What Information To Export From Past Accounting Software?

I will soon loose access to the current accounting software due to the vendor dropping support. I believe I have some time after the first of the year before I cannot run their software. I will have access to the database, though.

What all reports should I run prior to loosing access to their program? I have over five years of data stored on this system.

Thanks for your input!

Hello urbnsr,
The textbook approach is: Start with the Fiscal Year End ("FYE") general ledger balances ("beginning balances") from 5 years back.
Then, load the changes ("deltas") for each GL account for each month leading up to when you migrate off the old system and start your new system.
Any accounting system exports GL balances into Excel, and also uploads GL journal entries from Excel.
So, you start with the FYE (say, 12-31-XXXX) balances. Run them as the Trial Balance (TB) report. This report will give you the FYE balance of every GL Account. Export into Excel. Then import those same numbers as a journal into the new system at the FYE date.
Then do the same thing for each month rolling forward, month by month, except this time you are downloading and uploading the differences (changes, deltas) for each month. Do this all the way to your "change over" date to the new system.
Download the old system ("legacy") from TB report changes. Upload those same monthly changes as a journal entry each month into your new system.
This way, you will end up with all of the month-end balances in your new system, and you can run any financials that you want.
If you are not sure how your new system formats Excel journal uploads, the software vendor can tell you, or you can export any journal from that system and get the format that way.
What you are describing is a "data migration", and any local accountant should be able to do it for you.
If you want, you can run support detail reports, like AP Aging for AP Trade Account, for key accounts at key dates. But, usually, people do not bother.
Good luck!
Matt

Hello Matt,

Thank you very much for your information. I appreciate this very much. I really hate changing software, but the new system is growing on me as I run it in test mode alongside the current software.

Paul

I think you should firstly connect with new software provider then tell them about your issue. They can surely help you with an exact solution.
I hope this helps!
Regards,
Lewis