrations for multi-billion dollar global corporations as smoothly as for emerging brands.

Let SuiteRep guide your organization’s NetSuite data migration for risk-free continuity, quality outcomes and lasting value. Our experts help craft the optimal data migration strategy for your environment while providing the methodology, technology and service delivery excellence needed for on-time, on-budget program success.