ERP migration

Migrate from WINLine to Dolibarr ERP

Field-level mapping, validation, and rollback between WINLine and Dolibarr ERP. We move data and schema; workflows are rebuilt natively in Dolibarr ERP.

WINLine logo

WINLine

Source

Dolibarr ERP

Destination

Dolibarr ERP logo

Compatibility

93%

13 of 14

objects map 1:1 between WINLine and Dolibarr ERP.

Complexity

BStandard

Timeline

3-5 weeks

Rollback included Accuracy guarantee Field-level validation

Overview

What this migration involves

Moving from WINLine to Dolibarr is a migration from a proprietary Australian desktop ERP with file-based storage to an open-source modular PHP/MySQL platform. WINLine Classic stores data in flat-file formats that require vendor-assisted or direct file-structure export before any relational mapping is possible. Dolibarr, by contrast, runs on a standard MySQL or MariaDB database with a documented schema and a built-in CSV-based import wizard for mass data loading. We extract WINLine data via the available export routines or direct file access, normalize it into structured CSV files mapped against Dolibarr's llx_ prefixed tables, and push through Dolibarr's native Import module or direct SQL inserts for larger volumes. BOM versioning, cost center assignments, and inventory valuation methods require explicit customer confirmation before mapping. Dolibarr's modular architecture means manufacturing, project management, and CRM features must be explicitly activated; we flag any records that depend on inactive modules before loading. We do not migrate workflows, automations, or custom report definitions as code.

Field-level fidelity

Every standard and custom field arrives verified.

Schema-aware mapping

AI proposes the map; you confirm before any record moves.

Relationships preserved

Parent–child, lookups, and ownership stay linked.

Full activity history

Calls, emails, meetings — with original timestamps.

Attachments & notes

Documents, uploads, and inline notes move with the record.

Why teams make this switch

Two sides of the same decision

Leaving

WINLine logo

WINLine

What's pushing teams away

  • WinLine Classic uses a file-based database architecture that is difficult to integrate with modern cloud tools, prompting customers to move to cloud-native ERPs with open APIs.
  • Customers report that the UI and workflow design feels dated compared to modern SaaS ERP alternatives, driving adoption of platforms with better user experience.
  • Support for WinLine is provided by a small Australian team, and customers with complex customization needs sometimes find response times slower than expected.
  • Growing businesses outgrow WinLine's SMB-focused feature set, particularly around multi-entity consolidation, advanced analytics, and role-based access control at enterprise scale.

Choosing

Dolibarr ERP logo

Dolibarr ERP

What's pulling them in

  • Free open-source core with no per-user license fee makes it the lowest-cost entry point for small teams needing ERP and CRM in one package.
  • Self-hosted deployment gives full data ownership and eliminates vendor lock-in, especially attractive to businesses with compliance requirements.
  • Modular architecture means teams enable only the features they use, keeping the interface uncluttered and reducing learning curve.
  • Fast installation with no technical knowledge required — one reviewer set up multiple businesses in minutes using their own hosting.
  • Active community forum and marketplace of third-party add-ons provide support and extension options without mandatory subscription costs.

Object mapping

How WINLine objects map to Dolibarr ERP

Each row shows how a WINLine object lands in Dolibarr ERP, including any object-level transformations, lookup resolution, or schema-design dependencies.

Typical mapping — final map is confirmed during the sample migration step.

WINLine

Chart of Accounts

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_accounting_account

1:1
Mapping required

WINLine's G/L account codes, cost center assignments, and Australian tax codes map to Dolibarr's llx_accounting_account table. Account number maps to account_number, label to label, parent account to蛙(parent), and tax code to vat_reverse_charge_subject. We extract from WINLine's flat-file account masters and generate INSERT statements or CSV for Dolibarr's accounting module import profile. Cost center mapping requires customer confirmation on whether cost centers map to Dolibarr's cost center module or to sub-account structure.

WINLine

Customer

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_societe (with Typent = 'C')

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine customer records (billing addresses, payment terms, credit limits, currency) map to Dolibarr's llx_societe table with typent = 'C' for customer. Customer name becomes nom. We use company name as the dedupe key during import. Payment terms map to cond_reglement_id (looked up from llx_conditions_reglement), and credit limits map to invoice_maximum. Billing address maps to address, zip to zip, town to town, and country to pays.

WINLine

Vendor

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_societe (with Typent = 'F')

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine vendor master data maps to Dolibarr's llx_societe table with typent = 'F' for supplier. Tax registration numbers map to siret or siren depending on Australian vs French context (flag for customer review). Bank account info maps to rib fields. Vendor name becomes nom with vendor name as dedupe key.

WINLine

Open AP / AR

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_facture + llx_paiement + llx_paiement_facture

1:1
Fully supported

Outstanding WINLine invoices, credit memos, and payment records map to Dolibarr's invoice tables. Open items with invoice numbers, amounts, due dates, and aging buckets push as open transaction records in Dolibarr (facture = 'open' status). We extract aging buckets from WINLine's aged payable/receivable report and create matching records with due dates preserved. Partial payments link through llx_paiement_facture. Customer invoices use facnumber as external reference.

WINLine

Item / Product

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_product

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine Items (SKU, description, unit of measure, cost price, sell price) map to Dolibarr's llx_product. ref maps to ref, label to label, unit to unit, cost price to cost_price, and sell price to price. The inventory valuation method (FIFO or average cost) must be confirmed with the customer before mapping because Dolibarr's MRP module handles this differently than WINLine's native inventory valuation.

WINLine

Fixed Asset

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_asset + llx_asset_depreciation

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine asset registers (acquisition date, cost, accumulated depreciation, useful life) map to Dolibarr's llx_asset and llx_asset_depreciation tables. Acquisition date becomes date_achat, net book value becomes px_devise, and depreciation method maps to accounting_asset_account for the depreciation journal. We recalculate remaining depreciation schedule against Dolibarr's accounting entries, flagging any discrepancies for customer review before finalizing.

WINLine

Sales Order / Quote

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_propal + llx_commandefournisseur

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine sales orders and quotes map to Dolibarr's llx_propal (proposals) and llx_commande (customer orders). Open orders migrate as propal status 'opened' or 'signed' and closed orders as historical records. Line items map to llx_propaldet with product reference, quantity, and unit price resolved against the imported product catalog.

WINLine

Inventory / Stock

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_product_stock + llx_entrepot

1:1
Mapping required

WINLine stock levels by warehouse location map to Dolibarr's llx_product_stock linked to llx_entrepot (warehouses). Current quantities per warehouse migrate with reel as the stock quantity. We flag any negative stock, discrepant counts, or obsolete items during extraction for customer reconciliation before loading into Dolibarr's warehouse inventory module.

WINLine

BOM / Bill of Materials

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_mrp_production + llx_mrp_bom

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine's Bill of Materials with version history and effective dates map to Dolibarr's llx_mrp_bom and llx_mrp_production tables. The active BOM version at cutover date must be identified from WINLine's versioning metadata; we flag any BOMs with pending revisions for customer review before migration. Production orders map to llx_mrp_production with qty and status preserved. Dolibarr's MRP module must be activated in the destination before this object type can be loaded.

WINLine

Production Order

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_mrp_production

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine work orders map to Dolibarr's llx_mrp_production. We extract production order status, quantity, and the parent BOM reference. Work order dates migrate as scheduled start and end dates. If WINLine tracks sub-assemblies or multi-level BOMs, we flatten them or flag multi-level resolution for customer confirmation.

WINLine

Contact / Person

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_socpeople

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine contact persons linked to customers or vendors map to Dolibarr's llx_socpeople (third-party people). firstname, lastname, phone, email, and role map to the corresponding Dolibarr fields. We link each contact to the parent llx_societe via fk_soc. Role or job title maps to poste.

WINLine

Document / Attachment

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

ContentDocument or file system

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine's document archive linked to transactions and master records is extracted as binary files and re-attached in Dolibarr's document management. Dolibarr stores documents in the documents directory tied to the object type and ID. We create the directory structure and link files to the migrated record IDs post-load. Binary attachments are exported as-is and re-uploaded; we do not parse internal WINLine document metadata.

WINLine

Project / Project Task

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_projet + llx_projet_task

1:1
Fully supported

WINLine project management data maps to Dolibarr's llx_projet and llx_projet_task tables. If WINLine tracks time against projects, we map project tasks and any time entries. Dolibarr's project module must be activated for this object type. Project status maps from WINLine's project state field.

WINLine

Custom Fields / Extended Properties

maps to

Dolibarr ERP

llx_extrafields + dolibarr_customfields

lossy
Fully supported

WINLine extended flat-file columns map to Dolibarr's extrafields system (llx__extrafields) or the CustomFields module if the customer uses it. Each WINLine extended property requires a new extrafields definition in Dolibarr before data can be inserted. We document every custom field found in WINLine's schema and recreate each as a Dolibarr extrafields entry with matching data type (string, int, date, select, etc.) during the schema design phase.

Gotchas + challenges

What specifically takes care here

Platform-specific issues from each side, plus the pair-specific challenges that don't show up on either platform's page on its own.

WINLine logo

WINLine gotchas

High

WinLine Classic uses flat-file database storage

High

No publicly documented REST API for WinLine Classic

Medium

BOM and production order versioning

Dolibarr ERP logo

Dolibarr ERP gotchas

High

Foreign key constraint errors on cross-distribution database restore

High

SQL injection vulnerabilities in version 9.0.1

Medium

Custom fields stored as JSON in extraoptions require field-by-field deserialization

Medium

Decimal precision and rounding configuration affects price fields

Low

No native iOS/Android app forces reliance on browser

Pair-specific challenges

  • WINLine Classic flat-file extraction requires vendor tooling

    WINLine Classic stores data in proprietary flat-file formats (dBase/FoxPro heritage) rather than a standard SQL database. Direct SQL queries against the underlying files are unreliable and can corrupt data without vendor-supplied utilities. We coordinate with Software Mechanics or the customer's IT team to extract clean data exports via WINLine's built-in reporting and export routines before migration begins. For WINLine compact customers, we assess API availability on a per-customer basis as it may be edition-gated.

  • Dolibarr manufacturing module must be activated before BOM loading

    Dolibarr's MRP module (BOM and production orders) requires explicit activation in Setup > Modules. If the module is not activated before migration, the llx_mrp_bom and llx_mrp_production tables are not created in the schema, and any attempt to load manufacturing data fails silently or throws a foreign key error. We verify module activation as part of the pre-migration checklist and document any BOM-dependent records that cannot load until the module is enabled.

  • BOM version resolution at cutover date

    WINLine's manufacturing module stores BOMs with version history and effective dates. During migration, we must capture the correct active BOM version at the cutover date to avoid loading superseded or draft BOM structures into Dolibarr. We extract BOM version metadata, identify the effective version as of the migration date, and flag any BOMs with pending revisions for customer review before finalizing the production data load.

  • Dolibarr CSV import wizard has record-type limits

    Dolibarr's built-in Import tool (accessible via Tools > Mass Import with the Imports module enabled) works well for straightforward record types but is limited to one table per import session and requires a predefined import profile. Complex migrations with custom fields, multi-level lookups, or cross-object references (for example, linking contacts to companies during the same import pass) may require direct SQL INSERTs or a custom ETL script. We assess import method per object during scoping and switch to direct SQL for tables where the wizard is insufficient.

  • Australian tax codes require manual mapping in Dolibarr

    WINLine includes Australian-specific tax codes and GST compliance logic. Dolibarr's tax configuration is more generic and requires manual setup of Australian GST rates (10% standard, 0% exports, etc.) in the tax rates table (llx_c_tva). We do not migrate tax configuration as data; we deliver a written tax setup checklist with the specific WINLine tax codes identified, the recommended Dolibarr VAT rate configuration, and the mapping for the customer's accounts payable and receivable tax posting accounts.

Migration approach

Six steps for a successful WINLine to Dolibarr ERP data migration

  1. WINLine data extraction and schema audit

    We work with the customer's IT team or Software Mechanics to extract clean data from WINLine using available export routines or direct file access. We audit the flat-file schemas to identify all record types, extended columns, and cross-record references. The extraction produces structured CSV or SQL dumps for each object type: account masters, customer/vendor records, open AP/AR items, products, inventory quantities, BOM structures, work orders, and fixed asset registers. Any data quality issues (missing required fields, duplicate names, invalid dates) are flagged in a pre-migration data quality report for customer resolution before extraction is considered complete.

  2. Dolibarr environment provisioning and module activation

    We provision a Dolibarr instance (self-hosted or DoliCloud) with the modules needed for the migration scope: accounting, third-party management (customers/vendors), products, stock/inventory, BOM/MRP, projects, and the Imports module. We configure base settings including country (Australia), currency (AUD), date format, and the Chart of Accounts structure. We create any extrafields definitions identified in the WINLine audit before any data is loaded, because extrafields must exist before INSERT statements can populate them.

  3. Schema mapping design and customer validation

    We design the full mapping from WINLine objects to Dolibarr tables, including field-level transforms (date format normalization, currency handling, cost center logic, BOM version selection). We deliver a written mapping document for customer sign-off before any load begins. Any ambiguous mappings (for example, multi-level BOMs, non-standard cost center structures, or custom fields with unclear data types) are resolved during this step. We also confirm which Dolibarr modules are active because inactive modules mean their tables do not exist in the schema.

  4. Chart of Accounts and fixed asset load

    We load the Chart of Accounts first because account numbers are referenced by most other financial records. We generate the accounting account import file with account codes, labels, parent relationships, and tax configuration mapped from WINLine's COA. Fixed asset registers load next with acquisition details, cost, accumulated depreciation, and useful life recalculated against Dolibarr's depreciation schedule. Each load phase emits a row-count reconciliation report against the extraction totals.

  5. Master data and transactional record load

    We load customers and vendors into llx_societe with the typent distinction (C vs F), followed by contact persons (llx_socpeople) linked to their parent company. Products load into llx_product with price and unit data. Open AP/AR items load with invoice numbers and due dates, followed by sales orders and quotes. Inventory quantities load per warehouse. Each phase runs in dependency order with reconciliation reports between phases. If Dolibarr's MRP module is active, BOM structures and production orders load last.

  6. Cutover, validation, and automation inventory handoff

    We freeze WINLine writes during cutover and run a final delta migration of any records modified during the migration window. We validate record counts, spot-check field-level accuracy against WINLine source records, and confirm that linked records (contacts to companies, invoices to customers, BOMs to products) resolve correctly in Dolibarr. We deliver a written inventory of any WINLine workflows, automations, or custom reports that cannot migrate as code, with a rebuild checklist for the customer's admin team. We do not rebuild automations inside the migration scope.

Platform deep dives

Context on both ends of the pair

WINLine logo

WINLine

Source

Strengths

  • Perpetual license ownership with no mandatory recurring fees for the Classic edition.
  • Comprehensive SMB feature set covering accounting, inventory, manufacturing, and CRM in a single application.
  • Both on-premise and cloud deployment options available.
  • Locally developed and supported in Australia with regulatory compliance for Australian tax and reporting standards.

Weaknesses

  • File-based database architecture in Classic edition limits API access and third-party integrations.
  • Small vendor footprint means fewer third-party consultants, integrations, and community resources compared to global ERP platforms.
  • Documentation and migration tooling are limited, making self-served data extraction difficult.
  • UI and workflow design is perceived as dated relative to modern cloud ERP interfaces.
Dolibarr ERP logo

Dolibarr ERP

Destination

Strengths

  • Free core software with AGPL license and no per-user mandatory fee for self-hosted deployments.
  • Modular architecture lets teams activate only needed features, keeping the interface focused and the database lean.
  • Self-hosted option provides full data sovereignty and avoids recurring SaaS subscription costs.
  • Built-in CSV/Excel import and export wizard with saved profiles simplifies recurring data operations.
  • Low-code Module Builder allows functional extensions without writing PHP code.

Weaknesses

  • No native documented REST API for programmatic bulk operations — all migrations depend on the import/export wizard or direct database access.
  • Reporting and analytics are weak without paid add-ons, and built-in charts are limited compared to modern SaaS platforms.
  • UI design is described as dated by multiple reviewers, with infrequent visual updates to the default theme.
  • Community-only support for self-hosted deployments means no SLA or guaranteed response time for issues.
  • Security vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-5314, CVE-2024-5315) in version 9.0.1 with no immediate patch reported.

Complexity grading

How hard is this migration?

Standard ERP migration. 3 of 8 objects need a mapping; the rest are 1:1.

B

Overall complexity

Standard migration

Derived from compatibility, mapping clarity, API constraints, and data volume across WINLine and Dolibarr ERP.

  • Object compatibility

    B

    3 of 8 objects need a mapping; the rest are 1:1.

  • Field mapping clarity

    C

    Field mapping is derived from defaults — final spec confirmed during the sample migration.

  • Timeline complexity

    B

    8-object category — typical timelines run 2–7 days end-to-end.

  • API constraints

    B

    WINLine: Not publicly documented.

  • Data volume sensitivity

    B

    WINLine doesn't expose a bulk API — REST + parallelization used for high-volume runs.

Estimator

Estimate your WINLine to Dolibarr ERP migration cost

Rule-based pricing — no per-record fees, no manual quotes. Migrations over 2M records are scoped individually.

Step 1

What are you migrating?

Pick a category, then your source and destination platforms.

Category

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about WINLine to Dolibarr ERP data migrations

Answers to the questions buyers ask most during WINLine to Dolibarr ERP migration scoping. Not seeing yours? Book a call.

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Straightforward migrations under 10,000 customers and vendors with no manufacturing data land between three and five weeks. Migrations involving BOM versioning, multi-warehouse inventory, open AP/AR aging buckets, or fixed asset depreciation schedules move to eight to fourteen weeks because of BOM version reconciliation, asset recalculation, and Dolibarr MRP module configuration. The WINLine extraction phase (vendor-assisted or file-level) typically adds one to two weeks to the schedule before data mapping begins.

Adjacent paths

Related migrations to explore

Ready when you are

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