Migrating Your CRM Without Losing Player Data: The Step-by-Step Guide

Sooner or later every successful iGaming business is faced with a scenario where they simply become too big for their old software or stumble upon compatibility problems that leave them with no choice but to seek alternative Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions. CRM data migration can be a pain in the butt, requiring rigorous work to ensure a spotless transition from your old CRM to a new platform.

But how exactly can you achieve this?

In this article, we’ll look at the nuts and bolts of the CRM migration rollercoaster, covering the best proven practices to help your iGaming business migrate player data with minimal hassle.

“Management of many is the same as management of few. It is a matter of organization.”

– Sun Tzu

How Does CRM Migration Work?

CRM migration means moving player data from your existing CRM system to a fresh one. This is done to upgrade your capabilities as an operator, smartening up functionality and boosting productivity. Better customer service is the end result. 

The decision to switch to a new CRM isn’t by all means an easy one – but it has to be done at some point if you want to play with the big boys in the iGaming industry. It’s important, however, to know why you’re opting for this change in the first place. For example, if your platform is to house a bigger player base – your current system is outdated and struggles to do what you need it to, or you want out-of-the-box functionality – you’ve got solid reasons to migrate to a new software.

Familiarizing yourself with the know-hows of CRM migration can help you achieve a smooth migration process that will drive your revenue down the line.

Choosing a Reliable Migration Partner

Finding a migration partner that can get the job done is like choosing the right man to lead your safari trip. You need someone by your side who can get you from A to B safely, without putting your life in danger. He would need to know all the hidden risks and should be able to act swiftly if things get out of hand.

Your CRM migration partner should possess the following qualities:

• A deep well of technical knowledge of organizing data sets

• Cleans and prepares data accordingly before the migration

• Rock solid experience in planning and executing CRM migrations

• Oversees a smooth transfer of player data to the new CRM platform

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CRM Migration: The Meaty Part

Now, let's take a closer look at what tools you need to save yourself from CRM migration failure. 

1. Navigating the Migration Process 

First, you need to make sure each piece of data can fit properly into the structure of the new system. This means aligning fields, formats, and structures between the old and new CRMs. Here’s how you you can achieve this:

• Accurately link each data field in the old CRM to its matching counterpart in the new system. Pay special attention to custom fields for proper mapping.
• Different CRMs can interpret data formats wrongly. Make necessary adjustments to date formats, currency symbols, and any other variations so nothing is off the tracks. 
• Outline the connections between entities, such as contacts, accounts, and opportunities so that their relationships remain intact in the new CRM.
• Use specialized data migration software that automates mapping tasks, detects inconsistencies, and helps the migration process.

2. Addressing Transformation Issues

Player data won’t always fit perfectly in the new CRM. Transformation processes are crucial when your existing data needs to be modified. Here are some common challenges and their solutions:

• Keep your data clean by removing duplicates, inconsistencies, and outdated entries. That’s how you enhance data integrity and optimize storage in the new system.
• Make sure data formats, including phone numbers, addresses, and dates, are consistent to allow for effective analysis and reporting on the new platform.
• Augment your data with additional information from external sources or internal databases. This can help enrich customer interactions and marketing efforts.

3. Post-Migration: Enhancing Your New System

After getting the job done, keep building on your foundation. Use the power of your new CRM to improve customer relationships and business operations:

• Sift through your migrated data to find precious customer insights and detect trends. Use this info to customize your marketing campaigns, come up with better approaches when selling, and provide a better customer service experience.
• Streamline repetitive tasks such as lead scoring, email follow-ups, and reporting. This allows your team to devote more time to strategic tasks.
• Keep an eye on your new CRM and adjust processes as necessary. Ask for feedback from users and make improvements so your system can remain efficient and align with your evolving business requirements.

Possible CRM Migration Pitfalls

Even though migrating your CRM has many positives, it also comes with its own set of challenges. Here are some of the main ones:

Stakeholder Alignment

One of the biggest headaches is all stakeholders getting on the same page about the necessity of the migration, the selection of the new CRM, and the migration plan. This can include senior management as well as the end-users who will interact with the CRM daily. 

Data Gaps

Possible loss of data or any gaps in it need to be paid special attention to. It’s important to make sure that every inch of data is properly mapped and transferred to the new platform without loss or corruption. 

Poor Collaboration

Migration is a cross-departmental effort that relies on solid cooperation among the key teams. This includes the sales people, IT, marketing, and customer support. Lousy teamwork can result in overlooked details, discrepancies in data, and delays in the migration timeline.

Migrating Everything at Once

Trying to move data and functionalities all at once can be extremely dangerous. To make sure you arrive at the other hand with a full bag, you need a phased migration strategy, where data and features are transferred in manageable portions. This will make the process more effective and help uncover and address problems early on.

Inexperience

If your team hasn’t been in the trenches of CRM migration long enough, they’ll be ill equipped to handle potential issues or follow best practices. This further underscores the importance of selecting a suitable partner for the job, as they can provide the necessary know-how to get it done.

Conclusion 

It’s clear that CRM migration isn’t an easy task, but transitioning to a new CRM is extremely important for efficiency and better customer relationships. 

The Smartico.ai team is on standby to help you with all your CRM-related needs providing you with the most advanced CRM automation/gamification system currently on the market. We also also handle the entire CRM integration process, so you won’t need to worry about any of the fluff-fluff above. 

Book your slot for a free in-depth demo now.

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