# Plan a move to new accounting software

Builds a migration plan with data mapping, cutover date, opening balance checks, and parallel testing so nothing is lost.

- Topic: Projects & Operations
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Finance, Plan, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/plan-a-move-to-new-accounting-software

## Prompt

```text
Help me plan a migration to new accounting software.

**From / to:** [e.g. "QuickBooks Desktop to Xero", "spreadsheets to QuickBooks Online", "QuickBooks Online to NetSuite"]
**Entities, currencies, users:** [DETAILS]
**What lives in the old system:** [GL history, open AR/AP, inventory, fixed assets, payroll, classes/departments, attachments]
**Integrations:** [bank feeds, payroll, billing, ecommerce, expense tools]
**Preferred go-live:** [DATE - ideally a month, quarter, or year start]
**How much history to bring:** [full transactions / summary balances only / X years]

Cover:
1. Key decisions: conversion date, detail vs. summary history, and what stays archived in the old system (and for how long, for audit and tax record retention).
2. Data mapping: chart of accounts, customers, vendors, items, tax codes, tracking categories - with a cleanup step before migrating.
3. Opening balances: trial balance as of the conversion date, open invoices and bills, unreconciled bank items, and how to avoid double-counting AR/AP.
4. Testing: run one month in parallel or test entries; tie out trial balance, AR and AP aging, and bank balances between systems.
5. Cutover: freeze date, integration switch-over, user setup and permissions, training.

Return:
1. A phased plan with tasks, owners, and dates.
2. A tie-out checklist for go-live (every check must reconcile to the cent).
3. Top risks and how to mitigate them.

Mark tool-specific features I should verify with the vendor as [CHECK VENDOR DOCS].
```

## What to fill in

- DETAILS
- bank feeds, payroll, billing, ecommerce, expense tools
- DATE - ideally a month, quarter, or year start
- full transactions / summary balances only / X years
- CHECK VENDOR DOCS

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.