THE DOOD FIELD GUIDE
Moving from spreadsheets to CRM: a migration checklist
Turn a working spreadsheet into consistent customer records without carrying every old mistake into your CRM.
By Mrunal Walke ↗ Freeze a copy before cleaning
Keep a dated copy of the source workbook. Identify which sheets contain contacts, companies, opportunities and activities. A row may mix several record types; decide which values belong together before importing. Assign one person to approve the mapping and another to verify the result.
Map meaning, not just column names
Write a source-to-target mapping with the data type, required status, allowed values and transformation for each field. Decide how dates and phone numbers will be normalised. An empty cell is not always the same as a deliberate zero. Keep an external source identifier for traceability.
Resolve duplicates deliberately
Choose matching rules appropriate to the data, such as company domain plus an external identifier. Do not assume that names are unique or that every shared email address is one person. Review ambiguous matches in a separate queue and document how merged records retain their history.
Import a representative sample first
Include a normal record, a duplicate candidate, missing optional data and unusual characters. Compare source counts with accepted and rejected rows. Verify ownership, permissions and search results in the CRM. Then schedule the full migration with a clear cutover point and a reconciliation report.
Download the field-mapping worksheet ↓
Keep the workflow connected.
MAKE IT PART OF YOUR WORKFLOW
A useful tool. A connected business.
Bring your customer, inventory and accounting workflows together. Tell us where the handoff gets difficult.
