All my data is in Excel — how do I migrate without losing it? — answered by Engineer Saeed Baatiah
Migration is its own line item, estimated after inspecting a real sample of your file rather than assumed. Property data in Excel usually carries the same faults: the same unit entered twice in two formats, mobile numbers in inconsistent shapes, contract dates hand-typed in three different formats, and missing fields. Cleaning can take as long as building the system, which is why it gets inspected first — and the original file is kept intact and untouched.
The order that protects your data: your actual file is inspected first and its problems classified, then a structure template fixes every field and its type, then a trial migration runs on a copy, then you review a sample of the result against the original, and only after your sign-off does the final migration run. The original file is preserved untouched and remains the reference in any doubt.
What typically surfaces in property files specifically: the same unit under different names (“flat 3” and “flat no. 3”), mobile numbers some with a leading zero, some with a country code, some with spaces, contract dates in three formats inside one column, amounts written as text with the word “SAR”, and rows holding notes rather than data. Each of these needs a decision from you rather than a guess from me — which is why migration is its own line item, estimated after the inspection.
- Inspect → template → trial migration → your review → final migration
- The original file preserved entirely untouched
- Duplicates and number/date formats need your decision, not a guess