Migrate from Embrace ERP to Dolibarr ERP

Embrace stores account codes, descriptions, and hierarchical structure in standard relational tables that map directly to Dolibarr's accounting chart of accounts. We extract the full account tree including parent-child relationships and map account types (Asset, Liability, Income, Expense, Equity) to Dolibarr's pcg_type classification. South African SARS-compliant tax codes (VAT, withholding) are extracted separately and configured as tax accounts in Dolibarr's tax module rather than as line items on the general ledger.

Embrace Customer master records include billing addresses, contact details, and tax registration numbers. We map these to Dolibarr's ThirdParty object with the customer flag activated. Email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, and VAT numbers migrate as structured fields. Payment terms defined in Embrace (e.g., Net 30) are mapped to Dolibarr's ConditionReglement object. Any custom fields on the Customer record discovered during scoping are mapped to Dolibarr ExtraFields.

Vendor master records in Embrace mirror the Customer structure with supplier-specific fields including banking details for payment configuration. We map these to Dolibarr's ThirdParty object with the supplier flag activated. Bank account details, payment terms, and supplier-specific tax categories are mapped to Dolibarr's societe_remise_percent and societe_remise_supplier fields. Banking details are stored in Dolibarr's rib (Relevé d'Identité Bancaire) table associated with the ThirdParty.

Embrace inventory items include stock codes, costing methods, warehouse locations, and reorder parameters. We map these to Dolibarr Product records with the stock module enabled. Stock quantities per warehouse migrate to Dolibarr's expedition-reception stock tracking. Unit of measure (units, kg, boxes) maps to Dolibarr's unité de mesure field. Costing method (FIFO, average) is noted but Dolibarr's stock module uses simple average cost; any advanced costing logic is flagged for manual review post-migration.

Embrace BOM hierarchies map to Dolibarr's Bill of Materials module, which is available as a Dolistore add-on rather than in the core download. We extract the full BOM structure including sub-assemblies, component quantities, and routing information. Multi-level BOMs are flattened into a single-level exploded view during migration; nested BOM relationships are preserved as parent-child Product links for Dolibarr to assemble. If the BOM module is not activated in the target Dolibarr instance, components are migrated as separate Products and the BOM logic is documented for manual configuration.

Outstanding customer invoices (AR) and supplier invoices (AP) are extracted with full aging detail including original invoice date, due date, outstanding amount, and partial payment history. We map open AR to Dolibarr customer Invoice records with status DRAFT or UNBILLED (not validated) so the customer can validate them after reconciling opening balances. Open AP maps to Dolibarr supplier Invoice records in the same manner. Any credit notes in Embrace map to Dolibarr credit note records linked to the original invoice. Reconciliation of opening balances is handled at cutover against the migration date in consultation with the customer's finance team.

Posted journals and batch transaction details can be migrated into Dolibarr's accounting module as historical entries. We scope the required fiscal-year depth with the customer before migration and extract posted journal lines with account code, debit, credit, and narration. Dolibarr does not have a native journal import utility, so we generate structured SQL INSERT statements or CSV files for manual entry by the customer's accountant. Any report-specific calculations or grouping logic embedded in custom Embrace reports are lost unless the customer provides the underlying report definitions for manual rebuild.

Documents linked to transactions or master records in Embrace are stored in the document management layer. We extract files reachable via the file export path, map them to Dolibarr's document management directory structure by object type (ThirdParty, Product, Facture), and attach them to the corresponding migrated records. Any documents stored in non-standard paths or with bespoke metadata schemas are flagged with a manual retrieval guide. Dolibarr's document storage is file-system based, so uploaded files are placed in the correct directories before the first user login.

Embrace supports user-defined fields on master and transaction records, with the set of custom fields varying between installations. We discover the complete custom-field schema during scoping by querying the Embrace database for user-defined field definitions, identify their data types (text, numeric, picklist, date, checkbox), and map each to a corresponding Dolibarr ExtraFields entry. Any picklist values not present in the base Dolibarr schema are created as new options in the destination. Fields with unsupported data types are flagged for manual review before final import.

Embrace workflows defined in iMBrace or the native Embrace workflow engine govern approval chains and document status transitions. We export workflow rules as structured definitions including trigger events, conditions, assigned roles, and escalation timeframes. Dolibarr's core workflow module supports basic document status transitions; complex approval chains requiring multi-step routing or conditional escalation may require Dolistore workflow add-ons or manual configuration. We deliver a written workflow inventory document summarising each Embrace workflow with its equivalent Dolibarr configuration steps rather than rebuilding them as code during migration.

Embrace user accounts, passwords (which cannot be extracted in plaintext), and role-based permissions are mapped to Dolibarr User and Group records. We extract role definitions including module-level access and field-level restrictions. Dolibarr's permission model is permission-code based (READ, WRITE, DELETE per object) and is mapped from Embrace's role schema. Passwords cannot migrate; we flag all migrated users so the customer's admin can trigger password reset emails before go-live. Any permissions with no direct Dolibarr equivalent are documented for manual configuration.

SARS-compliant tax codes and rate tables defined in Embrace are extracted with their current effective rates. Dolibarr's tax module holds VAT rates as tax models (CG-VAT-CC, CG-VAT-INC, etc.) and these must be configured manually post-migration based on the customer's South African VAT registration status. We provide a tax code mapping table during the handoff document with Embrace tax codes, rates, and the recommended Dolibarr tax model configuration. Any withholding tax or customs duty codes require manual configuration in Dolibarr's tax module.