Prepare one agreed source of truth
List warehouses, clients, products, packaging units, physical locations and active users. Resolve duplicate SKUs, inconsistent names and mixed carton-to-piece conversions. Keep historical records available, but distinguish them from the opening balance. Assign a person to approve each data set rather than pass competing spreadsheets between teams.
| Data | Acceptance question |
|---|---|
| Client and warehouse | Who owns the goods, and where are they physically held? |
| Product and unit | Does the quantity mean pieces, cartons, sacks or another configured unit? |
| Location and status | Can a worker find it, and is it available, reserved or held? |
| Lot / serial / expiry | Is the required tracking detail complete for this product? |
| Open work | Which receipts, orders, returns and transfers still need completion? |
Reconcile the pilot, then test the day
Select a representative area with normal and exception stock. Compare approved opening data with physical counts and imported records. Run a receipt, putaway, pick, pack, dispatch and return using the intended employee accounts. Include a shortage, damaged item, denied permission and interrupted connection. Validate documents and a sample billing cycle with the client context intact.
Agree cutover ownership
Set the last time the old system can accept new movements, who approves the final balance and how open orders will be handled. Record changes that occur during the transition. Train the team with the final labels and devices. Keep a contact and escalation path for each shift so a blocked worker has a safe next step.
Recover without erasing new work
Take and validate the agreed backups before switching. Define what would cause a pause, who makes that decision and how movements after cutover would be reconciled. Restoring an older database can discard new business records; rollback must be designed around the actual changes. Expand to the next site only after the pilot's acceptance criteria are met.
Common questions
Can we import a single quantity per SKU?
Only if that is sufficient for the agreed stock model. Multi-client warehouses usually also need ownership, site, unit, location and stock status, plus required tracking details.
How long does a WMS migration take?
The schedule depends on data quality, integrations, warehouses, roles and training. Agree a scoped pilot and acceptance criteria before committing to a rollout date.
