Why migrate to cloud software
Banana Contabilità, Excel spreadsheets and on-premise Abacus have served thousands of Swiss SMEs and fiduciary firms for decades. However, the accounting landscape has changed: the QR-invoice has replaced payment slips, the FTA requires electronic VAT returns, and clients and staff want real-time access to data from anywhere. Legacy software, however reliable, was not designed for this scenario.
Migrating to a cloud solution does not mean abandoning what works — it means bringing your data, processes and team expertise into a more efficient environment. A modern cloud platform offers automatic updates, built-in backups, multi-user collaboration and direct bank integrations — all of which reduce manual work and the risk of errors.
This guide walks fiduciary firms, SMEs and CFOs through the entire migration process: from recognising the signs that it's time to switch, to training the team on the new system. The goal is a smooth, controlled transition with no surprises.
When it's time to migrate
There is no perfect moment to change software, but there are clear signs that your current system is holding you back:
Repetitive manual data entry
You spend hours copying data from bank statements, invoices or receipts into your software or spreadsheet. Every manual transcription is a potential error that may only surface during an audit.
No bank integration
You download bank statements from your banking portal and import them manually. With modern cloud software, transactions arrive automatically via API or CAMT.053 and are matched to invoices.
Difficult collaboration
You exchange files by email with your fiduciary or colleagues, risking work on different versions of the same document. A cloud system provides a single source of truth accessible to all authorised users.
QR-invoice not supported
Your software cannot natively read the Swiss QR-invoice or generate invoices with an ISO 20022-compliant QR code. This slows down both invoice issuance and recording.
Late regulatory updates
Every change to VAT rates, code figures or tax deadlines requires a manual update to your system. Cloud software updates automatically to reflect the latest Swiss regulatory changes.
No real-time visibility
To know your financial situation you have to wait for the monthly close or request a report from the fiduciary. With the cloud, balance sheet, income statement and cash flow are always up to date and accessible at any time.
Planning the migration
A well-planned migration reduces risks and minimises downtime. Here are the five key steps:
Data and process inventory
List all the data to migrate: chart of accounts, opening balances, client and supplier master data, current-year entries, supporting documents. Also identify processes to replicate: bank reconciliation, VAT return, periodic reporting.
Choosing the right timing
The best time to migrate is the start of a new financial year (1 January for most Swiss SMEs). Alternatively, you can migrate at the beginning of a quarter to simplify the VAT return. Avoid migrating during the year-end close.
Selecting the target software
Evaluate cloud solutions based on: Swiss chart of accounts support (Kontenrahmen KMU), bank integration (CAMT.053/054), QR-invoice, multi-client management for fiduciaries, automatic VAT compliance, multilingual support (IT/DE/FR/EN).
Defining the team and responsibilities
Appoint a migration lead (the CFO, in-house accountant or fiduciary). Establish who exports data from the old system, who validates it in the new one, and who trains end users. For an SME with 1–3 people, the fiduciary often drives the process.
Timeline and milestones
Set a realistic timeline: 1–2 weeks for data export and cleanup, 1 week for import and verification, 2–4 weeks of parallel accounting, 1–2 weeks for training. For a standard SME, the entire process takes 6–8 weeks.
Exporting data from the old system
The first operational step is extracting data from the current system. Each software has different formats and procedures:
| Source system | Export format | Operational notes |
|---|---|---|
| Banana Contabilità | CSV, TXT | Export via File > Export rows as CSV. Include chart of accounts, entries and balance sheet. Check UTF-8 encoding for special characters. |
| Excel / spreadsheets | XLSX, CSV | Save each sheet as a separate CSV file. Clean up formulas, blank rows and formatting before export. Standardise dates to YYYY-MM-DD format. |
| Abacus | XML, CSV | Use the built-in data export function (AbaConnect). Export chart of accounts, entries and master data separately. XML files preserve the hierarchical structure. |
| Bexio / Sage | API, CSV | Bexio offers a REST API for programmatic export. Sage allows CSV export from the accounting module. Verify completeness of VAT fields. |
Chart of accounts mapping
The Swiss chart of accounts (Kontenrahmen KMU) is the de facto standard for SMEs and fiduciary firms. During migration, you must map the old system's accounts to the new software's chart of accounts. Here are the key areas:
Class 1 – Assets (Aktiven)
Cash and bank (1000–1099), trade receivables (1100–1199), inventories (1200–1299), fixed assets (1500–1599). Verify that bank and postal accounts are correctly mapped to the IBAN numbers in the new system.
Class 2 – Liabilities (Passiven)
Trade payables (2000–2099), bank liabilities (2100–2199), provisions (2300–2399), equity (2800–2899). Check that VAT payable accounts are aligned to the current tax rates.
Class 3 – Revenue (Ertrag)
Sales revenue (3000–3099), other revenue (3200–3299). Ensure VAT codes (code figures) are correctly associated with each revenue account for automatic reporting.
Class 4-6 – Expenses (Aufwand)
Material costs (4000–4099), personnel costs (5000–5099), other operating expenses (6000–6099). If the old system used a custom chart, map each account to the corresponding KMU standard account.
Class 8-9 – Extraordinary items and closing
Extraordinary income and expenses (8000–8999), closing accounts (9000–9099). These accounts are often overlooked during migration but are essential for correct balance sheet and income statement generation.
Importing opening balances
Opening balances represent the company's financial snapshot at the start of the new financial year. An error here propagates throughout the entire accounting year:
Opening balances checklist
- Export the trial balance (Saldobilanz) as at 31 December of the last closed financial year from the old system and verify that total assets equal total liabilities plus equity
- Import balances account by account into the new software, following the chart of accounts mapping. Use the CSV/Excel import function if available
- Verify balances of accrual accounts (prepayments and deferred income) and provisions: these often require manual entries because export formats don't detail them
- Compare the balance sheet generated by the new system with the last audited balance sheet: every figure must match exactly. If there are differences, identify and correct them before proceeding
Important: never import opening balances without first reconciling them against the previous year's audited balance sheet. An error in opening balances invalidates all subsequent entries and can cause problems with the VAT return and tax declaration.
Parallel accounting period
Parallel accounting (dual-running) means recording the same transactions in both the old and new systems for a limited period (typically 1–3 months). It is the safety net of the migration:
Month-end balances
Compare the trial balance at the end of each month in both systems. Differences must be zero or explainable (e.g. rounding differences). Document every discrepancy.
VAT return
Generate the quarterly VAT return in both systems and compare figure by figure: VAT due, input VAT, net VAT. This verifies that VAT codes are mapped correctly.
Bank reconciliation
Verify that all bank transactions are recorded and matched correctly in both systems. The book balance must match the bank statement balance on the same date.
Periodic reports
Compare balance sheet, income statement and accounts receivable/payable ageing. If the new system's reports match the old one's, you can deactivate parallel accounting with confidence.
Team training
The most powerful software is useless if the team doesn't know how to use it. Invest in training to maximise the return on your migration:
Navigation and interface
Guided tour of the interface: where to find the chart of accounts, how to create an entry, how to access reports. Goal: every user should be self-sufficient for daily operations within the first week.
Invoice recording and QR-invoice
How to upload invoices (scan, PDF upload, QR code), how to review and correct AI/OCR suggestions, how to approve and post. Practice with real company cases.
Bank reconciliation
How to import bank transactions (automatically or via CAMT.053), how to match transactions to open invoices, how to handle partial payments, duplicates and unrecognised transactions.
VAT return and closing
How to generate the quarterly VAT return, how to verify code figures, how to perform monthly and annual closing. Simulation of a full close with real data.
Backup, security and user roles
How cloud backups work, how to set user roles (administrator, accountant, read-only), how to manage two-factor authentication and nFADP compliance.
Tips for a successful migration
- Start the migration at the beginning of the financial year: opening balances are easier to import and you don't need to migrate mid-year entries
- Clean your data before migrating: remove unused accounts, duplicate clients/suppliers and provisional entries from the old system. The less dirty data you import, the fewer problems you'll have
- Run a test import with a subset of data before the full migration. Verify balances, VAT codes and generated reports before importing everything
- Keep the old system accessible in read-only mode for at least 12 months after migration: you can consult historical data and verify in case of doubts or tax audits
- Document every chart of accounts mapping decision: which old account maps to which new account. This documentation is invaluable in case of an audit
- Involve the fiduciary from the start: they know your company's accounting specifics and can validate the chart of accounts mapping and opening balances
- Use AccountEX to simplify the migration: CSV import of chart of accounts and balances, automatic bank integration, native QR-invoice and AI that learns from your data from day one
Simplify your Swiss accounting
AccountEX handles VAT, QR-invoices and bookings with AI. Start for free.
Start Free