Import has been a hazel from the early days.
Now - Is this due to limitations in the standard import interface from the MSD CRM GUI or is it lack of knowledge and skills?
Back in the days where high tech was Xerox and telefax, the successful businesses were the once that knew the products they were selling.
Now a days.... Well.... Back on the track.
When you do import data there is one thing thing you should know: What is your tool box!
Knowing your tool box makes it so much easier to maneuver.
I use Microsoft Excel as the simple toolbox.
Example: Export a number of records from an entity, modify using all hacks like dlookup, lookup and concagnating of fields. Brings me far of we are talking simple tasks.
So advice number one: Learn your Excel commands and functions
Microsoft access is a bit more advanced. In Microsoft Access you would be able to establish the same schema and base of data, that you would like to migrate from one solution to another. Lets say you have a task where you would like to migrate data from Sugar CRM to MSD CRM.
Export your data from Sugar CRM into csv files and link each of them from MS Access. Create the relationships between the individual tables and you are almost there.
Download the import templates for each of the entities you would like to migrate data to, and replicate that schema model in a set of views.
Now you could decide just to export the tables to csv files from MS Access, but if approach the task with try and error you might want to repeat the task.... Too time consuming...... You might consider building up a set of macros, that export the data based on a file definition, for you to get the same set of data in a structured and exact same format over and over again.
Second advice: If you have a migration task with multiple simple tables from one source, your could use MS Access.
Third option is if we are talking complex migrations and multiple sources. You would have to cleanse data and uniform them.
That takes a MS SQL database and might even involve the usage of Analysis Services and Integration Services, where you could benefit from the framework in place.
Now - That would take some skills to get there, but it is not that hard. Microsoft provides a set of free applications and services - MS SQL Express is one of them. You would get all tools to do complex migration of data with a certain amount of data.
Third advice: Learn how the MS SQL Express engine is working, what are the capabilities, features and functions and how you can import, export, transform and plan you data.
And then the other once: Dynamics Connector, Scribe, KingSoft and others.....
I hope this has given you some inspiration to dive into the world of data migration and data management.
Now - Is this due to limitations in the standard import interface from the MSD CRM GUI or is it lack of knowledge and skills?
Back in the days where high tech was Xerox and telefax, the successful businesses were the once that knew the products they were selling.
Now a days.... Well.... Back on the track.
When you do import data there is one thing thing you should know: What is your tool box!
Knowing your tool box makes it so much easier to maneuver.
I use Microsoft Excel as the simple toolbox.
Example: Export a number of records from an entity, modify using all hacks like dlookup, lookup and concagnating of fields. Brings me far of we are talking simple tasks.
So advice number one: Learn your Excel commands and functions
Microsoft access is a bit more advanced. In Microsoft Access you would be able to establish the same schema and base of data, that you would like to migrate from one solution to another. Lets say you have a task where you would like to migrate data from Sugar CRM to MSD CRM.
Export your data from Sugar CRM into csv files and link each of them from MS Access. Create the relationships between the individual tables and you are almost there.
Download the import templates for each of the entities you would like to migrate data to, and replicate that schema model in a set of views.
Now you could decide just to export the tables to csv files from MS Access, but if approach the task with try and error you might want to repeat the task.... Too time consuming...... You might consider building up a set of macros, that export the data based on a file definition, for you to get the same set of data in a structured and exact same format over and over again.
Second advice: If you have a migration task with multiple simple tables from one source, your could use MS Access.
Third option is if we are talking complex migrations and multiple sources. You would have to cleanse data and uniform them.
That takes a MS SQL database and might even involve the usage of Analysis Services and Integration Services, where you could benefit from the framework in place.
Now - That would take some skills to get there, but it is not that hard. Microsoft provides a set of free applications and services - MS SQL Express is one of them. You would get all tools to do complex migration of data with a certain amount of data.
Third advice: Learn how the MS SQL Express engine is working, what are the capabilities, features and functions and how you can import, export, transform and plan you data.
And then the other once: Dynamics Connector, Scribe, KingSoft and others.....
I hope this has given you some inspiration to dive into the world of data migration and data management.
