This article describes how to migrate from 3rd party software to Unity® Accounting
What to expect
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Meet with your Implementation Consultant to discuss the timeline and details of your migration.
- Scheduling the firm for both the trial and live migrations depend on availability. Your Implementation Consultant will be able to advise you on when the firm’s migration will take place
- Prepare the firm’s migrating data and ensure that all workstations have UA installed. Instructions can be provided.
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Send us reports and/or extracts containing the firm’s data.
- Every accounting software is different, and so it is what you can extract. We will work together to figure out which reports will contain the data that is needed.#
- We use the firm’s data to manually populate our templates and import the firm’s data into the firm’s trial UA account.
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Validate that the firm’s trial data is correct and take UA training webinars.
- You should use this trial period to become familiar with the program while using the firm’s data to test. Continue using your existing software for day-to-day work as normal.
- Every firm’s data is a little bit different, and we cannot guarantee a perfect migration. It is important to flag issues and preferences so that we can address them before your live migration.
- Training webinars are available to ensure your firm is ready to begin using Unity Accounting on day 1. Links to webinars will be provided.
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On the day before your Live Migration, you will resend updated reports, and we will use this data to manually populate your Live Unity Accounting account – trial data will be overwritten.
- Once the firm is satisfied with the way the data has been migrated and you are comfortable using the program, we can schedule a live migration whereby we will repeat the migration process again, but with updated reports/extracts. Once the import is complete, you will be able to stop using your original program and begin using Unity Accounting.
- We will be able to give an estimate of how long the live import will take based on the complexity of the firm’s trial import.
- You perform account set up to ensure the firm is ready to begin working. • A post-migration checklist will be provided to help guide you.
THINGS TO NOTE
- We only migrate data up until the end of a balanced month. This is to circumvent any discrepancies related to differences between your reports and your client files. If your live migration is scheduled for any day other than the 1st of the month, data from this point will not be migrated and will have to be re-entered into Unity® Accounting manually once the live migration is complete.
- We are not able to merge your migrating data with any data in your Unity® Accounting Account. During both the trial and live migrations, the account will be overwritten. During the trial phase, please complete all day-to-day work in your original program as usual. Working data should not be entered into Unity Accounting until the live migration is complete.
- It is highly recommended that the firm adopts the Unity® Accounting Chart of Accounts structure to ensure the greatest success in the software. To help you with this, we will only be migrating your Trust accounts. Once imported, these Accounts will be renumbered so that they are incorporated properly.
- In Unity® Accounting, tax information is assigned at the code level. If your original program allows you to assign tax information at the transaction level, please begin using separate codes as soon as possible. You can duplicate codes and label one as “taxable” and the other as “non-taxable”.
- Both the Client number and Matter number will be brought over and concatenated together on the matter summary screen. If you would like to migrate with only one number associated to each matter or are interested in replacing with a new numbering convention, please alert your implementation consultant to discuss
What data can be Imported?
DATABASE |
MIGRATING |
NOTES |
| Lawyer & Timekeepers | YES |
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| Type of Law Codes | YES |
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| Disbursement (Expense) Codes | YES |
G/L links are not migrated and will have to be re-established after migration. |
| Time Codes | YES |
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| User Accounts & Login Information | YES |
Optional |
| Clients & Matters | YES |
Both open and Closed clients and matters will be migrated. |
| Contacts | YES |
Optional |
| Vendors | YES |
Optional |
| General Ledger Accounts | NO |
Trust and Disbursement transactions will be mapped to new G/L numbers within the UA Chart of Accounts. |
| General Bank Accounts | NO |
General Bank Accounts are not migrated to Unity Accounting. They will have to be created manually after migration – instructions can be provided. |
| Trust Bank Accounts | YES |
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| Unbilled Time & Fees | YES |
Unbilled only. Includes details. |
| Unbilled Disbursements | YES |
Unbilled only. Includes details |
| Vendor Unbilled Disbursements | YES |
Unbilled only. Includes details. Imported as disbursements and will not be associated with Vendors. |
| Unpaid/Outstanding Bills | YES |
Unpaid/partially paid only |
| Trust Transactions | YES |
Full trust history on both open and closed matters. |
| General Transactions | NO |
General bank transactions are not migrated to Unity Accounting. Opening balances will have to be entered manually after migration – instructions can be provided. |
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Historical Data including, but not limited to:
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NO |
Historical data is not migrated. A read-only copy of current software or data exports should be available for reference. |
Pre-Migration Checklist
IMPORTANT
- The items below are administrative tasks you should review before you migrate to Unity® Accounting.
- While not a requirement, we highly recommend that your account is balanced before migration.
- The data migration transfers your data ‘as is’. If you require data cleanup or changes to data, it is a billable service available at standard hourly rates. Please contact Customer Support for further information and rates for data services.
- If you have any questions about how to navigate the items in this list, please review the esiLaw Help page by selecting Help Help & Support or visiting: http://www.esilaw.com/help/vfp/esilaw/help.htm
| DESCRIPTION OF TASK | COMPLETED | |
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Post all unposted transactions your current software include all:
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If you are using UTBMS and have custom LEDES template:
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Importable Fields
Fields marked with * are mandatory
| Trust: | WIP Time: |
| Client & Matter No* | Client & Matter Number |
| Date* | Date* |
| Bank* | Payment Type* |
| Payment Type* | Time Code* |
| Received From | Description* |
| Reference | Hours |
| Description* | Rate |
| Amount* | Amount |
| Type* (R/T) | Is Billable (1/0) |
| Term Due Date | UTBMS – Task |
| Add to Deposit (1/0) | UTBMS - Activity |
| TAF Code (D/C/F) | |
| UTBMS – Task | |
| UTBMS – Activity | |
| Bills (AR): | WIP Disbursements: |
| Client & Matter No* | Client & Matter Number* |
| Bill Date* | Date* |
| Bill On Date | Reference No.* |
| Bill/Ref Number | GL Account |
| Fees Description | Disbursement Code* |
| Fees Amount* | Description* |
| Disbursements Description | Quantity |
| Disbursements Amount | Amount* |
| Discount | UTBMS - Task |
| Sub Total | |
| TAX 1 (GST) Amount | |
| TAX 2 (PST) Amount | |
| Total Bill Amount | |
| Bill Notes | |
| Bill Template | |
| Bill Template Name | |
| Do not Apply Tax (1/0) | |
| TAX 1 (GST) Percentage | |
| TAX 2 (PST) Percentage | |
| Lawyer | |
| Hours |
| Clients/Matters: | Contacts: |
| Client Number | Salutation (Mr. Mrs. Ms. Dr. Prof. Esq.) |
| Matter Number | First Name* |
| Client & Matter Number | Middle Name |
| Client/Matter Name* | Last Name* |
| Primary Contact* | Company Name |
| Matter Description* | Designation/Occupation |
| Mail to Name* | Contact Type (Client, Personal, Vendor/Supplier) |
| Address Line 1 | Contact Role |
| Address Line 2 | Is Private Contact (1/0) |
| City | Address Line 1 |
| Postal/ZIP Code | Address Line 2 |
| Province/State* | City |
| Country Code* | Country Code* |
| Type of Law Code* | Province/State* |
| Responsible Lawyer* | Postal Code |
| Originating Lawyer | Same Alternate Address as Primary (1/0) |
| Assigned Lawyer | Alternate Address Line 1 |
| Assigned Assistant | Alternate Address Line 2 |
| Major Client/Client Group | Alternate City |
| Alternate Country Code | |
| Business Phone 1 | Alternate Province/State |
| Business Phone 1 Ext | Alternate Postal Code |
| Business Phone 2 | Business Phone 1 |
| Business Phone 2 Ext | Business Phone 1 Ext |
| Business Fax | Business Phone 2 |
| Home Phone | Business Phone 2 Ext |
| Mobile | Business Fax |
| Web Address | Home Fax |
| Opposing Lawyer – Name | Home Phone |
| Opposing Lawyer – Firm | Mobile Number |
| Opposing Lawyer – Phone | |
| Opposing Lawyer – Ext | Web Site |
| Tax Province/State Code | Notes |
| Charge GST/Tax 1 | |
| Charge PST/Tax 2 | Vendors: |
| Date Opened | Vendor Number* |
| Is Closed (1/0) | Vendor Account Number |
| Date Closed | Vendor Name |
| Closed # | Contact Name |
| Destruction Date | Address Line 1 |
| Bill to Name | Address Line 2 |
| Billing – Address 1 | City |
| Billing – Address 2 | Province/State* |
| Billing – City | Country Code* |
| Billing – Postal/ZIP Code | Postal/ZIP Code |
| Billing – Country Code | Business Phone 1 |
| Billing – Province/State Codes | Business Phone 1 Ext |
| Charge TAF | Business Phone 2 |
| Default Rate | Business Phone 2 Ext |
| Default Rate Code A-Z | Business Fax Number |
| UTBMS Format | Mobile |
| Web Page | |
| Charge Tax 1 (1/0) | |
| Charge Tax 2 (1/0) | |
| Tax Registration Number |
Link to: Post-Migration Checklist