Spreadsheet to MRP Migration Checklist (Free)

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13 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.

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Scope and process mapping

Document how an order flows today from quote to cash, including the spreadsheets involvedCRITICALList the decisions made in spreadsheets (reorder, scheduling, costing) and who makes themCRITICALDefine the minimum scope for go-live and defer extras to phase twoName a project owner with authority over operations and purchasingCRITICALSet measurable goals such as stockout count, on-time delivery and quote turnaroundAgree what stays in spreadsheets after go-live and what is retired

Item master and units

De-duplicate items and agree one item code conventionCRITICALDefine a single base unit of measure per item with purchase and sales conversionsCRITICALClassify items as purchased, manufactured, phantom or serviceRecord lead times, lot sizes and preferred suppliers for each purchased itemMark obsolete items inactive rather than carrying themAdd item categories needed for reporting and costing

Bills of materials and routings

Validate each BOM against what is actually built, not the old drawingCRITICALModel sub-assemblies with their own BOMs and levelsInclude scrap or yield allowances where realCapture operations, work centers and time standards if routings are in scopeConfirm revision control: which BOM version is activeCost a sample of BOMs and compare with your spreadsheet costs

Partners, orders and opening balances

Clean customer and supplier lists with tax IDs, terms and addressesList open sales orders with remaining quantities and promise datesCRITICALList open purchase orders with received and open quantitiesCRITICALFreeze movements, run a physical count and record opening stock by locationCRITICALValue opening stock on a basis agreed with your accountantCRITICALPrepare opening balances for accounts receivable and payable if accounting moves too

Testing, training and cutover

Load a sample of data into a test environment and review imports line by lineCRITICALRun a complete test order: sale, shortage, purchase, receipt, production, shipment, invoiceCRITICALTrain each role on its own workflow with real examplesChoose a cutover date at a quiet point such as a period or month endRun in parallel for one to two cycles and compare stock and open orders weeklyDocument a fallback if go-live failsLock the old spreadsheets to read-only after cutoverCRITICALReview results after 30 days and update procedures

Critical items are the ones that most often cause a failed or painful cutover. Do not go live with unchecked critical items.

Migration readiness review

Optional review of your item master, BOM and open order data before you import.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use the checklist

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to move from Excel to an MRP?

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?

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?

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?

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.

If you need help extracting and cleaning spreadsheet data or reconciling the first loads, Netray can support the migration.

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