# Spreadsheet to MRP Migration Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/spreadsheet-to-mrp-migration-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A phased checklist to move planning, BOMs and inventory out of spreadsheets and into a cloud MRP or ERP without losing control during cutover. ## Category erp-migration ## Industry Small Manufacturing ## Audience - Founder - Operations manager - Production planner ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Scoring Note:** Critical items are the ones that most often cause a failed or painful cutover. Do not go live with unchecked critical items. **Groups:** #### Scope and process mapping **Items:** **Text:** Document how an order flows today from quote to cash, including the spreadsheets involved **Critical:** true **Text:** List the decisions made in spreadsheets (reorder, scheduling, costing) and who makes them **Critical:** true Define the minimum scope for go-live and defer extras to phase two **Text:** Name a project owner with authority over operations and purchasing **Critical:** true Set measurable goals such as stockout count, on-time delivery and quote turnaround Agree what stays in spreadsheets after go-live and what is retired #### Item master and units **Items:** **Text:** De-duplicate items and agree one item code convention **Critical:** true **Text:** Define a single base unit of measure per item with purchase and sales conversions **Critical:** true Classify items as purchased, manufactured, phantom or service Record lead times, lot sizes and preferred suppliers for each purchased item Mark obsolete items inactive rather than carrying them Add item categories needed for reporting and costing #### Bills of materials and routings **Items:** **Text:** Validate each BOM against what is actually built, not the old drawing **Critical:** true Model sub-assemblies with their own BOMs and levels Include scrap or yield allowances where real Capture operations, work centers and time standards if routings are in scope Confirm revision control: which BOM version is active Cost a sample of BOMs and compare with your spreadsheet costs #### Partners, orders and opening balances **Items:** Clean customer and supplier lists with tax IDs, terms and addresses **Text:** List open sales orders with remaining quantities and promise dates **Critical:** true **Text:** List open purchase orders with received and open quantities **Critical:** true **Text:** Freeze movements, run a physical count and record opening stock by location **Critical:** true **Text:** Value opening stock on a basis agreed with your accountant **Critical:** true Prepare opening balances for accounts receivable and payable if accounting moves too #### Testing, training and cutover **Items:** **Text:** Load a sample of data into a test environment and review imports line by line **Critical:** true **Text:** Run a complete test order: sale, shortage, purchase, receipt, production, shipment, invoice **Critical:** true Train each role on its own workflow with real examples Choose a cutover date at a quiet point such as a period or month end Run in parallel for one to two cycles and compare stock and open orders weekly Document a fallback if go-live fails **Text:** Lock the old spreadsheets to read-only after cutover **Critical:** true Review results after 30 days and update procedures ## Content **Intro:** Spreadsheets run many small plants well until volume, SKUs or staff turnover make them fragile. Moving to an MRP succeeds when data is clean and the cutover is planned, and fails when teams import messy sheets and hope. This checklist covers the sequence. **Sections:** #### How to use the checklist **Body:** Work through the groups in order. The first group clarifies what the spreadsheets actually do, since hidden logic such as colour coding, formulas and personal rules is the largest risk. Item master and units come next, because everything else depends on them. Tick items as completed and treat critical items as gates. Export the list and use it in weekly project meetings so that everyone sees the same status. **Bullets:** - Assign an owner and a date to every unchecked item. - Review progress weekly, not at the end. - Keep a log of data decisions for later audits. #### Why data comes before software **Body:** An MRP calculates from item data, BOMs, lead times and inventory balances. If any of those are wrong, the system produces confident but wrong purchase suggestions and shortage lists, and users blame the software. Time spent standardising codes, units and BOMs usually pays back more than time spent comparing features. Plan for data preparation to be the longest part of the project, and have the people who know the product do the validation. #### A realistic sequence **Body:** A typical small plant works through five steps: map the process, fix master data, load a test sample, run end-to-end tests, then cut over with a short parallel period. Opening stock should be counted at the cutover date, and open orders loaded from the same moment. Keep the old spreadsheets for reference but remove edit access to avoid two sources of truth. Expect the first month to be slower, then review exceptions rather than normal work. #### Common mistakes **Body:** The usual errors are importing every legacy item, keeping informal unit conversions, loading opening stock before the count is final, and skipping the parallel period to save time. Another is trying to configure every feature at once. Launch with core flows: purchasing, receiving, production orders, shipping. Add scheduling, quality and costing refinements after the data is trusted. **Bullets:** - Do not migrate unreliable history just because it exists. - Do not let two people own the item master. - Do not skip operator training on scanning or issuing materials. **Cta:** If you need help extracting and cleaning spreadsheet data or reconciling the first loads, Netray can support the migration. **Faq:** #### How long does it take to move from Excel to an MRP? **Answer:** For a small plant with clean data, expect roughly one to three months. The time depends mainly on BOM and item cleanup, stock counting and training. Complex routings, many SKUs or multiple sites extend it. #### Should I run both systems in parallel? **Answer:** A short parallel run, one or two planning cycles, is wise for the core flows. It catches data errors without risking deliveries. Avoid a long parallel run, because double entry exhausts staff and encourages abandoning the new system. #### What data must be perfect before import? **Answer:** Item codes and units, active BOMs, supplier lead times, and opening stock quantities. Small errors there multiply into wrong shortages and purchasing. Historical sales data and old closed orders matter much less. #### Can I migrate in phases? **Answer:** Yes. Many plants start with inventory and purchasing, then add production orders and scheduling. A phased approach reduces risk but needs clear boundaries so data is entered only once. ## Search terms spreadsheet to mrp migration, excel to erp migration checklist, move from excel to mrp, small manufacturer erp implementation checklist, mrp data migration checklist, replace excel production planning, erp go live checklist small business, mrp cutover plan --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json