Short answer: if your current system can export its data to Excel, that data can move to Odoo without any programming. Odoo imports customers, suppliers, products, the chart of accounts and opening balances directly from spreadsheets. At Sadeem Cloud, moving this basic data is free. Historical transactions such as old invoices and journal entries can be moved too, priced by data volume, although many businesses are better served by keeping them as an archive.
Which systems can you move from?
Any system that exports its lists and reports to Excel or CSV. That covers Daftra, Qoyod, Wafeq, Zoho Books, older desktop accounting programs and even spreadsheets you have been running the business on. The import does not depend on which system you are leaving, only on getting clean exports out of it.
What moves easily, at no cost
| Data | What to export | What moves |
|---|---|---|
| Customers and suppliers | Contacts list | Names, VAT numbers, addresses, phones and emails |
| Products and services | Items list | Codes, names, sale and cost prices, units and categories |
| Chart of accounts | Accounts list | Mapped to the Saudi chart in Odoo or kept as you use it today |
| Opening balances | Trial balance at the cut-off date | One opening entry that matches your old books |
| Stock on hand | Inventory valuation report | Quantity and cost per product and warehouse |
| Open receivables and payables | Customer and supplier ageing | Unpaid balances, so collections and payments continue without a gap |
This is everything a business needs to start working in Odoo on day one with correct balances.
Historical transactions: move them or archive them?
Old invoices, bills, payments and journal entries are a different decision. You have two options:
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Keep an archive | Export the full history to Excel and PDF, and keep the old system read only for a year | Most small and medium businesses |
| Import the history | Past documents are loaded into Odoo, priced according to the volume of records and years | Businesses that need multi year reports in one place |
Your ZATCA history stays with the authority in both cases. Changing systems does not erase your e-invoicing record.
The migration plan, step by step
- Pick a cut-off date. The start of a month, a quarter or a financial year. Moving mid period is where most migrations go wrong.
- Export from the old system. Contacts, items, chart of accounts, trial balance, stock valuation and ageing reports, all as Excel files dated on the cut-off.
- Clean the data. Remove duplicates and inactive items, and fill in missing VAT numbers and product codes. This step decides how smooth everything after it will be.
- Import into a test copy first. Review customers, products and balances in a copy of Odoo before touching the live database.
- Enter the opening balances. Post them from the trial balance and confirm they match the old system to the riyal.
- Onboard Odoo with ZATCA. Register the new system and obtain its certificates before issuing the first invoice from it.
- Go live. Start invoicing in Odoo and keep the old system read only as your archive.
What the migration costs
- Basic data is free. Contacts, products, chart of accounts, opening balances and stock are included when you move to a Sadeem Cloud plan.
- Historical transactions are quoted. The price depends on the number of records and years you want to bring across.
- Setup and training are optional. If you want help configuring workflows and training your team, it is billed separately.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Running the old and the new system live in parallel for months.
- Importing data without cleaning it first, then fixing it inside the new system.
- Forgetting ZATCA onboarding until the day the first invoice is due.
- Importing years of history that nobody will ever open.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a programmer to move my data to Odoo?
No. If your current system exports to Excel, Odoo's import tool reads the files directly. Programming is only needed for unusual data structures or live integrations with other systems.
How long does the migration take?
It depends mostly on how clean your data is, not on the software. Clean exports at a clear cut-off date move quickly. Duplicates and missing details are what take time.
Will I lose my ZATCA records?
No. Cleared and reported invoices remain with the authority. You keep the old system as an archive and onboard Odoo before issuing new invoices.
What if my system cannot export to Excel?
Most systems can export at least their main lists and reports. If yours cannot, contact us and we will review the export options with you.
Talk to us about moving your data to Odoo
Related reading
Qoyod or Wafeq: a practical comparison, and when you need Odoo