Can existing customer data be transferred to a new CRM?

The usual process

1. Inventory check – which sources are available, how many data sets, which fields are actually used?
2. Field mapping – which field from the source corresponds to which field in the new system? Here it is decided whether information will be lost.
3. Data cleansing – merge duplicates, standardize spellings, sort out obviously inactive data records.
4. Test import – first into a test environment, results checked in a sample manner.
5. Live import – with a fixed cutoff date and a rollback option.

The most common mistake

Transferring everything simply because it exists. An address book from fifteen years contains a significant proportion of contacts that are never used again. They slow down searches and distort any analysis.

A sensible limit: contacts with no activity in recent years are archived, not imported.

Data protection during the transfer

Purpose limitation also applies during the transfer: data may only be further processed for the purpose for which they were collected. Changing the system is not a new purpose – but a good opportunity to review and implement deletion periods. Marketing consents must be transferred along with proof; without proof, the contact may not be marketed further.