Moving your business off spreadsheets: a migration plan

To move off spreadsheets into any business software, decide what to bring, clean one sheet per record type, and import in dependency order: customers and vendors, then items, then documents and payments, then projects. Test a small batch, check the result, then import the rest.

Spreadsheets are a fine way to start a business. They stop working when several people edit the same file, when invoices and customers live in different tabs that drift apart, or when nobody can say which copy is current. This plan helps you leave them behind without losing anything that matters.

Step 1: decide what to move

Not everything in your spreadsheets needs to come along. Sort what you have into three groups:

• Move: active customers and vendors with their contacts and addresses, the products and services you sell, open invoices and bills, and projects still running.
• Archive: closed years and finished projects. Keep the files somewhere safe and locked against edits, but leave them out of the new system unless you need them there.
• Drop: duplicates, test rows and customers you will never invoice again.

Our checklist for switching business software helps with the decisions around the move, and how to bring over open invoices covers the trickiest group.

Step 2: one clean sheet per record type

Business software stores customers, invoices and projects as separate, linked records. Your import files should look the same: one sheet per record type, one row per record, one column per field.

• Split combined columns, such as a full address in one cell.
• Use one format for dates and one for numbers, and remove currency symbols from amount columns.
• Give every customer and vendor a single, consistent name or code, because other sheets will refer to it.
• Remove merged cells, subtotal rows and notes typed below the data.

There is more detail in how to clean your data before an import.

Step 3: import in dependency order

In any business software, records point to each other. An invoice belongs to a customer; an invoice line refers to an item. Import the records others depend on before the records that depend on them:

Order	Record types	Why here
1	Customers and vendors	Everything else refers to them
2	Their addresses and contacts	Each one belongs to a customer or vendor
3	Items (products and services)	Invoice lines refer to them
4	Invoices, bills and their lines	They need customers, vendors and items
5	Payments	They settle the invoices and bills
6	Projects and their structure	They refer to customers

Step 4: test with a small batch

Before you import hundreds of rows, import ten. Open a few of the new records and compare them with the spreadsheet: names, addresses, amounts, dates. A problem caught on ten rows takes minutes to fix; the same problem on a thousand rows takes an afternoon.

Step 5: import the rest and freeze the old files

Once the test looks right, import the full files in the same order. Then lock the old spreadsheets against edits and tell the team where the data lives now. Two live copies of the truth is the problem you set out to solve.

How it works in Swiftly Workspace

Swiftly Workspace imports CSV or XLSX files. Customers, their addresses and contacts, vendor contacts and items can all be imported this way.

On a Mac, an admin opens Administration, then Data Import, which opens in its own window:

1. Click New Session and pick an Acquisition Source, a label for where the data came from. If the list is empty, add one under Reference Data, in the Customer group, under Acquisition Sources.
2. In the session window, choose the record types you want under Entities.
3. Click Download CSV Template to get the expected columns, and fill it from your clean sheet.
4. Click Upload and choose your CSV or XLSX file. The rows are staged for review, not saved yet.
5. Click Validate to check the staged rows, fix what it reports, then click Commit.

An optional Validate Identifiers check looks at VAT numbers and email addresses; it is advisory and never blocks the import. A tip from experience: give every record a stable ID in the template's ID column, and use the same values each time, so related rows can find their parent. How to import data on a Mac walks through each screen, and working with CSV templates explains the columns.

Planning ahead for the day you might leave is part of a good move too; see what to ask about data portability.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use CSV or XLSX for an import?

Either works for most imports. CSV is plain and predictable; XLSX keeps your formatting but can hide problems such as formulas or merged cells. Whichever you pick, keep one sheet per record type.

How long does it take to move off spreadsheets?

For a small business with clean data, a day or two of preparation and an hour of importing is common. Messy data takes longer, which is why cleaning comes before importing.

Can I keep using my spreadsheets alongside the new software?

For reporting, perhaps. For the records themselves, no: two places to update means they will drift apart again. Pick a cut-over day and lock the old files against edits.

What should I do with closed years?

Keep them as files in a safe place, and import them if you need to look them up often. Many teams find the current year and open items are enough.