Migrate one representative client before the entire studio

An import that creates records is not necessarily a successful migration. The test is whether the resulting client history, active obligations and next actions can be understood and trusted.

A practical sequence

1. Choose a sample with multiple contacts, a signed document and an unpaid balance.
2. Export original files and a machine-readable record where available.
3. Map fields and review duplicates before writing to the destination.
4. Reconcile the imported result against the source and document anything that must be rebuilt.

Work through an example

A contact import succeeds, but an event date lands in a notes field and a remaining balance loses its currency. A small rehearsal reveals both problems before hundreds of records carry the same error.

Where judgement matters

Keep the original export unchanged and retain access until the active work is verified. Historic documents, automations and payment methods may require different treatment. Never imply full compatibility merely because both systems accept CSV.

Make it usable

Open the working tool and work through the decision with your own inputs. Adapt the structured template to preserve the choices and responsibilities. Keep an original copy so later changes remain understandable.

Work the decision

A practice case

An original fictional scenario. Numbers are illustrative inputs; this is not a customer result or a provider performance claim.

A business has 2,000 contact rows, several duplicated couples and notes containing commas and line breaks. Start with a representative sample that includes those awkward records. A clean five-row test proves little if it excludes the cases most likely to lose meaning during mapping. Include one record that must be rejected. A rehearsal that accepts every row cannot demonstrate that the validation boundary protects the destination.

Three decisions and why each matters

Decision	Why it matters
Preserve an untouched export and its origin.	You need a reference for explaining where each imported value came from.
Preview normalized values and rejected rows.	Unexpected date, currency or field conversions should be visible before writing records.
Test replay and attributable undo.	Repeating a job should not create duplicates, and undo should not delete records changed by later legitimate work.

Make one usable artifact

Select a sample with duplicates, missing values, quoted text and one foreign reference. Record expected imports, holds and dedupe decisions before running it.

Then test the difficult case

Interrupt a job after some rows commit, then resume it. Verify that completed rows are not recreated and the remaining rows retain their original provenance.

Use the linked tool or structured template below to record the result. Confirm it against the actual people, agreements and permissions before using it for an event.