How do I move from one HR system to another?
Moving from one HR system to another works best in a fixed order. Agree your rules, pick a start date on a month boundary, and move current balances rather than years of history. Load people before leave and projects, then run both systems side by side for one month. Keep a full export of the old system.
Decide the rules before you touch any data. Write down your leave types and yearly quotas, who approves leave and timesheets, your shift times and your holiday calendar. Most migrations stall here, because the rules lived in people's heads.
Pick a start date on the first day of a month. Balances are easiest to read at a clean boundary, and your first report in the new system covers a whole month.
Move balances, not history. Each person's remaining leave on the start date is what the new system needs. Keep the old history as an export with your company files, where you can still look things up.
Plan for people moving while you move. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics put the total separations rate at 3.3% a month in 2025. Over a move that runs a few weeks, that adds up, so decide in advance which system records anyone who joins or leaves.
Load in dependency order. People come first with their managers, then leave types and balances, then shifts and holidays, then projects and clients. Each step leans on the one before it.
Set access last. Map each job to a role, check what managers can see, and only then invite the whole team.
Run both systems for one month. Compare your leave balances and attendance totals at month end. Fix any gap at its source, and close the old account once they match.
PeopleMuster follows this order in its setup. We load your people, leave types and projects with you, or you upload people, leave balances and projects through the CSV importer. There's no setup fee, and your first 14 days are free.
Related questions
What data should I export from my old HR system?
Export your people list with managers, current leave balances by type, and active projects with clients. Keep a full archive copy of everything else for reference.
When is the best time to switch HR software?
On the first day of a month, after the previous month's approvals are closed. Balances are clean then, and your first report covers a whole month.
How long should I run two HR systems in parallel?
One full month is usually enough. It takes you through a leave cycle, a round of approvals and a month-end report in both systems.
What does PeopleMuster charge to migrate?
Nothing extra. Setup is part of the subscription, with no setup fee. The price is $3 per person per month after your 14 free days.