Migration · Sage to Odoo
Sage to Odoo, with your nominal ledger and VAT carried across properly
Sage has kept the books of a great many small and mid-sized firms for decades. When the business needs stock, sales and purchasing in the same system as the ledger, Odoo is a common next step. We move the ledger first and make sure it agrees.
What moves from Sage
No.ItemWhat it means in practice
01Nominal codesSage's nominal codes rebuilt as Odoo's chart of accounts. Codes can be kept so reports still read the same.
02Customers and suppliersExported from Sage's records, cleaned of duplicates and dormant accounts, then loaded.
03Departments and cost centresMapped to Odoo analytic accounts, so departmental reports carry on.
04Open itemsOutstanding sales and purchase invoices taken from the aged debtors and creditors reports at cut-over, with original dates.
05Opening balancesAgreed to Sage's trial balance at the cut-over date, ideally a year-end or month-end.
06StockProduct records and quantities, with values agreed to Sage's stock valuation.
Where Sage moves go wrong
No.TrapWhat it means in practice
01VAT codesSage's tax codes are mapped by treatment, so the first VAT return from Odoo matches what was filed from Sage.
02Year-end not runIf the previous year was never closed in Sage, retained earnings must be agreed before the opening balance is posted.
03Unallocated receiptsPayments on account and unallocated credits must be matched or carried deliberately, or customer statements will be wrong.
04Bank itemsUnreconciled bank entries are carried as open items so the first Odoo reconciliation balances.
How we do it
No.StepWhat it means in practice
01Read the books firstYour last trial balance, tax returns and bank reconciliations, before we touch Odoo. The move is planned from those, not from a file export.
02Build in a test databaseChart, taxes, contacts, products and balances loaded into a separate Odoo database. You keep working in your current system.
03Agree it, line by lineTrial balance, receivables, payables, stock and bank agreed to the old system. Differences are explained, never posted to a suspense account.
04Parallel runOne period posted in both systems and compared. This is where tax-code mistakes show up.
05Go live and stayWe are there for the first month-end close, when the real questions arrive.
Why an accountancy practice
We prepare accounts and tax returns for clients as well as building software. A migration is judged at the first tax return and the first audit, not on go-live day, so it is planned by people who have to sign off those numbers.
Questions people ask
01
Which Sage products can you move from?
Sage 50, Sage 200 and Sage Accounting (the cloud product). Each can export the lists and reports we load from.02
Can we keep our nominal codes?
Yes. Most clients keep them, so staff and auditors recognise the reports.03
When is the best time to switch?
At a year-end or month-end, after the period is closed in Sage. We plan the cut-over date with you.Book a meeting
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