9 Things to consider while migrating to a newer version of Odoo

Every year, Odoo ERP gets upgraded to a newer version that comes with new and better features and functionalities. This makes it essential to migrate to the newer version and here are the key things to consider while migrating.

Nowadays, it has become crucial for every business to stay updated with the continuous changes and advancements in technologies to stay ahead in the curve. For this, keeping on modifying things in the business and migrating the older versions of the software systems to their newer versions are important. The same is applicable for Odoo ERP as well.

Odoo software system has more than 7 million global users today. It is an open-source, affordable, flexible, highly scalable, modular, and fully customisable ERP solution that fits every business need and process. It is an all-in-one integrated software system that ensures to manage all business operations within a single platform. And the best thing about the ERP is that it gets updated to a new version every year and comes up with better features and modules for better business management. However, to leverage those features, it is always necessary to migrate to it. But migrating to the new version with all your business data, etc., is not easy and needs professional and expert Odoo service providers. Also, it is crucial to consider a few things before and during the migration process.

Here are the points you need to consider to successfully migrate your system to the newer Odoo ERP version.

Make sure to take the backup:

This is the most important and the very first thing you need to take prior to proceeding with the migration process. You must not forget to take the backup of all your system's data and install the demo server from your current production server along with the database and extensions. By doing this, you can prevent errors or bugs from occurring and can also prevent any other data loss that may take place while migrating. And to install the latest version, you will also have to clear the system registries.

Evaluate the working of your current system:

You need to perceive, scrutinise, and evaluate the working of your current system before migrating. Once you are done with a complete analysis of your system, you will be able to clearly understand why you should migrate to the new version and what added features and benefits you will get by installing the new version. Also, you will get to know which business processes may get affected after migrating to the new version of the ERP as the current system and the new version may have differences in their workings, module structures, and features. The compatibility of your business processes with the current system and the compatibility of your business processes with the new version may differ. Hence, evaluation of everything is a must before migrating.

Find the demo copy of the latest version:

The demo copy of the latest ERP version will provide you with the details of the new modules as well as the improved modules that are there in the new version and that are not there in the current system you are using. The demo copy can be turned off or on when it will be created. Even if you give a command for importing the demo data at the time of creating it, you can even turn it off later on. Creating a demo copy simply makes sure that your business system is migrating to the new version of the ERP in a safer way.

Migrating your current database:

It does not make any sense to migrate to the latest version until you are migrating your entire database. Remember, the database migration process is a challenging process. You have to be very careful with the data extraction process as different data may be stored at different locations of your system. While migrating the database, there may be some errors in the data set that can be prevented through the data cleansing process.

Module migration:

Module migration is a systemised approach. You need to know about the modules you have integrated into your current system or the modules of the current version of the ERP you have integrated and the modules and the features of the modules that are there in the newer version. This will help you to know how to migrate the modules.

Handling the technical glitches:

Make sure to fix the technical glitches and issues that have taken place during migration. This step is important to ensure the flawless performance of the new system after migration.

Down-time while migration:

Many businesses run both the older and the current version of the system in parallel with the new version that is being prepared. Calculating the down-time early can increase the chances that the workflow will get restarted after the migration is complete and can decrease the chances of any loss of time and money of the business.

Time and resources dedicated for User Acceptance or UAT Testing:

Testing is one of the most important steps of the migration process. Without proper and complete testing, live systems can even stop working when any bug is encountered. Hence, to avoid any failure or to avoid poor performance of the live system or to reduce failure risk, resources and time must go for UAT testing where the users test the entire system along with its functionalities and then a green signal is given to go live.

Cost of migration:

Know the cost of migration before getting started with the process. Implementation of new modules, doing modifications to the previous modules, setting up the new database, migrating data, and many more factors together determine the cost of migration.

So, these were the key considerations for successful Odoo migration. Each one of these points is important to ensure flawless performance of the new system and to ensure no loss of data, time, and money while migrating.

Alex Forsyth is a highly experienced Odoo ERP consultant associated with the most reliable and reputable Odoo implementation company in Australia, Envertis Software Solutions. The author has written this article to let you know the key factors you need to consider for successfully migrating your current system to a new Odoo version.

Alex Forsyth is one of the expert app developers in Sydney who is working for Envertis, an earmarked Australian company for mobile app development which has been delivering dynamic and revenue-centric apps to businesses.