A guide for Merchanter customers

If you are planning to move your accounts from Sage 50 to Xero, there are several important steps to complete before the changeover. This guide explains what you need to arrange, what Ten-25 will handle as part of the standard integration, and the data and mapping requirements that must be completed before go-live.

Before you start

• Your target date for moving to Xero.
• When your final invoices will be processed in Sage 50.
• Who will migrate your historical Sage 50 data into Xero.
• How much historical accounting data you want to move to Xero.
• Whether customers and suppliers will be imported into Merchanter or exported from Merchanter to Xero as part of the agreed setup.

What the basic integration includes

As part of the agreed integration work, Ten-25 can configure the Xero connection and complete the standard setup, including:

• Clearing down the existing accounts integration configuration at the agreed cut-over point.
• Removing the existing Sage 50 link where required.
• Configuring the Xero API connection.
• Importing customer and supplier records into Merchanter, or exporting customer and supplier records from Merchanter to Xero, depending on the agreed migration approach.
• Running the standard customer and supplier mapping process.
• Setting up the required nominal mappings.
• Enabling the Xero integration once all required records are mapped and the cut-over checks are complete.

Customer and supplier mapping requirements

• Every customer and supplier that will be used after go-live must have a corresponding mapped contact in Xero.
• The contact Name used for mapping must match between Merchanter and Xero. If the names do not match, the record may not map automatically and will need to be corrected before go-live.
• Any duplicate, missing or incorrectly named contacts must be resolved before the integration is enabled.
• If data cannot be mapped through the standard process and requires manual intervention, that work falls outside the basic integration and is chargeable.

Customers and suppliers with the same name

Xero uses a single contact record that can act as both a customer and a supplier. This needs to be considered where your business has the same company or contact recorded separately as both a customer and a supplier in Merchanter.

• If you are happy for one Xero contact to represent both the customer and supplier relationship, that single contact can be used in Xero.
• If you require the customer and supplier to remain as separate contacts in Xero, they must have different names from each other. Xero cannot hold two separate contacts with the same contact name.
• Where separate customer and supplier contacts are required, each must be given a different name in Xero. The corresponding customer and supplier names in Merchanter must then be amended to exactly match the respective Xero contact names so that both records can map correctly.
• Any required renaming/data cleansing should be completed before final mapping and go-live.

Example only: the exact naming convention is your choice. However, two separate Xero contacts cannot share the same contact name. The customer and supplier names must therefore be different from each other, and each name must exactly match its corresponding record in Merchanter.

What you will need to do

• Set up your Xero organisation.
• Arrange the migration of historical accounting data from Sage 50 into Xero.
• Provide Ten-25 with the required Xero access.
• Agree the final Sage 50 invoicing/cut-off point with us.
• Check customer and supplier records and resolve duplicates, missing records and naming differences.
• Confirm all required customer/supplier records are available and ready to map.
• Let us know when the historical migration and reconciliation are complete and you are ready for final mapping and cut-over.

Planning your cut-over

• Complete the agreed final Sage 50 invoicing before the existing integration is removed.
• Tell Ten-25 when the Sage 50 work is complete and you are ready for the integration change.
• Allow time for the final customer and supplier mapping to be checked before normal invoice exports begin.
• Do not go live until all required customer and supplier records are mapped.
• If there is a gap between Sage 50 being disconnected and Xero going live, invoices may need to remain pending until Xero is ready.

Information we need from you

Ready for the changeover?

☐ Xero organisation is ready

☐ Historical migration approach is agreed

☐ Ten-25 has the required Xero access

☐ Import/export approach has been agreed

☐ Customer and supplier data has been checked

☐ Duplicate and same-name contact issues have been resolved

☐ Names match between Merchanter and Xero

☐ All required customer and supplier records are mapped

☐ Final Sage 50 invoicing point is agreed

☐ Historical migration/reconciliation is complete where applicable

☐ Ten-25 has been told you are ready for the integration change

Need help planning the move?

Please contact the Ten-25 Projects team before finalising your cut-over date. We can review the Merchanter integration requirements with you and coordinate the accounting integration change around your migration plan.

Ten-25 Projects
projects@ten-25.co.uk