ERP Data Migrations are Challenging
Every finance leader knows an ERP migrations are challenging, often taking months if not years. Most migrations struggle because the underlying work is deeply manual, brittle, and filled with system-specific nuance. At Doyen we've been involved in dozens of high profile migrations and seen the good, bad, and the ugly. Here are the four places migrations most often fail—and how modern AI can turn each into an advantage.
1. GL Account & Dimension Mapping
Every ERP structures its chart of accounts and dimensions differently. Often teams use a migration as an opportunity to restructure their chart of accounts. In addition, legacy data often mixes naming conventions, inconsistent segments, or invalid combinations. All of this results in a manual, brittle process to ensure a thorough mapping from source accounts to the destination.
How AI helps: AI can automatically classify historical accounts into the destination COA, reduce reliance on manual Excel mapping, and explain the rationale behind each mapping decision so finance teams clearly understand why accounts were mapped a certain way. historical accounts into the destination COA and explains the rationale behind each mapping decision so finance teams clearly understand why accounts were mapped a certain way.
2. Mapping Data Columns to the Destination Format
ERPs disagree on data structures (for instance the syntax of an AP Payment record), naming, required fields, enums, and object-level rules (e.g., terms, posting states, contact structures).
How AI helps: AI learns both the source and destination schemas, generates transformations automatically, and ensures required fields and formats comply with the target platform. With Doyen one can also build templates for common source and destination systems.
3. API Nuances and Loading Errors
Error messages are often cryptic or incomplete and require a detailed understanding of how the destination system expects data to be sent. In addition there are often hidden API calls and tricks to dramatically decrease loading time. Working with a platform that deeply understands the destination system can be a huge benefit.
4. Validation: AP Aging, AR Aging, and GL Reconciliation
Even a successful load can mask imbalances if aging reports or GL activity don’t tie out. Expending effort to validate these reports and flag inconsistencies can results in weeks and months of additional time.
How AI helps: AI compares aging, trial balance, and invoice-level detail between systems, identifies discrepancies automatically based on each unique business.
AI and the Future of ERP Migrations
AI is shifting ERP migrations from multi-month consulting projects into fast, repeatable, quality-driven workflows. As AI becomes more capable, understanding schemas, generating transformations, interpreting API behavior, and performing full GL/AP/AR validation, the speed and reliability of migrations will only increase.
If your team is preparing for an ERP or billing migration, reach out to learn how Doyen can help ensure financial data quality from day one.