A QuickBooks or Sage cloud migration inventory helps a financial firm find the data, connections, and day-to-day workflows that may be affected when accounting software moves to a hosted environment. The company file is important, but it is only one part of the picture. Supporting folders, add-ins, user permissions, printers, scanners, and outside services can all shape how the software works after the move.
Before migration, record what exists, where it is now, who is responsible for it, and how you will confirm it works in the destination environment. This gives your firm and its hosting or IT provider a shared checklist for planning and testing, rather than relying on memory during a busy transition.
Start with a usable inventory format
Use a spreadsheet or another controlled record that your team can review and update. For each item, include:
- Item and purpose: What it is and which accounting workflow depends on it.
- Owner: The staff member or vendor who can explain or approve changes.
- Current location: The computer, server, shared folder, or service where it is used or stored.
- Planned destination: Where it is expected to reside or run after the move.
- Access method: Who uses it, how they connect, and any relevant permissions or authentication steps.
- Dependencies and contact: Connected applications, vendors, support contacts, and any license or configuration details to confirm.
- Test and sign-off: How the firm will check it after migration and who will confirm the result.
Not every item will have a separate destination or vendor. Recording that a field is not applicable is more useful than leaving it unclear.
Inventory the accounting data and supporting materials
Document the active QuickBooks or Sage company file, including its current location, the team that owns it, and which users or workflows rely on it. Then look beyond the main file. Supporting material may be stored in separate folders or on individual computers.
- Attachments, receipts, statements, and other documents associated with bookkeeping or client work.
- Customized forms, templates, reports, and recurring exports.
- Payroll-related files and folders, if those workflows use the accounting environment.
- Archives, prior-period records, and files retained for reference.
- Existing backups and any records needed to understand when they were created or what they contain.
- Shared folders used to exchange files with staff, clients, or service providers.
Ask staff where they open and save accounting-related files in practice, not just where they expect them to be. Search shared storage and commonly used workstations with an authorized IT contact. Record the path or service name, the business purpose, who needs access, and whether the content is intended to move, remain in place, or be retired.
For backup planning, document what is protected, who can access the backup, and how the firm will verify that usable data can be recovered. The IRS publication Safeguarding Taxpayer Data provides guidance relevant to firms that handle taxpayer information. A backup entry in an inventory is not proof of recoverability; include a restore check in the migration plan.
For more on preparing backup and recovery arrangements, see Zevonix’s guide to financial data backup services.
Find the integrations and outside dependencies
List every add-in, connector, or connected application that reads from or writes to QuickBooks or Sage. Include tools used for payroll, tax preparation, banking, payments, document management, reporting, client service, or file exchange. Include less obvious connections, such as a scheduled export or a staff member who manually transfers data to another service.
For each connection, capture its business owner, vendor contact, current setup, account or permissions involved, and how the team will test it after the move. Ask the vendor or provider to confirm whether the application supports the planned hosted setup and what configuration or access it requires. Do not assume that an integration will continue to work simply because the accounting software opens successfully.
If data stops synchronizing between applications, the issue may involve a connection or configuration beyond the accounting file itself. The firm’s inventory should make those dependencies visible. Zevonix also discusses common checks in its guide to QuickBooks and Sage integrations that are not syncing.
Document users, permissions, and licensing
Make a current list of staff who use the accounting software, what work they perform, and whether they need individual or shared access. Record the permissions needed for each role, including access to company files, supporting folders, and connected applications. Identify inactive or uncertain accounts for review rather than carrying them forward by default.
Also document license and multi-user details that could affect the planned setup. Confirm the firm’s licensing arrangements and the intended access model with the software provider or hosting provider. Sage’s guidance on its multi-user environment is a useful reference for firms using Sage 50, but the firm should confirm how its specific configuration will work in the proposed environment.
As part of planning, ask how user access will be set up, reviewed, and removed when staff no longer need it. Keep the access record restricted to people who need it, since it can reveal sensitive details about systems and permissions.
Include the devices used in accounting workflows
Printers and scanners are easy to miss because they may be attached to a workstation rather than the accounting server. Record which devices staff use for checks, invoices, reports, receipts, or document capture. Note the device model or identifying details, connection method, relevant drivers, and any customized forms or print settings that matter to the workflow.
Ask staff to identify the actual tasks they perform with each device. A generic “printer works” check may not confirm that a customized form is aligned correctly or that a scanned document reaches the intended folder. Put these specific tasks in the post-move test plan.
Ask the provider about access, security, and continuity
Use the inventory to have a focused conversation with the cloud-hosting provider and your IT support team. Ask how the proposed environment handles authorized access, user permissions, data transfer, backup and recovery responsibilities, support escalation, and service continuity. Confirm who is responsible for each task and how the firm will be notified if an issue affects access.
Clarify whether the project is moving the existing desktop software into a hosted environment or converting to a different accounting product. These are different types of change, with different compatibility and data checks. If you are comparing deployment approaches, Zevonix’s article on local servers and hosted desktops for CPA firms provides related context.
Plan the verification before the move
Choose representative tasks from the inventory and assign an owner to test each one. A practical post-move check can include:
- Opening the correct company file and confirming expected supporting materials are available.
- Signing in as appropriate users and checking that permissions match the approved access plan.
- Using multi-user access where needed and confirming that the firm’s usual workflow is supported.
- Running key add-ins and connected applications, then checking that expected data moves correctly.
- Printing customized forms and reports, and scanning documents to the intended destination.
- Confirming that backups are in place and documenting a recovery test with the responsible provider or IT contact.
Record the result, any issue found, who owns follow-up, and when the workflow is approved for normal use. Schedule these checks with the people who rely on the process, and avoid treating successful sign-in alone as a completed migration test.
Frequently asked questions
What files should we gather beyond the company file?
Include relevant attachments, forms, templates, payroll-related folders, exports, archives, shared files, and backup records. Confirm which items need to move and which should remain in their existing location.
How can we find every place accounting files are stored?
Ask users about their real working habits, review shared folders and commonly used workstations with an authorized IT contact, and document each location and its purpose. Include files exchanged through outside services or manual processes.
How do we check add-ins and connected applications?
Ask staff and vendors which applications connect to the accounting software, identify an owner and support contact for each, and confirm compatibility and access requirements with the relevant provider. Include a test of each important workflow after the move.
Will our printers, scanners, and customized forms work?
That depends on the devices, configuration, and hosted setup. Document the specific tasks and settings the firm relies on, confirm the proposed environment can support them, and test representative print and scan workflows after migration.
What should we verify before normal work resumes?
Test access, permissions, company files, supporting materials, integrations, multi-user workflows, printing, scanning, and backup recovery as applicable. Record results and resolve issues with the responsible provider or IT contact.
Make the inventory part of the migration plan
A thorough inventory helps uncover dependencies before they become interruptions, and gives the firm a concrete basis for migration testing and ownership. Zevonix provides cloud services and financial software support for financial firms, including support for QuickBooks and Sage. To discuss your firm’s migration planning, contact Zevonix at (904) 658-0777.