How difficult is the migration of CRM to Pipedrive?

CRM migration to Pipedrive

Attention marketers! Are you planning to migrate to Pipedrive CRM? Look no further. Here you have a complete guide through the successful migration from any CRM system to Pipedrive. Explore the 3 ways to import data to Pipedrive via native apps, 3rd party tools like Trujay or Import2, and CSV files. Find out how to prepare your data, so the whole migration is as smooth as silk. We are adding valuable insights to ensure you choose the right migration method. Let’s dig in.

Migration to Pipedrive is like any other. If you focus on data quality, plan properly and strive for perfection, you won’t get lost in the process. It all depends on the complexity of your data, processes and current level of automation. The more you get from your old CRM, the more tricky the migration gets.

But no worries, we are here to help you out. In this article, we will cover the migration end-to-end:

• Who is Pipedrive for

• Getting data ready

• 3 ways to import data

• Native integrations

• Third party tools

• Human-assisted migration

• Don’t fear manual data entry

Who is Pipedrive for

Pipedrive is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform originally from Estonia. It’s designed for small and medium businesses with complex and multiple sales pipelines. It offers a range of tools and features to manage and track sales performance and customer interactions, including contact and lead management, deal management, and advanced activity tracking. All that is spiced with automation options that come especially handy for B2B markets and SaaS companies.

Pipedrive is geared explicitly towards sales teams looking for a streamlined way to manage customer relationships and improve sales processes. Its visual and customizable sales pipeline lets users easily track deals and progress. At the same time, numerous integration options offer connections to other business tools, such as email or project management software.

Additionally, get ready for robust reporting and analysis capabilities, enabling you to gain valuable insights into sales performance and identify areas for improvement.

In recent months, Pipedrive has announced many exciting news and upgrades for 2023 that will significantly expand the potential of this CRM solution.

💡 Thinking about migration to HubSpot instead? Check out our complete guide to migration from Salesforce to HubSpot CRM.

Getting data ready

Every CRM migration starts with getting your database ready for transfer. Deduplicate records, fix errors in formats and do everything we advise in the article focused on 2 steps for perfectly clean data. No matter which CRM platform you are on, the better you condition your records, the easier the migration.

During this phase, also map all of the following:

• Record types to be imported

• Relationships between records

• Custom records and fields

• Business logic and process

• Running automations

💭 Feeling confused? We know it sounds complicated, but follow our Free CRM Migration Checklist, and you won’t get lost.

3 ways to import data

When your data looks pretty good, it’s time to choose the way for your migration. You can transfer data from an old CRM system to Pipedrive with 3 specific methods or any combination of these. Based on your choice, you will either create CSV files or get the right migration apps to do that for you.

💡 Let the CSV files roll! The first thing on your mind might be manual import via CSV files, but we consider this an expert choice to migrate the CRM system. Without a very exact sequence of importing objects to the Pipedrive, getting their unique IDs, filling them to databases of related objects from the old CRM and importing each entity after another is definitely not a piece of cake.

1. Native integrations

Pipedrive Marketplace offers several native integrations to other CRM systems that provide bi-directional synchronization between CRM systems. What does it mean? You can quickly get most data out of your old system without hustle!

For example, the integration with HubSpot will help you automatically feed all the data to Pipedrive with out-of-the-box mappings for the standard object and entities. Get ready that anything else has to be done manually – workflows, custom logic, templates.

This way is the cheapest and fastest, but only when your database is relatively small and not too complex. Great for tiny databases.   

2. Third-party tools

If you haven’t found the right app in the Pipedrive Marketplace, don’t panic. There are always third-party tools like Thrujay or Import2. With their help, you can extract and upload data between almost any combination of CRM systems.

These tools come with a price but are not too costly and offer advanced features to clean up your data or customize them before importing them to your needs. These systems provide extensive manuals where you can find everything you need to know for the correct and frictionless migration.

What’s the downside? These tools can handle loads of data but, due to their universality, can’t handle CRM system-specific logic used in workflows and automations. These processes still need to be manually recreated in the new CRM system, respecting the inner architecture of Pipedrive.

3. Human-assisted migration

Peace of mind way is the most advanced human-assisted migration. If your IT department has limited experience with migration CRMS (ideally to Pipedrive), the best way is to get a professional migration partner on board. Yes, exactly like Autoarti!

We will migrate your data in such a manner that you won’t lose anything. Moreover, your new Pipedrive CRM will be optimized, your database clean, and your business running smoothly like never before. The magic lies in advanced tools and expert migration specialists handling every detail.

This process is complex, requires thorough analysis and hence is expensive. However, if your business relies on the CRM platform and the power of its tools, it’s better to make it properly than risk losing business performance, which can cost you even more at the end of the day. As a partner, we add onboarding for your team, so it’s productive since Day 1 on the new platform.

Don’t fear manual data entry

Some of you might still be thinking about manual data entry. We didn’t want to make CSV files look evil; we use them in migrations too, but as mentioned above, this migration method can get messy. Quickly. So, what’s the thing with imports? It’s like a Potions class, you need the follow exact recipe and use the right ingredients.

1. Import Organizations to Pipedrive

2. Get Organizations’unique IDs

3. Add correct Organization IDs to Contacts’ CSV file

4. Import Contacts to Pipedrive

5. Get Contacts’ unique IDs

6. Add correct Organization IDs and Contacts IDs to Deals’ CSV file

7. Import Deals to Pipedrive

This is the bare minimum of data you will probably be importing to Pipedrive. Are you using custom fields and custom objects? Do you use the custom elements in your automations? Geez’, you better go grab some energy drinks; it will be a long looong night!

Well, we also use manual data entry and the Pipedrive Import Wizard, but let’s say we know what to do, why and when. DON'T TRY IT AT HOME WHEN YOUR BUSINESS DEPENDS ON CRM!

In a nutshell

CRM migration to Pipedrive is a pleasant and relatively quick task when you don’t rush it or wiggle with things like crazy when they get a little complicated. In general, you have three ways.

Use native migration apps from the Pipedrive Marketplace that will transfer basic data between systems. Perfect for tiny CRMs with tiny databases.

Reach for more powerful 3rd-party migration tools like Thrujay or Import2 that allow you to improve data quality and set some advanced things up. It will cost you a bit, but with a bigger database, it’s worth the extra penny.

The most complex and advanced way is to hire a professional migration partner who will offer human-assisted migration—the only way for businesses that depend on CRM, its automations and advanced tools. It can be expensive, but definitely less than paralyzing your business for weeks with reckless DYI migration efforts.

If you are still unsure which way to go, drop us a message and tell us your plans. We will give you our honest recommendations. No hooks attached; consider it a favor for a fellow CRM enthusiast from Autoarti 💙.

👉 Book a free consultation with our CRM expert