Migrate from aACE to Mailchimp

Discovery and FileMaker layout review

We request the customer share read-only access to the relevant aACE FileMaker layouts (Account, Company Location, Employee, Task) and any custom field definitions they have added. We extract the complete field list for each object, identify which fields contain email addresses, opt-out flags, and custom picklists, and build the pre-export field map. We also document the Account-to-Location cardinality and whether any Locations share email addresses with the parent Account to determine the expected Member count in Mailchimp versus the unique Contact count in aACE.

Migration user provisioning and cache preparation

The customer provisions a dedicated migration user account in aACE with read access to all layouts required for export. We clear the shared FileMaker cache table under this account before any export begins. We set a migration freeze window during which no active user runs imports in aACE to prevent cache table contention. The target Mailchimp Audience is created with the customer-supplied name, and we configure the required merge fields (FNAME, LNAME, COMPANY, PHONE, ACCOUNTID, and any customer-specific custom fields) before data begins to flow.

Suppression list extraction and pre-import cleanup

We scan all aACE Account notes, Contact fields, and any custom opt-out flag fields for email addresses marked as unsubscribed, bounced, or invalid. These addresses are exported to a separate suppression list CSV. We run basic syntax validation on the full email address column — fixing obvious typos (gamil.com to gmail.com) where intent is clear, flagging addresses with unsupported characters in the prefix, and logging records where the email address cannot be auto-corrected. The cleaned suppression list is imported into Mailchimp as a non-subscribed list before the active Member import begins.

Account and Location export with duplicate resolution

We run FileMaker export scripts for Account and Company Location records under the migration user account. Accounts are exported first, then Locations are joined to their parent Account. Where multiple Locations share the same email address as the parent Account, we de-duplicate at the email level to avoid creating multiple Members with identical email addresses (Mailchimp's API rejects duplicate email addresses within the same Audience). The export produces a normalized CSV with one row per Member and a flag indicating the source (Account primary contact or Location contact). Custom field values are appended to each row using the discovered field list from step one.

Test import into Mailchimp sandbox

Before writing to the production Mailchimp Audience, we run a test import of 50-100 representative Members (including edge cases: long custom field values, international addresses, mixed case email addresses) to validate merge field mapping, character encoding (UTF-8 compliance), and Mailchimp's import result response. We review the Mailchimp import history report within 24 hours (Mailchimp's import history page retains results for 24 hours) to catch any syntax rejections or duplicate warnings. Corrections to the transformation script are applied before the full import proceeds.

Production import, tagging, and handoff inventory

We import the full Member set into the production Mailchimp Audience using the validated CSV. Following the active import, we apply Tags for Tasks, Distribution Lists, and any Sales Order flags computed in the field mapping phase. We deliver a written handoff inventory that records the total Member count imported, the count of addresses suppressed or held for reconciliation, the merge fields created, the Tags applied, and the record counts of all aACE objects that were not migrated (Invoices, Orders, Projects, Purchase Orders, Documents). We do not migrate automations or Customer Journeys as code; the inventory includes a section for the customer's Mailchimp admin to document the automation rebuild scope.