Before signing: agree what moves
Inventory contacts, notes, forms, photos, appointments, memberships, package balances, credits, stock and reporting history. Identify the source system and responsible owner for each. Mark configuration that must be rebuilt rather than transferred.
Pabau publishes source-specific migration guidance, which is a useful reminder that export formats and supported imports vary. Ask for a written migration scope tailored to your source system, including exclusions, responsibilities, access requirements and acceptance criteria.
Before configuration: clean the definitions
Choose service names, provider identifiers and location codes that can remain consistent in the new system. Decide how duplicate profiles and archived records will be handled with the relevant owners. Preserve the information the practice must retain; do not treat cleanup as permission to delete clinical history.
Have operations and clinical owners review the mapping. A contact field that becomes free text or a photo that loses its patient association may preserve a file count while making the record difficult to use. Include meaning and relationships in the test plan.
| Workstream | Test sample | Acceptance evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Records | Multiple visits, corrected note, attachment | Readable history with correct associations |
| Packages | Partially redeemed and refunded package | Expected remaining balance |
| Memberships | Frozen plan and failed renewal | Benefits and next charge process reconciled |
| Scheduling | Shared device and blocked provider | Correct conflict handling |
| Roles | Front desk and clinical accounts | Expected permissions |
Before bulk import: validate a representative sample
Run a test transfer using an approved secure process. Compare source and destination counts, but also open records and perform the tasks staff will need. Include awkward cases, not just recently created clean profiles.
Keep a reconciliation worksheet with source identifier, expected data, observed data, issue, owner and resolution. Have the relevant reviewer accept each workstream. An unresolved clinical record issue should remain a launch blocker if the practice determines the record is required for safe operation.
Before go-live: rehearse the working day
Train staff on booking, record retrieval, checkout, package redemption and exception handling. Ask them to complete tasks independently in a test environment. Record where the instructions or configuration need adjustment.
Confirm the last export, booking freeze if any, final import and first-day ownership. Define who can approve launch and who can pause it. Document the fallback if an essential workflow is unavailable, along with appropriate access to historical records.
After go-live: reconcile before closing the old system
Check the first appointments, payments, benefits and reports against the accepted opening balances. Give each unresolved issue an owner and a resolution date. Maintain a visible exception log so staff do not create separate undocumented workarounds.
Keep old-system access for the period and purpose required by the practice’s contracts and professional obligations. Confirm how historical material will be available later. A completed import does not by itself justify terminating access or deleting a source copy.
Copyable launch gate
Use these columns in your launch worksheet: workstream; accountable owner; required acceptance test; evidence location; open issue; severity; fallback; approval date. Schedule a go/no-go review around the unresolved requirements rather than the percentage of checklist boxes completed.
For the financial estimate, use the existing switching-cost guide and the total-cost tool. For vendor fit, select switching and important migration support in the matcher, then verify the exact scope behind each candidate’s documentation.
Put your requirements to work
Compare candidates against your practice profile. Review evidence gaps, then verify the exact workflow and quoted plan in a demo.
Find my software fitSources & editorial approach
Reviewed October 19, 2026. Workflow examples and checklists are original editorial guidance. Vendor documentation describes vendor claims; verify the quoted plan and configuration. Examples are illustrative and do not establish outcomes.
Clinical content describes software evaluation, not treatment protocols. Have the appropriate professionals review clinical and legal requirements for your practice.
How the matcher and disclosures work