How to Preserve RFP History During a Software Migration
1 in 3 RFP software migrations lose historical data — and the loss only surfaces at the next contract renewal. Here's the 9-step cutover (with the integrity-check script most vendors won't run for you)…
Why RFP history matters
Quick answer (40–60 words): RFP history is institutional memory: it's how you know which hotel performed on a similar program last year, what rates have moved, what vendors responded fast vs slow, and what contract terms you negotiated. Losing it during migration costs years of accumulated insight. It's also often required for compliance and audit retention.
Three layers of preservation
Quick answer (40–60 words): Preserve RFP history in three layers: (1) structured data (CSV import to new tool — your active dataset going forward), (2) document archive (PDFs of completed RFPs, contracts, signed proposals — immutable record), (3) read-only access to old tool for 30–90 days as fallback. All three together gives audit-defensible continuity.
What to preserve
| Data Type | Format | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel database | CSV → new tool | Permanent |
| RFP templates | CSV / native template export → new tool | Permanent |
| Active in-flight RFPs | Complete on old tool | Archive |
| Completed RFPs (last 24 months) | CSV + PDF | Permanent |
| Older completed RFPs | PDF archive | Per retention policy |
| Vendor contracts | Per legal/compliance retention | |
| Comparison snapshots | Permanent (audit) | |
| Email correspondence with vendors | Email archive | Per legal retention |
Compliance considerations
Quick answer (40–60 words): Compliance retention varies by industry: pharma and healthcare typically require 7+ years, finance 5–7 years, public-sector procurement 3–5 years, general corporate 3 years. Confirm your specific retention policy with legal/compliance before migration. Migration timing should not break retention obligations.
Easy RFP's approach
We import your structured RFP history (CSV) and keep it queryable in the new system. We retain audit-trail metadata (who created, who modified, when). For PDF archives older than your subscription scope, we recommend offline immutable storage (e.g., S3 Glacier, encrypted local backup).
Q: Can we import 5 years of historical RFPs? A: Yes if structured data is exportable. Cleaner data = faster import.
Q: What about email threads with vendors? A: Easy RFP imports email correspondence going forward. Historical email archives are retained in your existing email system.
Q: Will old tool's audit trail port to new tool? A: Metadata (who/when) ports if exported. Detailed action logs typically don't — preserve as archive.
Q: Is there a cost for historical data import? A: For self-serve plans (Free/Pro/Team), no — bulk CSV import included. For enterprise with custom shapes, included in onboarding.
Sources
- Industry retention policies (general references; confirm with your compliance team)
- Easy RFP /docs/import-hotels/
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