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Dynamics 365 Migration: Guide for a Smooth Data Migration

Updated: October 2nd, 2024

Understanding Dynamics 365 Data Migration

Dynamics 365 data migration is one of the key steps to the new software implementation. It allows you to save crucial information from the legacy system and start working with new modules with the necessary content at your fingertips. Before we look at the stages required for the preparation and transfer of materials, let’s understand what Dynamics data migration is and what is behind its technical side.

In recent years, we have seen a growing trend towards digitization of business operations. In these matters, companies often prefer Dynamics 365 from Microsoft. This is not surprising, because Dynamics 365 is truly a comprehensive system that allows you to cover all firm issues. It consists of CRM and ERP functionality and helps you handle finances, sales, marketing, and supply chains. Moreover, it improves customer service and establishes interaction with clients. In a nutshell, here are the benefits you get from Dynamics 365 migration:

Improved Business Processes. Using D365 allows you to upgrade the configuration and execution of tasks and operations in your team. Thus, you can take your entire workflow to the next level! It includes performance monitoring, lead collection, and more.
Enhanced Reporting Capabilities. Generating reports is always routine: here accuracy and attention are important. You can automate this process and avoid possible manual errors.
Better Data Management. Dynamics data migration helps you maintain complete control over all content. It applies to information about customers, employees, or the company’s budget. This way, you have a convenient space to store and manage materials, which makes working in a team much easier.
Pricing plans. Dynamics 365 offers a variety of pricing plans tailored to business needs. Additionally, if your business already uses other Microsoft products, this can lead to even better cost efficiency.
Integration with other Microsoft products. Dynamics 365 offers seamless integration with existing Microsoft products such as Office 365, Word, Excel, Outlook, Power BI, and more, enhancing productivity and data flow across the organization.

However, it is necessary to ensure smooth data cloud migration to use all the features and provide their durability and high performance. It allows you to avoid disruptions, material loss, and business downtime while dealing with the application. In this article, we will explain the steps necessary for transfer and provide a clear and understandable Dynamics 365 migration guide. With comprehensive instructions on migration, you may start working with the new software quickly and without errors.

What Is Dynamics Data Migration?

Data migration is moving data from one storage environment (legacy) to another. It works similarly to transferring content from an old smartphone to a new one. However, unlike the situation with phones, this operation cannot be completed in one click. The migration process takes place in several stages and requires the creation of a whole map to ensure that the information is transferred in full, correctly, and securely.

It is important for several reasons:

to prevent the loss of important details;
to ensure order in the new software;
to avoid downtime;
to simplify the transition to the new app.

Types of Data to Migrate

The moving applies to all the materials that are in your old platform. Check out the table with the types you should migrate to Dynamics 365 to better understand the scope.

Data Type
Master Data	Customer Data: contact information, preferences, and history	Product and Service Data: pricing, descriptions, and SKUs	Vendor and Supplier Data: contact details, product offerings, and contracts	Employee Data: personal information, job roles, and payroll data
Transactional Data	Sales Orders and Invoices: order details, customer information, and billing	Purchase Orders: supplier information and order details	Inventory Transactions: stock levels, receipts, and dispatches	Service Requests and Cases: support tickets and service
Financial Data	General Ledger Entries: all financial transactions and their impact on accounts	Accounts Payable and Receivable: invoices and payments	Banking Transactions: deposits, withdrawals, and transfers	Tax Records: filings, payments, and correspondence with tax
Operational Data	Projects and Tasks: timelines, resources, and status updates	Contracts and Agreements: legal and operational agreements with third parties, including terms and conditions	Marketing Campaigns: campaign details, audience targeting, and results	Service and Support: responses and follow-up
Historical Data	Audit Logs: system activities and changes, crucial for auditing and monitoring	Compliance Records: industry regulations and standards	Customer Interaction History: communications and transactions	Transaction History: records of financial and operational transactions over time
Metadata	System Configurations: settings that define how the system operates.	Custom Fields and Entities: custom fields and entities created to tailor the system to specific business needs	Workflows and Processes: elements that streamline business operations and ensure consistency	Security Roles and Permissions: configurations with user access levels
Documents and Attachments	Legal and Compliance Documents: contracts, licenses, and regulatory filings	Emails: communications related to transactions or operations	Projects and Tasks: materials related to specific projects and tasks, often including detailed plans or deliverables	Vendor and Supplier Attachments: invoices, contracts, and product details
Reports and Dashboards	Financial Reports: income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow	Sales and Marketing Dashboards: lead generation and conversion rates	Operational Reports: production, logistics, and supply chain	Compliance and Audit Reports: regulatory standards and policies

Dynamics 365 Data Migration Steps

As you may see, your software contains a huge amount of content. It includes reports, documents, site content, and customer information. Of course, to transfer the information correctly, you need to perform several steps.

Pre-Migration Planning

As with any project, planning is the first point in Dynamics CRM data migration. It allows you to formulate clear goals and estimate the scope of work to manage configuration and migration data successfully. In addition, at this stage, you need to choose Dynamics data migration tools and a strategy that will help you extract and implement information safely and without loss. Here are the steps you’ll need to take:

Define Migration Objectives. First of all, identify your goals. They may coincide with the goals of Dynamics data migration. It may include improving performance, expanding software functionality, or setting up tools to streamline business processes. If your further steps are aimed at achieving your goals, you will be able to make the information transfer much more efficient.
Assess Current Data Landscape. Next, it is important to work with the available content. At this stage, you need to find out where the information is located and its structure. These materials will help you create a map and find tools for formatting.
Plan Data Mapping and Transformation. With the knowledge of the landscape of the content in the old system, you need to ensure that the content in both apps is consistent. This is where mapping comes in. You should map each element from the source system to the corresponding one in the target system. This way, you may avoid bugs in the future and ensure that the transferred details are correct. If you want to simplify mapping, you may outsource the task to a Dynamics 365 migration company and move forward with the professionally developed plan.
Develop a Migration Strategy. After evaluating the map, create your MS Dynamics 365 data migration strategy. Choose the most appropriate approach to working with the materials. It requires selecting relevant tools, setting deadlines, and developing risk management measures. By thinking ahead, you can easily avoid possible stumbling blocks during the relocation.
Establish Governance and Compliance. One of the main concerns is ensuring security and regulatory compliance. You need to deal with sensitive details, such as customer information or financial materials. Confirm that your materials are compliant with regulations, such as GDPR and HIPAA.
Create a Testing Plan. Migration to Dynamics 365 involves thorough testing to verify that everything works for you. Develop an assessment plan that includes validation, functionality testing, and user acceptance checking.
Prepare for Post-Migration Activities. The last task is to think about a post-moving plan. It includes monitoring the new app and regular check-ups to ensure the information is stored securely and without distortion.

Preparing for Migration

The next big step is direct preparation for Microsoft CRM data migration. This step allows you to complete all planning and directly prepare materials for transfer to the Dynamics. Here’s how it works at each stage:

Finalizing Data Mapping and Transformation. First of all, double-check the mapping. Ensure that fields and values in both systems are consistent. If you find any errors, make corrections to the created map so that everything works correctly and is ready for relocation.
Cleansing and Preparing. It’s time to prepare your content for the migration journey! At this stage, you move on to practical actions, because you need to clean up duplicate information, standardize formats, and fill in missing materials. It is also important to check that materials are relevant and up-to-date for the new platform. Otherwise, they should be archived to avoid cluttering up the space.
Setting Up the Dynamics 365 Environment. The next step is the configuration of the Dynamics 365 space for future migration. It may include customizations of Dynamics 365 entities, developing scripts, custom plugins, and other logic. As a result, your content will be in a ready-to-use environment.
Establishing a Backup and Recovery Plan. If something goes wrong during the Dynamics data migration, you should have a recovery plan in place. Develop a plan of action that will allow you to return the module to its previous state and avoid losing any materials. Note it should be a quick way out of situations that will not interrupt business operations. Dynamics 365 consulting services are the best helpers in this matter. Specialists will provide detailed instructions and advice on questions regarding the new modules.

Executing the Migration

When preparations are completed, the most difficult technical stage begins – the actual Microsoft Dynamics 365 data migration. Following the prepared plan and guided by the selected tools, you should go through the stages to extract information from the old module and upload materials to the new software. Here’s how it works:

Data Extraction. First, you need to extract the materials from the legacy platform leaving them intact and without loss. Supported importing formats in Dynamics 365 are .xml, .csv, .txt, .xlsx, and .zip archive of listed formats.
Data Importing. Import the prepared details into D365. You may use the data mappings you’ve created earlier so that system works as expected and without any failures.
Validation and Reconciliation. When the import is complete, it’s time to check your work. Compare the information in the new platform with the content in the source system to verify accuracy and completeness. If you notice any discrepancies, you can correct them before launching the module.
System Integration Testing. Check the availability of imported information in all integrated modules and systems. Here you can identify flow problems, module crashes, or integration errors and fix them.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT). Run the platform in test mode to make sure everything works correctly and without bugs. Thus, end users will perform tasks in the new environment and provide feedback on the convenience of the tools or the availability of materials.
Go-Live. Finally, you may run the new software! It usually involves a switchover process where the old version is decommissioned and the new application takes over. Monitor this stage closely to detect problems early on and prevent platform breakdowns.

Consider Dynamics 365 development services if you want to simplify all stages.

Post-Migration Activities

MS Dynamics 365 migration is coming to an end. Now your new system contains the necessary materials and may work for your needs. Here are a few final Dynamics 365 data migration steps to get you started:

System Stabilization. After the software is launched, it requires careful monitoring until it is fully stabilized. After some time, the new application will work at full capacity and without errors.
User Training and Support. Schedule a meeting with your employees to clarify the difficulties with the new software. Then, organize training sessions and be available for questions.
System Optimization. Customize the Dynamics to make it convenient and attractive to users. The latest tweaks may include personalizing the user interface, adjusting tools, or integrating with other modules.
Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance. Continue to monitor the app and provide support, including security updates and regular health check ups. You can also choose Dynamics 365 maintenance & support services for regular software support.
Review and Evaluation. Finally, gather feedback, review system performance metrics, and evaluate whether the relocation objectives have been met. If there is still work to be done, improve the modules to bring them to perfection!

Best Practices for a Successful Data Migration

Microsoft Dynamics 365 migration is a complex and multi-stage operation that requires careful planning before and regular monitoring after. The main goal of the processes is to keep the materials complete, intact, and secure. Let’s summarize all the tasks and go through Dynamics 365 data migration best practices that will help you achieve your goal.

Start with a Clear Migration Strategy

Get started with a Dynamics 365 data migration strategy. It is the first preparatory stage, where you can estimate the scope of the work, select the necessary tools, and plan your next steps. Give yourself enough time to prepare: it will save time and avoid mistakes during the relocation. Learn how to create migration strategy with a comprehensive guide from Microsoft.

Involve Stakeholders Early

The next step in data migration in Dynamics 365 is to engage a team of professionals to work with the platform. Choose specialists with experience in D365 management, as well as trainers who can teach your employees. In addition, you can explore cooperation with external partners to help keep your project on track. Thus, mandatory personnel will include:

IT team;
team leader;
a coach-consultant;
partners.

Perform Thorough Data Assessment

The next component of success in this endeavor is to evaluate the existing content. Evaluate the structure and format of the materials, determine the presence of cloud-based data, and locate all types of information. Based on the collected materials, create a map that will allow you to correlate materials.

Plan for Data Transformation

If you found any format or structure mismatches in the previous step, fix it. Standardize all information to ensure the new software will get clean, error-free materials. Here you may use special tools for formatting and validation.

Ensure Robust Testing

An important point is testing, which allows you to identify shortcomings and improve the software. That’s why our advice is to think over a detailed plan for testing the application at all stages. Thus, you may offer your end users a pleasant experience with a system that has convenient functionality.

Execute the Migration Carefully

When the materials are ready, proceed to move. Gradualism is important in this case, so the best solution is to segment the materials and migrate them in stages. Use Dynamics data migration utilities to help you do everything correctly without software overload and information loss.

Focus on User Training and Support

Remember that Dynamics is a complex system with many modules and tools. Therefore, even after training, your employees need support. Stay in touch to help cope with issues and ensure a smooth transition.

Post-Migration Review and Optimization

Optimize the Dynamics environment based on your own testing and user feedback. You can use third-party integrations or customize internal features to make the program easy to use and give it an intuitive interface.

Ensure Compliance and Security

Finally, confirm that everything works according to the regulations. Also, check the security of the new application to ensure that your customers’ or your company’s sensitive details are protected.

With the Dynamics 365 data migration guide, you can easily overcome all the challenges and get your new platform working at full capacity. If you need support, you may cooperate with Microsoft Dynamics developers to get fast and reliable resolution.

Conclusion

To summarize, MS Dynamics 365 data migration takes time, careful planning, and attention to detail. In this process, your main task is to extract, standardize, and import materials while maintaining their integrity and safety. It is necessary to keep your company afloat and to make the transition to the new system as smooth and seamless as possible for employees and customers.

If you need migration assistance, a reliable developer is always a good choice. Contact us to find the best match and continue working with expert support on your side.

By Ruslan Kucherenko

Ruslan is a creative Content Writer and experienced Project Manager, who turns into a geek, when it comes to the questions relevant to CRMs and ERPs. He keeps an eye on the latest researches relevant to the topics of systems integration and optimizing business processes in large companies and corporations.