Service industry companies are ditching paper-based management and going paperless. We know there are many benefits to embracing technology for your business and more and more businesses are taking the leap.
Perhaps you’ve already taken the initial switch to service management software, but you need to instead move your data from one system to another. It might seem like a lot to tackle at first, but it can be simple with the right software. We’ll walk through what data migration is and the tools you can use to move your data with ease.
What is Data Migration?
Data migration is the process of moving data from one place to another. This involves selecting, exporting and then importing your data, typically from one system or PC to another. This will likely be a one-time process to permanently move your data to a new location. Whether that is a new program, storage system or even a cloud environment.
For service industries, this data can be client details and sites, equipment and historical data for jobs, invoices, contracts and quotes. This could involve moving it all to a different PC/server or just transferring it from one system to another.
What are the Steps in Data Migration?
There might be several reasons for wanting to move your data. Perhaps your old system is outdated, you want your data in different programs, or you want to start fresh in a new system.
Whatever the reason, the process might seem daunting at first. But with the right tools, you can make the move simple. Here are some ways that Clik Service can help with data migration.
CSV templates
Clik Service has loads of default templates that you can use to import your data. Using these templates, you can import your:
- customers
- sites
- equipment
- products
- contacts
- purchase invoices
- quotes
- jobs
Each template has predefined field headers on the CSV. Once you know what you want to move, all you need to do is save the relevant template, open it in Microsoft Excel and fill in the fields you need to import.
Importing is then only a couple of clicks away. The system will scan for duplicates to make sure it doesn’t record the same information twice. This way, you can easily update any existing records and ensure your database is uncluttered and up to date whenever you import.
Moving your data doesn’t have to cause headaches. With the right job management software, you can get everything you need in one place in no time.
CSV mapping
Sometimes you might have fields for your records that don’t match the ones used in Clik Service. Rather than using the default CSV templates, you can map the fields used in your earlier system to the fields in Clik Service.
CSV mapping saves you time copying and pasting from one spreadsheet to another. You can create your own templates to use over and over again. So, it’s useful, not just for transferring data between systems, but can also be used to update supplier price lists and more.
Similarly to using default templates, the mapping tool can check for duplicates when importing. It gives you the option to choose which field it checks for duplicates, making the process unique to your data. This way, you can get the system to check email addresses, quote numbers and more to make sure only the data you need is imported into your database.
You can also link fields and convert records with values that don’t match the ones in Clik Service. For example, the system you previously used might have a different name for quote references. If this happens, you can convert the names of field values using CSV mapping, so nothing gets missed or mixed up in the process
For more information about using CSV mapping in Clik Service, take a look at this video:
Looking for a new service management system with easy-to-use migration tools? Try out Clik Service for free today and see how it can transform your business organisation.
