Move from Excel to a CRM without losing your bearings

1. Keep a reference copy

Retain the original file and work on a separate import copy. Identify the reference version and who can change it. Avoid updating the spreadsheet and CRM in parallel without a clear rule.

Do not migrate everything automatically. Useful contacts and upcoming bookings are often a better starting point than years of inconsistent worksheets. Keep archives and already issued documents in their original state.

2. Clean columns before importing

• One row per contact, clear column names and separate contact details.
• Find duplicates and review them before merging anything.
• Consistent statuses, countries and business details.
• Remove unnecessary columns and excessive personal information.
• Export CSV with encoding that preserves accents and Spanish characters.

3. Test a small sample

Import representative contacts: an individual, a company and a record with accented characters. Check column mappings, telephone numbers and addresses. A contact import does not automatically recreate quotes, invoices or historical relationships from another system.

In Gestiway, use the contact CSV import for that scope, then open the resulting records. Create a test event, prepare a quote and check the export. Correct the method before processing a larger file.

4. Set a switch-over date

Decide when new enquiries will start being managed in the CRM. Explain the rule to the team and define essential fields. A short checking routine is more useful than a large import nobody reviews.

Keep issued invoices and signed contracts as historical references; do not recreate them to make the history appear complete. Review the first few records for missing details, duplicates and tasks actually being followed up.