Plans · Operations

Move to a new CRM

10 weeks · 5 phases · 27 tasks · 5 milestones · 5 risks

For an operations or sales lead moving a team of up to a few dozen people from one CRM to another. Data work starts early because it always takes longer than expected, training uses each team's own records, and the cutover happens in one go in week 9. Keep the old system read-only for a while rather than switching it off on day one.

Open this in Harbor

Makes it a program in your harbor, dated from today.

Milestones

Week 2New CRM chosen
Week 6Test import signed off
Week 8Training complete
Week 9Cutover
Week 10Everyone working in the new CRM

The plan, phase by phase

1. Requirements

Weeks 1 to 2. Understand how people really use the current CRM, then choose the new one.

Week 1List how each team uses the current CRMSit with a few people as they work; what they do often differs from what's documented.
Week 1Write down the must-haves and the nice-to-haves
Week 2Choose the new CRMTrial it with real data and the people who'll use it every day.
Week 2Name an owner and one champion per team

2. Design

Weeks 3 to 4. Decide how data and processes will look in the new system.

Week 3Map fields from the old CRM to the new oneDecide what to drop; not every old field deserves to move.
Week 3Design pipelines, stages and required fieldsKeep required fields to the few that reports actually need.
Week 4Plan integrations with email, calendar, billing and website forms
Week 4Agree permissions and who sees whatStart simple; you can lock things down later.

3. Data

Weeks 4 to 7. Clean the data and prove the import works before the real one.

Week 4Export everything from the old CRM
Week 5Clean duplicates and dead records
Week 5Run a test importImport a full copy, not a sample, so you see real volumes and errors.
Week 6Check the test import with each teamAsk each champion to check twenty records they know well.
Week 6Fix the mapping and import again
Week 7Write down the rules for entering data from now on

4. Set up and train

Weeks 5 to 8. Configure the new CRM and teach people with their own records.

Week 5Configure the new CRM
Week 6Connect the integrations
Week 7Rebuild the key reports and dashboardsStart with the reports leadership reviews every week.
Week 8Train each team using their own dataShort sessions per team beat one long session for everyone.
Week 8Write a one-page how-to for each team

5. Cutover

Weeks 8 to 10. Switch everyone over at once and support them through the first week.

Week 8Pick the cutover date and tell everyone
Week 9Freeze changes in the old CRM
Week 9Run the final importSchedule it outside working hours and keep the old export safe.
Week 9Spot-check records after the import
Week 9Switch everyone to the new CRM
Week 10Hold daily drop-in help for the first week
Week 10Keep the old CRM read-only until you're sure nothing is missingCheck your contract dates so access doesn't end before you're ready.
Week 10Review adoption with each team lead

What usually goes wrong

The data is messier than expected
Duplicates, blank fields and old workarounds only show up when you try to import.
What helps: Export and run a test import by week 5, and give cleanup its own owner and time.
Likelihood 5 of 5 · impact 4 of 5
People keep working outside the new CRM
If the new system feels slower, sales notes drift back into spreadsheets and inboxes.
What helps: Train with each team's real records, have champions help colleagues, and make the weekly reports come only from the new CRM.
Likelihood 4 of 5 · impact 4 of 5
Integrations break at cutover
Website forms or billing stop sending data and leads go missing.
What helps: List every integration in week 4, test each one before cutover, and check them again on the first day.
Likelihood 3 of 5 · impact 4 of 5
History is lost in the move
Notes, emails and attachments sometimes don't import, and that context is hard to rebuild.
What helps: Check history on sample records in the test import and keep a full export of the old system.
Likelihood 2 of 5 · impact 5 of 5
Old and new contracts don't line up
You either pay for both for months or lose the old system before you're ready.
What helps: Check the old contract's end date in week 1 and plan the cutover with a few weeks of overlap.
Likelihood 3 of 5 · impact 3 of 5

Using it

Copy what fits and cut what doesn’t: no real project matches a template. In Harbor the plan becomes a program with these milestones, one project holding every task with its due date, and these risks in the register, all yours until you hand them out. The first phase starts in To do and the rest wait in the backlog.

Open this in Harbor

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