Migration anxiety is reasonable. Your records are the firm’s memory, and the thought of moving them feels risky. But a migration is not all-or-nothing. The key is to decide deliberately what carries forward, what gets archived, and what can simply be retired, so the new system starts clean rather than cluttered.
What to bring over
| Record | Bring it? |
|---|---|
| Open and in-progress cases | Yes, these are live work |
| Recent closed cases | Yes, for continuity and follow-up |
| Active preneed contracts | Yes, with funding and documents |
| Customer and family records | Yes, to avoid re-creating contacts |
| Required signed documents | Yes, for retention |
| Old closed cases (years back) | Usually archive as an export, not a full import |
How to keep the move clean
- Export everything from your current system first, so you have a full backup.
- Decide a cutoff date for which closed cases import versus archive.
- Clean duplicate customers before import, not after.
- Run one live case in the new system before moving the rest.
- Keep the old system read-only for a short overlap.
What to ask software vendors
- What formats can my current system export, and can yours import them?
- Do you help with migration, and is it included?
- How long until I am running live cases?
- Can I export from your system later if I ever need to?
How FuneralHQ handles this
FuneralHQ includes migration support on every plan and helps you decide what to import versus archive, so the new account starts clean. Most firms run their first live case within the first week, and your data stays exportable at any time. See the full migration guide.
Related resources
Read when should a funeral home replace its software and how to export funeral home data before switching.