Migrating from another practice management tool to Uku

Switching practice management tools is one of those decisions that keeps getting delayed because “now is never a good time.” The start of a new month or quarter is usually the least bad time — you have just closed one billing period and the next has not yet built up history to migrate.

This guide is for firms who have decided to move to Uku and want a structured approach. It covers what to do before the switch, how to run both systems in parallel during the transition, and how to know when you are ready to fully commit to Uku.

Quick answer

A successful migration has four phases: (1) set up the foundations (clients, workflows, billing) before going live, (2) run parallel systems for one billing period, (3) validate that the output matches what the old system produced, (4) switch fully and decommission the old tool. Most firms complete the transition in 30–60 days.

Who does this

• Company Admins and Company Owners lead the migration and handle configuration.
• All team members need orientation on Uku before the full switch.

Before you start — what Uku needs from your old system

You do not need to migrate everything. Most firms find that migrating the core data and setting up Uku correctly is more valuable than importing years of historical records. Here is what to prioritize:

Must migrate

• Client list — company names, contact details, registration numbers, billing addresses.
• Billing products and pricing — what services you offer and at what rates.
• Current contracts — each client’s current fee arrangement.
• Active workflows — which recurring tasks each client should have.

Migrate if manageable

• Contact persons — each client’s main contacts, especially for portal access.
• AML data — expiry dates and risk profiles if your old system tracks these.
• Open tasks — any ongoing work that needs to continue without interruption.

Do not migrate (start fresh)

• Historical invoices from before the migration date — your old system is the record of those.
• Completed tasks and closed projects — archive in the old system.
• Years of time tracking history — start fresh in Uku; historical data can be exported from the old system if you ever need it.

Phase 1 — Build the Uku foundation (weeks 1–2)

1a — Import or create your client records

Uku supports bulk client import from a CSV or Excel file. Export your client list from the old system, clean up the data, and import it into Uku.

1. Go to Clients and click the import option.
2. Map your columns to the fields.
3. Review the import results and fix any errors.

See Import and export clients for the full process and supported field mappings.

1b — Set up billing products and contracts

Before any invoices can be generated, you need products and contracts configured. This is often the most time-consuming part of the migration, but it is a one-time investment.

1. Create your billing products in Settings & Apps > Billing > Setup > Articles. These are the pricing units: hourly rates, fixed fees, per-payslip rates.
2. For each client, create a contract in their Financials tab that matches the fee arrangement in the old system.

If you use an accounting integration (Xero, QuickBooks, Merit Aktiva, etc.), connect it now so products and tax rates can be imported rather than created manually. See Accounting integrations.

1c — Set up workflow templates and apply to clients

Create Uku workflow templates that match your standard service offerings. Then apply the right template to each client.

If your old system had client-specific recurring tasks that do not fit a standard template, apply the closest template and then modify it per client. It is better to start with 80% coverage and fix exceptions than to wait for a perfect template before starting.

See How to add a task plan (Workflow) and Workflow templates for bookkeeping firms.

Phase 2 — Parallel running (one full billing period)

Run both systems simultaneously for one complete billing period — typically one calendar month. This is not about doing double the work; it is about using the old system as the safety net while the team learns Uku and you validate the setup.

• Team members log time and complete tasks in Uku, but the old system remains the system of record for billing decisions.
• Invoices are generated from the old system as usual. At the end of the period, compare what Uku would have generated against what the old system actually generated. Are the numbers close?
• Flag discrepancies — a client’s Uku contract generates a different invoice amount than expected? Either the contract setup is wrong, or the time tracking categories are not mapping correctly.

Common issues to look for during parallel running:

• Team members forgetting to log time in Uku (they are used to the old system’s timer)
• Wrong topics on time entries — if topics do not match what the billing contracts expect, invoices will calculate incorrectly
• Missing clients — some clients may have been missed in the import
• Billing period alignment — make sure the contract billing periods match the old system’s cycles

Phase 3 — Validate and fix

At the end of the parallel period, do a validation pass:

1. Run the Uku invoice generation for the just-completed month. Compare each client’s Uku invoice against the old system’s invoice.
2. Investigate any discrepancies larger than 5%. Fix them at the source (contract configuration, product setup, time entry topics).
3. Check the Dashboard for each team member — are they navigating Uku confidently, or are there people who need more help?
4. Verify that recurring tasks are generating correctly and on the right dates.

Phase 4 — Full switch

When validation passes, choose a clear cutover date (the start of a new billing period works best). From that date:

• Uku is the system of record for all new work, time tracking, and invoicing.
• The old system is kept in read-only archive mode for historical reference.
• Team members stop logging time in the old system.

Set up any remaining features that were deferred during the transition:

• Client Portal — if your clients used a portal in the old system, now is the time to invite them to the Client Portal. See How to set up and configure the Client Portal.
• Monitoring targets — set these up for your most important clients. See Setting up Monitoring for a small firm.
• Flextime — if you use flextime tracking, configure it after the first full month of time data. See How to activate and set up the Flextime app.

Managing the team through the change

The biggest migration risk is not technical — it is adoption. Some team members will adapt quickly; others will find the change disruptive and default to the old system’s habits. A few things that help:

• Make Uku the path of least resistance for daily work. Set up magic buttons for common tasks, ensure dashboards show the right view, and make logging time as frictionless as possible.
• Do not make the parallel period too long. One month is usually enough. Two months risks team members deciding the old system is “just as good” and never fully switching.
• Celebrate early wins. The first month a client’s Uku invoice is generated cleanly and matches expectations is a milestone worth acknowledging to the team.

See Onboarding a new team member in Uku for how to orient anyone who joins the firm after the migration is complete.