CRM Migration: Rebuild the Operating Model Before You Import Everything

Inventory before export

• Contacts and companies
• Open opportunities
• Pipeline stages
• Custom fields
• Tags or segments
• Tasks and owners
• Email/SMS consent state
• Calendars and appointments
• Automations
• Forms and lead sources
• Integrations and webhooks

Decide what deserves to survive

Map every old field to a clear use in the new system. Archive or exclude data that has no owner, no operational purpose or unknown quality. Keep an original export securely before changing anything.

Rebuild pipelines and automation intentionally

Do not map a legacy stage one-for-one simply because it exists. Define the new customer states, then map active opportunities into the closest valid state. Rebuild automations around the new process rather than copying old technical debt.

Test with a small sample

1. Import a small clean sample.
2. Check names, emails, phone formats and ownership.
3. Verify custom fields.
4. Create a test opportunity.
5. Trigger the critical workflows.
6. Confirm opt-out and DND state.
7. Only then perform the production import.

Cutover plan

Choose a clear date when the old system becomes read-only for normal users. Document which data may continue arriving during the cutover window and how it will be reconciled. Run the old and new automation stacks in parallel only when you can prevent duplicate communication.