What this resource helps you evaluate
engineer-to-order and make-to-order manufacturers moving from spreadsheets, legacy applications or another platform to Make-to-Order MRP.
Migration is a controlled data and operating-model change. The safest sequence is to decide what must move, cleanse it, rehearse conversions and prove reconciliation before the old system becomes read-only.
What to compare first
- Data ownership and migration scope
- Data quality, deduplication and archive decisions
- Transformation and identifier mapping
- Reconciliation and parallel-run requirements
- Cutover, rollback and legacy-system retention
Step-by-step process
- 01
Inventory source systems, files, integrations and reports.
- 02
Define master records, history depth and data that should be archived rather than migrated.
- 03
Run at least one representative migration rehearsal and reconcile counts and values.
- 04
Test integrations and operational workflows against migrated data.
- 05
Execute cutover with rollback criteria, frozen source data and signed reconciliation.
Common mistakes and risk checks
- using static lead times that do not reflect supplier and shop variability.
- Comparing headline license price without implementation, integration, migration and support cost.
- Scoring demos instead of validating the highest-risk workflows with real data and users.
Documents and evidence to collect
- Source-system inventory
- Field mapping and transformation rules
- Migration exception log
- Reconciliation report
- Cutover and rollback plan
Questions to ask vendors
- Can the vendor demonstrate demand conversion, material planning, lead-time control and job release with our representative data?
- Which capabilities require paid modules, services or third-party products?
- What data can we export in a documented format if we leave?
- What implementation work is performed by the vendor versus the customer or partner?
- How are support response, releases, backups and security responsibilities defined?
Primary and official references
Use current official sources to validate requirements that affect your project, industry or jurisdiction.