Complete RFP Software Migration Checklist (2026)

Phase 1: Pre-migration planning (8 items)

• [ ] Document current state: events/year, seats, integrations, modules used, modules ignored
• [ ] List must-have features in new tool (vs nice-to-have)
• [ ] Identify decision-makers and approvers
• [ ] Set migration success criteria (measurable)
• [ ] Set migration timeline with buffer (15–25% contingency)
• [ ] Communicate timeline to internal stakeholders
• [ ] Communicate timeline to active vendor partners
• [ ] Identify migration owner (single accountable person)

Phase 2: Data preparation (12 items)

• [ ] Export hotel database from old tool (CSV)
• [ ] Export RFP templates
• [ ] Export historical RFPs (CSV + PDF archive)
• [ ] Export vendor/contact list
• [ ] Export proposal comparisons (PDF for archive)
• [ ] Export contracts signed via old tool
• [ ] De-duplicate hotel records
• [ ] Verify email deliverability on contacts
• [ ] Tag hotels by city/region/type
• [ ] Remove stale contacts (24+ months inactive)
• [ ] Standardize date formats, currency, language fields
• [ ] Backup all exported files (3-2-1 rule)

Phase 3: Import & configuration (10 items)

• [ ] Map new tool's field schema to your data
• [ ] Bulk import hotels via CSV
• [ ] Re-create RFP templates in new tool
• [ ] Configure custom fields if needed
• [ ] Set up approval workflows
• [ ] Set up team roles and permissions
• [ ] Configure SSO if applicable
• [ ] Configure integrations (calendar, CRM, accounting, e-sign)
• [ ] Configure email templates and signatures
• [ ] Test end-to-end with one sample RFP

Phase 4: Training & parallel-run (9 items)

• [ ] Train admin users (60–90 minutes)
• [ ] Train end users (30–60 minutes)
• [ ] Document team-specific SOPs
• [ ] Run first event cycle on both platforms
• [ ] Compare proposals received: identical hotel response set?
• [ ] Compare comparison views: same data, same insights?
• [ ] Compare contract output: same terms captured?
• [ ] Address gaps before cutover
• [ ] Get team sign-off on cutover

Phase 5: Post-cutover validation (8 items)

• [ ] Confirm all integrations live and pulling correctly
• [ ] Validate first 5 post-cutover RFPs end-to-end
• [ ] Check reporting parity with old tool
• [ ] Retain old tool read-only for 30–90 days
• [ ] Document lessons learned for future migrations
• [ ] Schedule 30-day post-migration retrospective
• [ ] Communicate cutover to vendor partners
• [ ] Decommission old tool subscriptions

Sources

• Easy RFP migration documentation
• General SaaS migration best practices

CTA

Download checklist as PDF or book a migration consult.