# Software migration checklist Decision owner: . Current system: . Target: . Planned cutover: . Last reviewed: . Use this with the [software migration guide](/buying-guides/software-migration). These are prompts to adapt, not confirmation that a product can perform the move. Leave untested items unresolved. ## 1. Inventory and scope | Item | Migrate, archive or exclude | Owner | Evidence or open question | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Records and custom fields | | | | | Attachments and comments | | | | | Relationships and identifiers | | | | | History and timestamps | | | | | Roles, guests and administrators | | | | | Integrations and automations | | | | | Reports and saved views | | | | For every exclusion, record who accepts it and how the information will remain available if needed. Apply your organisation's retention and deletion requirements. ## 2. Export and import rehearsal - Prepare a non-sensitive sample with ordinary and awkward cases. - Preserve an untouched export and record how it was obtained. - Map each required field and record any transformation. - Reconcile counts, then inspect values, dates and linked records. - Open attachments and reconstruct one real workflow. - Record missing content and the person responsible for resolving it. Result: . Evidence: . Follow-up owner and date:
. ## 3. Access and handover - Test daily tasks as an ordinary member, guest and administrator. - Check that restricted roles cannot see or change the wrong information. - Test one integration, including retries and failure notifications. - Have a second administrator follow the setup notes. - Record who owns each connection and receives its errors. ## 4. Cutover runbook | Step | Owner | Start condition | Completion evidence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Notify the team and confirm the change window | | | | | Pause writes or define the source of truth | | | | | Transfer and reconcile final changes | | | | | Run essential workflow and permission checks | | | | | Approve resumption or trigger rollback | | | | Person authorised to pause: . Rollback triggers: . Latest safe rollback point: . How new target records are preserved: . Recovery rehearsal result: . ## 5. Review and retirement - Assign an owner for first-period issues. - Resolve or explicitly accept each remaining gap. - Confirm retained exports can be read outside the old workflow. - Check notice, renewal and access terms before cancellation. - Confirm ongoing administration and support ownership. Outcome: . Reason:
. Accepted trade-offs:
. Approver and date:
. Keep overlap and internal effort in the [software cost estimate](/tools/software-cost-calculator). Use the [evaluation scorecard](/tools/software-evaluation-scorecard) for a comparison of your pilot observations.