To migrate your inventory data from your previous point of sale (POS), you first need to make sure that your current quantity on hand (QOH) is accurate. If you suspect that your current QOH is inaccurate, we recommend doing an inventory count in your previous POS as you’re most familiar with it at this point in your Lightspeed Retail POS journey. To do an inventory count, retailers typically either close early to do it overnight or close for a business day. 

If for any reason you aren't able to do an inventory count in your previous POS, you can do one in Lightspeed Retail POS after you import your items. If you don't foresee being able to do an inventory count before your desired go-live date with Lightspeed Retail POS, go live with a QOH of 0 for all your items. Once you start processing sales with your Lightspeed Retail POS account, your inventory will simply go into the negative. You can plan to do an inventory count to correct it when you have more time within your first month of using Lightspeed Retail POS.

Once your QOH is accurate, export your inventory data from your previous POS and format your import file to make it compatible with Lightspeed Retail POS. Because formatting your import file can take longer than expected in some cases, we recommend you get started on it as soon as possible. For your initial import, we also recommend deleting all unnecessary columns and only importing the essential inventory data you need to get started with Lightspeed Retail POS. You can always update your inventory to include the rest of the non-essential inventory data in the future.

If between the time you export your inventory data from your previous POS and import your inventory into your Lightspeed Retail POS account you plan on processing sales in your previous POS, you need to exclude the QOH of your items from your initial import file. This way, the day before you go live with Lightspeed Retail POS, you can export the QOH from your previous POS and import it into your Lightspeed Retail POS account by creating a purchase order. If you don't plan on processing sales, include both your inventory data and QOH in your initial import file. As you're not going to be selling items after you export your inventory data, your QOH will still be accurate once you go live with Lightspeed Retail POS. For more information, please see Updating your quantity on hand before going live.

Main steps to migrating your inventory

To summarize, if you don’t plan on processing sales between the time you export your inventory data from your previous POS and go live with Lightspeed Retail POS, migrating your inventory from your previous POS involves the following steps:

1. Doing an inventory count in your previous POS to make your QOH accurate (if necessary)
2. Exporting your inventory data from your previous POS
3. Formatting your import file to make it compatible with Lightspeed Retail POS (include QOH
4. Importing your inventory data into Lightspeed Retail POS (include QOH)
5. Going live with Lightspeed Retail POS

If you do plan on processing sales between the time you export your inventory data from your previous POS and go live with Lightspeed Retail POS, migrating your inventory from your previous POS involves the following steps:

1. Doing inventory count in your previous POS to make your QOH accurate (if necessary)
2. Exporting your inventory data from your previous POS
3. Formatting your import file to make it compatible with Lightspeed Retail POS (exclude QOH)
4. Importing your inventory data into Lightspeed Retail POS (exclude QOH)
5. Exporting your QOH from your previous POS (the day before going live)
6. Importing your QOH into Lightspeed Retail POS using a purchase order (the day before going live)
7. Going live with Lightspeed Retail POS

What's next?

• Formatting your item import file