How to Check a Move to New Accounting Software

Before you start, decide which business, which periods and which kinds of records you are moving, and the date you switch over. Keep a read-only copy of the old books and a note of how each account was mapped.

Compare records and how they link

Compare names, counts, amounts, dates, tax, currency, status and links across contacts, accounts, transactions, invoices, bills, credits, payments, bank lines, reconciliations, journals, documents and anything flagged for review.

Compare the financial results

Compare the trial balance, balance sheet, profit and loss, tax and control accounts at the switch-over date and for a few earlier periods. A balance can match to the cent while items waiting to be reconciled are still missing.

Sign off on differences on purpose

Write down each difference, who is responsible for it, how it was resolved, any amount you accept leaving, and how you would recover. A migration certificate or an “import complete” message doesn’t replace that sign-off.