Migrate records without losing custody or financial balances

What you’ll learn

• Separate masters, history and active obligations.
• Reconcile custody and balances at cutover.
• Prepare rollback and staff training.

Useful terms

Cutover

The agreed point at which the new process becomes authoritative.

Opening balance

A starting financial or stock position supported by reconciled evidence.

Step-by-step operating routine

1. 01

   Inventory the source records

   List master data, active bookings, package custody, open invoices, advances, partner dues and documents. Decide which history must be searchable and which stays in a controlled archive.

   Record or confirm

   • Record class
   • Source owner
   • Volume
   • Retention need
2. 02

   Define mapping and stable keys

   Map columns, units, dates, statuses and identifiers. Record rejected or uncertain values explicitly. Ensure relationships can be reconstructed using stable source keys rather than row position or display name.

   Record or confirm

   • Source key
   • Target field
   • Unit conversion
   • Validation rule
3. 03

   Dry-run a representative batch

   Use a controlled test environment and include duplicates, missing data, partial deliveries and adjustments. Review row-level errors and totals. Fix the source or mapping and rerun without creating another copy of valid rows.

   Record or confirm

   • Batch ID
   • Row result
   • Error reason
   • Retry rule
4. 04

   Reconcile the cutover position

   At the agreed time, compare custody by booking and location, open financial documents and partner balances. Obtain accountable sign-off. Avoid importing both a historical transaction and its opening balance in a way that double-counts it.

   Record or confirm

   • Cutover time
   • Quantity totals
   • Open balances
   • Sign-off
5. 05

   Train, switch and retain recovery

   Train each role on its next action and exception process. Define a rollback decision window and reconcile any work created during it. Monitor initial jobs and preserve the source archive with appropriate access controls.

   Record or confirm

   • Training owner
   • Go-live decision
   • Rollback condition
   • Archive access

Exceptions and mistakes to avoid

• Never put production credentials or full personal records in public import examples.
• Date formats and timezone conversions can move a job into the wrong reporting period.
• A rollback needs reconciliation of new work, not merely restoration of an old spreadsheet.

Migration reconciliation sheet

Reconcile quantities and money separately at the same cutover time. Investigate every material difference before switching authority.

Includes the illustrative row and blank rows. This is a planning worksheet, not a HiVAM import format. Keep your completed copy private; do not add credentials.

Check your understanding

Try answering first, then open the explanation. Use the worksheet and source records to practise the task.

Put it to work with HiVAM

Use these connections to explore the relevant product workflows. Confirm access in your deployed release; API capabilities require an integration or an available interface.

Keep your learning moving.