Illustrative process diagram. It contains no live customer data or automatically executed action.
01
Identify sources rather than collecting copies
List the source files, their owners and the date each was last maintained. A desktop customer list and a shared team spreadsheet may contain different updates. Decide which source should be used for each type of information before combining them. A filled cell is not necessarily an authoritative or current value. Preserve the original files for comparison and recovery. Keep a simple record of what is being transferred and where it came from. This makes later questions easier to answer without guessing which version was used.
02
Separate people, companies and opportunities
A spreadsheet row can combine a company, a contact and several sales discussions. Importing that row without interpretation can create an unclear structure. Contact details, company information and opportunity scope represent different record types. One company can have several contacts, and one contact can be involved in several pieces of work. Take a sample row and explain which records it should become. Use explicit relationships where possible rather than leaving every connection in a free-text note. Agree the model with the people who will use it.
03
Write a field-mapping table
Use columns for the source field, destination field, transformation rule and decision owner. A company column may become a company name, while a phone field may require format checks. Explain what an empty value means: unknown, unnecessary and not yet confirmed are different situations. A matching email address alone is not always enough to merge two records, particularly when an address is shared. Identify who can make a merge decision and how the original information will remain traceable. Keep assumptions visible rather than silently turning them into data.
04
Review more than the imported row count
Start with a small set of representative records, including Turkish characters, empty fields and multiple contacts for one company. Open the resulting records and inspect their relationships and owners. Source rows and CRM records may have different counts because one row can become several related records. Understand the reason for the difference. An import that produces no technical error can still leave users unable to understand the next task. Ask a colleague to find an imported record and explain the work it represents before expanding the migration.
05
Avoid maintaining two competing sources of truth
If the old spreadsheet and CRM continue to change independently, the team will not know which is current. Set a transition date and define who owns updates. Explain when the old file becomes a reference archive. Collect corrections during the first days and record the source of each change. Review Hubz data-management and quality tools within the relevant module and role scope. A successful first import does not replace a consistent rules for creating records. Without ongoing ownership, the same spreadsheet habits can gradually recreate the original problem.
06
Try it with your team
Prepare a sample with an empty company field, two different people sharing a name, a company with several opportunities and a description containing special characters. Explain the expected records before importing. After the sample transfer, ask a colleague to find the correct relationship and describe the next action. Keep discrepancies in a separate issue list. Resolve the mapping questions in that small sample before transferring the full source. Preserve the source copy and identify who decides which system receives updates during the transition.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Check before you begin.
- List source files and their owners.
- Prepare a field-mapping table.
- Define who reviews possible duplicates.
- Try the import with representative records.
- Set a transition date and preserve a recovery copy.
Use one of your team’s current customer records to work through this checklist. Assign a person to each step and agree what a completed step looks like. For example, a follow-up task needs an owner and a date; a quote line needs the right item, quantity and currency. If information is missing, check the original record or ask the colleague responsible. Try the process with a small group, then adjust it based on the questions they raise.
Frequently asked questions
Must every old spreadsheet column be imported? +
Evaluate the current purpose of each column. Decide how information that is not part of the new workflow should be retained and accessed; do not delete original sources without a controlled plan.
Is a different record count after import always an error? +
No. One source row can become related contact and company records. Investigate the reason for the difference and verify that the relationships are correct.
By Hubz Editorial Team. Prepared with AI assistance and aligned with source-backed Hubz product descriptions. Examples are illustrative, not customer outcomes, independent research or personalized advice. Read our editorial policy to understand how product scope and explanatory examples are distinguished.
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