1. Inventory Your Stack2. Map Your Workflow3. Export & Clean Data4. Import Into OneSolar CRM5. Rebuild Pipeline Stages6. Migrate Projects7. Cut Over Billing Last8. Retire Old Tools
Inventory Your Current Tool Stack
Why it matters: You can’t plan a consolidation timeline without knowing exactly what’s being consolidated.
Write down every tool currently holding business data - most solar companies find it’s five to seven:
- CRM or spreadsheet for leads and deals
- Spreadsheet for Bills of Quantities
- E-signature software for proposals
- Accounting software for invoicing
- A messaging app for field coordination
- A spreadsheet, or nothing, for inventory
Result: A written list of every tool, what it holds, and who owns it.
Map Your Workflow to OneSolar CRM Modules
Why it matters: Migrating tool-by-tool recreates the same disconnects you’re trying to escape. Mapping your actual lead-to-invoice sequence first keeps the end state connected.
- Write out your real sequence: lead → deal stage → inspection → proposal → won → project → milestone → task → BOQ → material requisition → invoice → payment
- Match each stage to its OneSolar CRM module (CRM, Work, Sales, Operations)
- Confirm with a OneSolar CRM setup specialist or the Solar CRM Set Up tutorial that every stage is covered before migrating a single record
Result: A one-page map showing your old tool for each stage, next to its OneSolar CRM replacement.
Export & Clean Data From Each Tool
Why it matters: A clean import is far easier than a clean-up after your team is already relying on the new system daily.
- Export leads, deals, and clients as CSV from your current CRM or spreadsheet
- Remove duplicates and dead leads before importing anything
- See the full Data Migration Guide for field-level cleanup steps
Result: Clean CSV files for leads, deals, and clients, free of duplicates.
Import Into OneSolar CRM
Why it matters: This is your lowest-risk data and gets your sales team working in OneSolar CRM immediately, building confidence before the more complex project migration.
- Go to CRM → Import and upload your cleaned Leads CSV
- Review the preview screen before confirming the import
- Repeat for Deals, then Clients
Result: Your OneSolar CRM Deals list matches your source spreadsheet’s row count and total value.
Rebuild Your Pipeline Stages
Why it matters: Accepting default stage names instead of your real sales process is one of the most common reasons a migrated CRM feels worse than the old spreadsheet.
- Go to CRM → Deals → Pipeline Settings
- Recreate your actual stages, including a distinct Inspection Completed and Proposal Sent stage
- Re-assign each imported deal to its correct current stage
Result: Every imported deal sits in the pipeline stage that matches its real, current status.
Migrate Active Projects & Milestones
Why it matters: Only currently open projects need to be live on day one - completed projects can follow later with no urgency.
- Create a Project record in OneSolar CRM for each active job
- Recreate current milestones, marking completed ones as done
- Recreate open tasks with real due dates
Result: Every currently active project appears in OneSolar CRM with accurate milestone status.
Cut Over Communication & Billing Last
Why it matters: Invoicing errors are visible to clients immediately - test this thoroughly before it’s the only path to getting paid.
- Keep raising invoices through your existing flow until OneSolar CRM’s invoicing has been tested against at least one real project end to end
- Connect the QuickBooks integration and confirm a test invoice syncs correctly
- Connect Email Integration so client communication starts logging immediately
Result: A real invoice has been raised, sent, and paid through OneSolar CRM without errors.
Retire Old Tools
Why it matters: An open-ended parallel run is the most common reason consolidations stall - teams default back to familiar tools under deadline pressure.
- Run old tools and OneSolar CRM in parallel for no more than 2-4 weeks
- Set and communicate a firm cutover date
- Export a final backup from each old tool, then cancel the subscriptions
Result: Your team works exclusively in OneSolar CRM, and every replaced subscription is cancelled.
You’ve completed this tutorial
You’re fully consolidated. Next: make sure your team knows how to attach files to a deal.
Continue learning
Keep going with the next tutorials in the Solar CRM series.