One of the most important steps for setting up your Accelo deployment is migrating your Company and Contact information, otherwise known as your CRM data. Compiling this data can be one of the most daunting tasks in an Implementation. This information is often stored in many disparate tools (your current CRM, your accounting tool, or on a spreadsheet) or not at all. Collating and clearing data takes time and can be a tedious task. At Accelo, we recommend our customers start this process early. This allows your team to gather data from all resources, followed by the time to break up the work into manageable bite-size pieces.
In order to bring in correct, clean data into Accelo, we encourage taking advantage of our csv import that will allow you to review data before import. Accelo has many handy tools to help keep your data organized, including merge features and recognizing duplicates, but it is always easier to start your Accelo account with quality data. Think of it as moving houses; it’s a great opportunity to clear away the clutter!
Here are some tips we encourage our customers to keep in mind when reviewing data:
Your data may include old clients you haven’t interacted with in over a year or old leads that never became active clients. Internally, establish some rules on what contact information is relative to the future of your business and scrub the rest.
Duplicate records will cause information about your client to be stored in different places and one of the biggest reasons our customers come to Accelo is to establish a single source of truth. Accelo can automatically tell if a Company record is the same if the name has an exact match, but records like Acme, Acme Inc, and Acme Inc., will all create unique records. If you are importing data from multiple sources, this is something to pay close attention to.
Accounting tools like Xero and QuickBooks recognize duplicates the same way Accelo does (exact Company Name match). In order to facilitate that seamless invoice sync, it’s best to ensure the data imported into Accelo matches your Accounting tool.
Many tools will export data with unnecessary information that is critical to identifying records in their tools (ie; Transaction IDs). Alternatively, you may have captured information about your customers that is no longer relevant to your current business model. Be sure to remove this data in preparation for import.
You may have key pieces of information your team hasn’t captured yet (ie: email addresses). CSVs provide a great opportunity to quickly identify gaps in current data and populate that information.
Implementation is a critical component of getting value quickly from your Accelo account. Taking the time to review your data can be time-consuming, but it's necessary to ensure the right data is carried over. Remember - you aren't in this alone! Working with our Professional Services Team, you’ll be partnered with a Product Expert who is dedicated to seeing your team succeed.
At Accelo, we offer a plethora of consultative services aimed at helping our customers get the most out of Accelo. Check out our Success Services today to learn more.
