Data Migration: Moving Into SAM

A big part of your organizations transition to SAM is the data migration, or moving your current data from your old system to your shiny new SAM site!

We like to think of data migration like moving from one house to another: the process requires sorting and packing all your stuff, moving boxes, and finally unpacking and deciding where everything should go. Your new house might have different rooms than your last place - things won't look exactly the same. Like a move, migrations take decisions on what to keep, where to put it, trial and error, and patience to complete.

Our team will be your partner during this process - think of us as your moving crew, interior designers, and perhaps a friend who encourages you to part with sweaters you haven't worn in four years instead of bringing them to your new house.

First Step: Export your existing data to CSV

Time to pack up your data and move out of your old system.

All data migrations begin with an export of your database, preferably to CSV files. An Excel export can be converted to CSV, a simple file format widely used for moving data between software programs.

We recommend creating a copy of the original export for backup purposes.

Step 2: Field Mapping

This is a tedious part of the process. There's enough information for us to share on this topic, so when you're ready, you can follow this link to access our guide. 

Next, Step 3: Run the migration to import records

We will make final adjustments to the data, then run the migration. This run may be in a test site or your production site depending on the complexity. We may get in touch with you during this step for questions

Lastly, Step 4: Review the migration