Migration checklist

Control ERP Data Before It Controls Go-Live

Use this checklist to turn migration into a governed business workstream with named owners, repeatable test cycles, and documented reconciliation.

Phase 1

Inventory and scope

List every source system, spreadsheet, archive, and manual record used by the business.
Decide which master data, open transactions, balances, and history will move.
Name a business owner and technical owner for every data object.
Document retention, audit, privacy, and access requirements.
Identify dependencies between customers, vendors, items, accounts, projects, orders, inventory, and balances.

Phase 2

Profile duplicates, missing fields, invalid values, inactive records, and inconsistent codes.
Define the target value, default, transformation, and exception rule for each field.
Approve chart-of-accounts, dimensions, units, statuses, payment terms, and ownership changes.
Maintain a decision log for mapping rules that affect reporting or controls.
Prevent cleanup from changing source records without traceable approval.

Phase 3

Run multiple complete test cycles using the repeatable cutover process.
Validate record counts, control totals, subledger-to-ledger ties, aging, inventory, open orders, and key reports.
Test referential integrity and end-to-end transactions that depend on migrated records.
Track defects by root cause: source, mapping, transformation, load, configuration, or validation.
Require business signoff on acceptance criteria, not only a successful technical load.

Phase 4

Freeze changes at an agreed time and communicate what users can and cannot do.
Sequence extraction, transformation, load, reconciliation, approval, and release tasks.
Define fallback actions and the latest safe point for a go/no-go decision.
Retain migration files, approvals, reconciliation evidence, and issue records.
Monitor master data and transaction quality closely after go-live.

Acceptance rule

Migration is complete when business owners can reconcile the new ERP to approved sources and explain every material difference.