An illustrative example: a company chooses a new CRM and only then exports its old database. Contacts are present, but nobody can tell which sale belongs to which company or where attached documents are. The suitcase is packed; its handle stayed at home.
Export means obtaining data from a system as a file or through another supported method. Before choosing a new CRM, check not just the button but whether the necessary working context can be reconstructed.
List what must remain available
List customers, deals, products, documents, communication history and unfinished actions separately. For each group, decide whether it must support work in the new system or whether an accessible archive is enough.
Check the current product’s official capabilities: different data types may use different export methods and limits. Do not promise to transfer “everything” merely because a contacts spreadsheet exists.
Prepare exports with authorised permissions. For preliminary discussions, use a small anonymised sample rather than sending the entire database into a group chat.
Examine record relationships
An identifier is a stable record number. If two companies share a name, that name alone cannot reliably link their sales.
Include a customer with several deals and a deal with several products in the training sample. Check whether relationships are understandable and repeated rows can be distinguished from separate objects. Ask a specialist to describe the matching rule.
For a company in Kazakhstan, include the languages, telephone formats and dates actually used. Open a copy and confirm characters and values are readable.
Do not equate a spreadsheet with a full backup
Check attachments, emails, comments and automation settings separately. Which items were exported as content, and which are only links to the old system? Will those links still open after access changes?
Bitrix24 CRM exports are described in the official instructions. Fields, filters and permissions affect the result; check restrictions for your plan and record type. This demonstrates why each product’s terms matter, rather than promising identical exports across all CRMs.
Decide about moving after the check
Ask to see how the selected tool accepts the training sample and preserves required relationships. A trial import is useful for the next stage.
If standard methods cannot move part of the history, discuss supported alternatives and an archive. Sometimes keeping the current system and improving the process is wiser than moving with unknown data coverage.
QQDev implements Bitrix24. The implementation page is a place to discuss moving from another system and transfer boundaries. Bring a list of required objects and an anonymised export sample: it is a basis for assessment, not a commitment to move.