7-WEEK MIGRATION PLAN (COMPRESSED BUT
COMPLETE)
Dates available (7 weeks): Jan: 12316, 19323, 26330 Feb: 236, 9313, 16320, 23327 Go-Live: 2 Mar 2026
Core team used (only): Aaron, Monique, Frank, Stephen + sales staff + branch managers + Liam + Nadine + Megan + Cezanne
(light)
WEEK 1
12316 Jan
Replace Planning Week + Week 1 + Week 2
foundations (fast-track)
Key focus areas covered from original plan:
Planning: success metrics, scope, priorities, meeting cadence, training plan, "Day 1 vs Phase 2"
Week 1: orientation + extraction rules + what stays in Sage vs moves
Week 2: org settings, COA, VAT, tags, initial roles/permissions in TEST
What gets done this week (high level):
Aaron sets up Zoho TEST foundation: financial year, currency, numbering, basic settings
COA and VAT structure locked in (Stephen reviews and signs off the structure)
Tags/tracking categories defined (branch, channel, product line) and baked into the approach
Cutover rules documented: what comes in as opening balances vs what stays in Sage history
Roles/permissions first draft created and tested (Monique, Liam, Nadine, branch managers as testers)
Extract data from Sage (COA, TB, VAT, customers, suppliers, items, banks, FA) into a migration folder
Training starts immediately (light but structured): everyone logs in, understands navigation, and their role
Who is mainly involved:
Aaron (lead), Stephen (COA/VAT control sign-off), Monique (AR/AP + banking logic input), Megan (documentation/admin), Frank (ops scope), Cezanne (light),
Liam/branch managers/Nadine (permission testing + basic orientation)
Training outcome: Week 1 is training week 1 for everyone (intro + system access)
WEEK 2
19323 Jan
Replace Week 3
(Customers/Suppliers/AR/AP) + continue
Week 2 controls
Key focus areas covered from original plan:
Week 3: customer/supplier masters, AR/AP settings, statements/ageing, clean Sage debtors/creditors
Permissions tightened based on real use cases
What gets done this week:
01 02 03
Clean customer and supplier master Import customers/suppliers into Zoho Configure AR/AP settings
data TEST
Payment terms, credit limits, ageing, statements,
Names, VAT numbers, terms, addresses, duplicates allocations behaviour
04 05
Start Sage cleanup Start building training content and SOPs
Debtors/creditors reconciled, open items correct, old unmatched allocations AR/AP and invoicing basics (Megan helps)
cleared
Who is mainly involved:
Aaron (imports/settings), Monique (AR/AP owner + cleanup), Nadine (invoice/bill user testing), Stephen (controls review), Megan (SOPs), Frank (ops), branch
managers (customer/account feedback), Cezanne (light)
Training outcome: AR/AP and invoicing users get week 2 of training (real tasks in TEST)
WEEK 3
26330 Jan
Replace Week 4 + Week 5
(Items/Inventory/Warehouses +
Sales/Purchase workflows)
Key focus areas covered from original plan:
Week 4: items, warehouses, branch flows, inventory cleanup planning
³ ³
Week 5: quotes invoice workflow, PO bill workflow, approvals, emails, attachments/audit trail, Sage document hygiene
What gets done this week:
Build item master and categories; pricing rules; tagging by product line
Create warehouses per branch (JHB/CPT/KZN/PTA) and define transfers/stock flows
Inventory cleanup focus: obsolete items, negative stock, wrong costs identified and corrected in Sage
Configure sales and purchase workflows in Zoho TEST:
quotes, invoices, credit notes
purchase orders, bills, supplier credits
Approvals and document standards set:
who approves what
what attachments are required (supplier invoice, POD, etc.)
Branch managers trained on daily branch flows (sales, purchases, approvals)
Who is mainly involved:
Aaron (setup/workflows), Frank (item list + ops sign-off), Liam (warehouse/stock flows), Nadine (sales/purchase testing), branch managers (process
confirmation), Megan (SOPs), Monique (impact on AR/AP), Stephen (controls), Cezanne (light)
Training outcome: Sales staff and managers are now on week 3 of training (hands-on workflows)
WEEK 4
236 Feb
Replace Week 6 (Banking, Speedpoints,
Takealot, allocations) + continue inventory
readiness
Key focus areas covered from original plan:
Week 6: bank accounts, clearing accounts, bank rules, allocations, card batches, online sales, Sage bank recon cleanup
What gets done this week:
Set up all bank accounts and Build clearing accounts and rules: Test allocations end-to-end
feeds/statement approach
Speedpoint batches Customer receipts, supplier payments, fees,
Takealot payouts/fees chargebacks
other online/PSP flows
Bring Sage bank reconciliations fully up to date and clear Train Monique and relevant users on daily banking
reconciling items routines
Rules, allocations, recon discipline
Who is mainly involved:
Aaron (banking architecture + rules), Monique (allocations/recons), Frank (ops), Nadine (payment flow awareness), Megan (SOPs + logging), Stephen (review),
branch managers (visibility expectations), Liam (if stock-related deposits affect flows), Cezanne (light)
Training outcome: Banking + allocations training week 4 for finance team; sales/managers continue weekly exposure
WEEK 5
9313 Feb
Replace Week 7 + Week 8 (Fixed
Assets/Journals/Opening Strategy + Full
Dress Rehearsal)
Key focus areas covered from original plan:
Week 7: fixed assets, recurring journals, opening balance strategy, TB import testing
Week 8: full end-to-end testing (simulate a month), reporting pack draft, mock VAT201 test
What gets done this week:
Setup & Strategy Testing & Reporting
Finalise fixed asset register cleanup in Sage and define depreciation Full "dress rehearsal" runs inside Zoho TEST: sales, purchases, inventory,
policy approach transfers, banking allocations, clearing accounts, journals
Build recurring journals design (payroll, depreciation, interest, FX, Draft reporting pack and KPIs (branch P&L, BS, AR/AP ageing, stock,
provisions) and how they will be posted Takealot, VAT)
Decide final opening balance strategy (TB + AR/AP open items + stock) Mock VAT process: generate VAT report and test VAT201 preparation
logic
Who is mainly involved:
Aaron (TB/journals/testing lead), Stephen (finance sign-off + reporting/VAT), Monique (AR/AP + banking), Frank (ops sign-off), Liam (inventory realism),
Nadine (front-line transactions), branch managers (branch flow testing), Megan (issue log + SOP updates), Cezanne (light testing)
Training outcome: This is the biggest learning week 4 everyone "works in Zoho" like it's live (week 5 exposure)
WEEK 6
16320 Feb
Replace Week 9 + Week 10 (Final cleanup +
Real LIVE imports +
Runbook/permissions/SARS reporting)
Key focus areas covered from original plan:
Week 9: freeze Sage, final exports, import to LIVE, reconcile, sign-off
Week 10: go-live runbook, final permissions, reporting ownership, VAT rehearsal, audit trail confirmation
What gets done this week:
Freeze rules agreed Final Sage cleanup push
No more cleanup without logging TB clean, control accounts correct, AR/AP open items final, stock list final
and valued correctly
Import into Zoho LIVE Reconcile Zoho LIVE vs Sage
COA confirmed, TB/opening balances, AR/AP opening items, opening GL totals, AR/AP totals, stock value, VAT control
stock
Finalise permissions and re-test user access
Build and finalise Go-Live Runbook (2 March day-by-day)
Confirm attachments/audit trail rules are working and understood
Who is mainly involved:
Aaron (imports + reconciliations + runbook), Monique (AR/AP verification), Frank (sign-off + ops), Stephen (final financial sign-off), Megan (documentation +
runbook formatting), Liam (stock verification), branch managers (access + branch readiness), Nadine (workflow checks), Cezanne (light)
Training outcome: Final "refresher training" using LIVE environment rules and runbook (week 6 exposure)
WEEK 7
23327 Feb
Replace Week 11 (Final roles, SOP lock-in,
reporting rhythm, Green Light)
Key focus areas covered from original plan:
Week 11: who does what, process ownership, approvals, SOP completeness, reporting deadlines, KPI rhythm, final green-light meeting
What gets done this week:
Confirm final roles and "who owns Final SOP pack distributed and Final reporting calendar locked
what" for: confirmed
Deadlines + owners
banking Everyone knows where it is and can follow it
AR
AP
inventory
transfers
VAT
journals
reporting pack and cadence
Final green-light meeting Final comms
With Frank/Stephen + branch managers "Sage is archive only from 2 March" reminder and support channels
Who is mainly involved:
Aaron (lead), Frank, Stephen, Monique, Liam, Nadine, branch managers, Megan, Cezanne (light)
Training outcome: Final readiness week (week 7 exposure) + Q&A + confidence building
GO-LIVE
2 March 2026
All new transactions in Zoho. Sage archive only. Monitor daily, log issues, fix
quickly.
For the other main and better items see below:
No Zoho technical detail overload 4 this is about getting the data right so Zoho works properly.
Data Preparation
7-WEEK MASTER PLAN
Inventory Stock Take + AR & AP Data Clean-Up
Deadline: must be complete before 28 Feb 2026
WEEK 1
FOUNDATION & RULES
Dates: 12316 Jan
Focus: Set standards once so we don't redo work later.
Inventory (Frank & Liam)
Decide final item naming rules (SKU format, descriptions, brands)
Decide which items stay, which are obsolete, which are duplicates
Define units of measure and pricing rules
Define how stock will be counted (per branch, per bin, per item)
AR (Monique)
Decide customer naming standard (legal name vs trading name)
Decide mandatory fields: VAT number, email, payment terms
Identify duplicate customers and "problem accounts"
AP (Monique)
Decide supplier naming standard
Decide mandatory supplier info (VAT, banking, email, terms)
Identify duplicate or inactive suppliers
Outcome by end of week
Clear rules document
Everyone knows "this is how data must look"
WEEK 2
MASTER DATA CLEAN-UP (NO STOCK MOVEMENT YET)
Dates: 19323 Jan
Focus: Clean master lists without touching quantities.
Inventory (Frank & Liam) AR (Monique) AP (Monique)
Clean item master list Merge duplicate customers Merge duplicate suppliers
Merge duplicate items Fix names, emails, VAT numbers Fix VAT numbers and banking details
Archive obsolete items Correct payment terms Correct payment terms
Fix VAT codes, categories, and costs Mark inactive customers Mark inactive suppliers
Ensure every item has correct unit and
supplier
Outcome by end of week
Clean customer list
Clean supplier list
Clean item list (still no quantity fixing)
WEEK 3
AR & AP FINANCIAL CLEAN-UP
Dates: 26330 Jan
Focus: Make balances trustworthy.
AR (Monique)
Reconcile every customer account
Allocate all receipts
Fix incorrect credit notes
Resolve overpayments
Identify bad debts for approval
AP (Monique)
Reconcile every supplier account
Allocate all payments
Fix credit allocations
Resolve overpayments
Clear old or incorrect balances
Inventory (Frank & Liam)
Identify items with negative stock
Identify zero-cost items
Flag stock sitting in wrong branches
Outcome by end of week
AR list = real, collectable balances
AP list = real, payable balances
Inventory problems clearly identified
WEEK 4
INVENTORY QUANTITY & COST CLEAN-UP
Dates: 236 Feb
Focus: Fix what the system thinks you have vs reality.
Inventory (Frank & Liam) AR/AP (Monique)
Fix negative stock issues Final review of customer/supplier balances
Fix zero-cost and wrong-cost items Confirm which balances will carry forward
Correct branch allocations
Clean stock transfers
Prepare "expected stock" per branch
Outcome by end of week
Inventory numbers make sense
Costs are realistic
Branch stock is logical
WEEK 5
PHYSICAL STOCK TAKE PREPARATION
Dates: 9313 Feb
Focus: Prepare for accurate physical counting.
01 02
Inventory (Frank & Liam) AR/AP (Monique)
Finalise stock take date(s) and method Final confirmation of AR/AP balances
Prepare stock take sheets or scanner lists Confirm no further master changes unless approved
Assign counters and reviewers per branch
Freeze unnecessary movements where possible
Communicate rules to branches
Outcome by end of week
Everyone knows how stock take will work
No confusion on counting rules
WEEK 6
PHYSICAL STOCK TAKE & FINAL ADJUSTMENTS
Dates: 16320 Feb
Focus: Reality check.
Inventory (Frank & Liam)
1. Perform physical stock count
2. Investigate variances
3. Approve adjustments
4. Finalise stock quantities and values
AR/AP (Monique)
Lock customer and supplier lists
Lock opening balances
Outcome by end of week
Final, trusted stock numbers
Final AR/AP figures ready
FINAL WEEK
WEEK 7 3 FINAL LOCK-IN & IMPORT READINESS
Dates: 23327 Feb
No more changes unless critical.
Inventory (Frank & Liam) AR (Monique) AP (Monique)
Confirm final stock valuation Final customer balances confirmed Final supplier balances confirmed
Confirm final item list Final customer master approved Final supplier master approved
Confirm branch stock balances
Outcome by end of week
Inventory, AR, AP fully signed off
Ready for import and Go-Live
TRAINING PLAN
5-WEEK ZOHO TRAINING PLAN
Weeks 337 of the migration
WEEK 1
SALES BASICS + STOCK VISIBILITY
Dates: 12316 Jan
Focus: Getting sales comfortable and independent.
Sales team training (Quotes, Invoices, Stock lookup) Managers (intro layer)
How to navigate Zoho Books & Inventory Review quotes and invoices
Check Customer Balances Understand stock impact of sales
Create and edit Quotes View basic sales reports
Convert Quotes to Invoices
Issue Invoices directly
Look up stock availability per item
Understand basic pricing and VAT behaviour
Cancel / void documents correctly (what not to delete)
Outcome by end of week
Sales can quote and invoice without help
No one guesses stock levels anymore
WEEK 2
MANAGER WORKFLOWS (SALES + PURCHASING)
Dates: 19323 Jan
Focus: Managers owning branch operations
Managers training (Quotes, Invoices, POs, Bills) Sales refresher
Approving and reviewing Quotes & Invoices Correcting invoice mistakes
Creating Purchase Orders Issuing credit notes (basic awareness)
Converting POs to Bills
Understanding received vs not received stock
Reviewing branch expenses and bills
Understanding approval rules and limits
Outcome by end of week
Managers control purchasing and branch spend
Sales understand where their role ends
WEEK 3
AR & AP CORE TRAINING
Dates: 26330 Jan
Focus: Control and accuracy, not speed
AR training (customers) AP training (suppliers)
Issuing customer credit notes Issuing supplier credit notes
Matching receipts to invoices Matching payments to bills
Allocating partial payments Allocating part payments
Fixing incorrect allocations Correcting incorrect bill postings
Handling overpayments and short payments Handling supplier overpayments
Understanding customer ageing Understanding supplier ageing
Outcome by end of week
AR/AP team fully owns balances
Fewer "mystery differences" and queries
WEEK 4
INVENTORY & WAREHOUSE TRAINING
Focus: Stock accuracy and confidence
Inventory / warehouse training Managers
Item master lookup and understanding item details Reviewing stock movements
Stock per warehouse / branch Understanding variance and adjustments
Receiving stock against POs Knowing when to escalate issues
Stock transfers between branches
Stock adjustments (when allowed, when not)
Understanding how stock affects cost of sales
Outcome by end of week
Warehouse and managers trust the system
Stock movements are done correctly, not "patched"
WEEK 5
END-TO-END PRACTICE & CONFIDENCE WEEK
Dates: 236 Feb
Focus: Make it second nature
1 2
Sales Managers
Quote ³ Invoice ³ Payment awareness PO ³ Bill ³ Approval ³ Stock receipt
3 4
AR/AP Inventory
Invoices/Bills ³ Payments ³ Allocations ³ Ageing Receive ³ Transfer ³ Adjust ³ Report
Key activities for the week will include:
01 02
Realistic Daily Scenarios Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
03 04
Q&A Sessions Final Refresher Training per Role
Outcome by end of week
Everyone knows what to do
Everyone knows who to ask
No panic at go-live