Preserving and Utilizing Existing Data is Key to Successful ecommerce Implementations Bulk data imports from legacy systems to new ecommerce implementations can be complicated and time consuming, so choosing the right vendor is key. When considering an ecommerce re-platforming, businesses are rightly concerned about how to make the transition from legacy systems. Many times much of the most important information is stored in legacy ecommerce systems, and that data can be far too complex to port over using a simple Excel import process. With large quantities of complex data, this process would take hundreds of hours. When considering ecommerce vendors, it is important to ask how this data import would be handled and what the cost will be. Not every platform provider can accommodate the bulk data import required for a successful transition. Leveraging the data you have now and planning for leveraging the big data you will continue to accumulate in the future can give you a leg up on the competition. Deployment Options Typically, the ERP will store most of the critical customer and inventory information. If you are using a proprietary or legacy ERP system you have a couple of options to consider: 1.) Update to a more common ERP (for example, one of the Microsoft Dynamics ERP systems) that can be integrated with your new ecommerce platform. In this integrated ERP scenario you will have to consider how to import the data from your legacy ERP to the new one. 2.) You can maintain the use of your legacy ERP by selecting an ecommerce development company that is capable of connecting to it using a custom integration. 3.) You can make plans to build new systems onto the current ones. This option is costly and generally not very practical, but it can help you avoid having to import existing data. What Legacy Data is Important? Established businesses that operate on legacy platforms that may have been built in house tend to have data housed in many different locations. When considering a new ecommerce platform, it is important to take stock of current workflows and data storage so that you can communicate clearly to potential vendors what will need to be done to keep the business running smoothly through the transition. Typically, the ERP will house data along the lines of inventory and customer level pricing. However, other important information like SEO metadata (SEO url, page titles, H1, product descriptions, product videos) might be stored in the legacy ecommerce system. If you have a large catalog, a lot of customers, or many pages on your site it will quickly become apparent that you can not afford to start over with this data on the new implementation. Bulk Data Import With APIs Because some imported data is too complex to move from one system to another, it is better to use the relevant APIs and find a vendor that can offer catered data transfer services along with the new ecommerce platform, website, and integrations your project will require. Complex data could take hundreds of hours to transfer otherwise, at a huge expense to you. Clarity has the ability to important simple data using a product import sheet. They simply provide your team with a spreadsheet template and the import can happen automatically. Clarity is also experienced in complex legacy data imports, and can bring your legacy data into the new systems using the relevant API (this will depend on the legacy system). With experience in pulling over legacy customer information numbering in the hundreds of thousands and with many different fields including: Old sales orders Membership information Username/password Credit car payment information Shipping and billing addresses Clarity can handle large and complicated scenarios when it comes to data. Clarity ecommerce was built for customization, so by design it is developer and API friendly. Clarity Can Help Clarity specializes in complicated ecommerce implementations. Geared towards B2B and enterprise ecommerce users, Clarity ecommerce is designed for scalability and customization, which means that important your complicated data is already built in to the process. Clarity's catered offerings are designed to fit your business from top to bottom, so that you'll never have to change your business to fit the technology it runs on. Call or click for a free consultation and we'll let you know how we can help!