How to Approach Data Migration in ActivityInfo

General
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Hi everyone,

Data migration is a critical step when transitioning from spreadsheets or legacy systems into ActivityInfo. Done well, it improves data quality, strengthens reporting, and sets a solid foundation for future workflows. Done poorly, it can introduce inconsistencies and long term data integrity issues that are difficult to correct later.

A successful migration starts with carefully reviewing and cleaning existing data, clarifying relationships between datasets, and thoughtfully designing your target schema. Instead of replicating spreadsheet structures, it is important to define required fields, key and unique constraints, reference data, and validation rules intentionally. Testing imports in small batches and validating record counts before a full rollout significantly reduces risk.

For a detailed step by step approach, you can read the full documentation here:
https://www.activityinfo.org/support/docs/working-with-data/migrating-data-to-activityinfo-best-practices.html

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Thanks, Timothy, for sharing this resource! This was inspired by some of the learnings we heard from the experiences of @spont_missioinvest.o at Missio Invest and Michelle Unda at the Spotlight Initiative.

I wonder if others have some more learnings they can share from their own experiences?

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