Migration to Odoo: from Bexio, Crésus, Banana and other software

Many Swiss SMEs still work with tools designed for limited use: Bexio for invoicing, Crésus for payroll, Banana for accounting, or even Excel spreadsheets. These software packages meet the needs of a start-up business, but they quickly show their limitations when the activity develops, teams grow or processes become more complex.

Migration to Odoo allows the consolidation of all your business processes — accounting, invoicing, purchasing, sales, stock, human resources — in a single integrated system. AX-Fiduciaire, official Odoo partner in French-speaking Switzerland, supports you from A to Z for a secure, planned migration with no business interruption.

From Which Software Do We Migrate to Odoo?

Migration from Bexio to Odoo

Bexio is the most popular Swiss cloud solution among freelancers and small Swiss SMEs. Its simple interface and bank integration (e-banking) make it an effective tool up to a certain level of growth. But its limitations quickly become constraining:

• No stock management: Bexio does not allow the management of a warehouse, goods in/out or replenishment levels
• Rudimentary CRM: tracking of commercial opportunities and the sales pipeline are very limited
• No integrated project management: time-based invoicing requires third-party tools
• Limited reporting: dashboards and custom analyses are virtually non-existent
• No multi-company: groups with several legal entities cannot consolidate their accounts

By migrating from Bexio to Odoo, you keep what Bexio does well (clean invoicing, Swiss bank integration) while gaining a complete ERP covering all your processes. The Bexio data export is standardised (CSV/JSON), which technically facilitates the migration.

Migration from Crésus to Odoo

Crésus is the reference software for French-speaking Swiss SMEs for over 30 years. Its Crésus Accounting, Crésus Payroll and Crésus Invoicing suite is recognised for its compliance with Swiss standards (PMC chart of accounts, salary certificates, AHV statements). However, Crésus remains fundamentally locally installed software, which implies growing constraints:

• Limited remote access: Crésus files are stored locally or on a company server, remote access is complex
• Silos between modules: Crésus Accounting and Crésus Payroll are distinct applications that do not natively communicate with a CRM or e-commerce
• No mobile app: no management possible from a smartphone
• Difficult collaboration: file sharing and simultaneous work by multiple users is impractical
• Limited scalability: adding business features (e-commerce, helpdesk, project management) is impossible without changing software

Odoo offers a cloud-native alternative, accessible from anywhere, multi-user in real time, with a far superior functional coverage. We ensure faithful transfer of Crésus settings (customised chart of accounts, social charge rates, salary templates) to Odoo.

Migration from Banana Accounting to Odoo

Banana Accounting is appreciated for its lightness, low cost and compliance with Swiss accounting presentation standards. However, it remains a pure accounting tool, with no integration with invoicing, sales, purchasing or human resources.

Companies migrating from Banana to Odoo generally seek to:

• Eliminate manual re-entry between their invoicing tool and Banana
• Automate bank reconciliations (direct import of statements)
• Benefit from an accelerated monthly closing
• Have a real-time view of cash flow and margins

Banana files (.ac2) contain the chart of accounts and entries exportable in CSV, allowing a structured migration of historical data.

Migration from Sage / Winbiz to Odoo

Sage 50 (formerly Sage Start) and Winbiz are popular integrated management solutions (light ERP) in Switzerland. While these software packages cover more features than Bexio or Crésus, they reach their limits for fast-growing companies or those seeking modern infrastructure (cloud, open APIs, third-party integrations).

Migration from Sage or Winbiz to Odoo requires precise module mapping and data cleansing work, which we handle in full.

Migration from Excel and Manual Tools to Odoo

Many SMEs still manage their invoicing in Word/Excel, their accounting with an external accountant who works on their own tools, and their orders in shared files. This situation generates errors, loss of information and a lack of real-time visibility into the business.

Migration from Excel is technically the simplest (CSV file import), but it requires upstream data structuring work (duplicate cleansing, format normalisation, chart of accounts definition). AX-Fiduciaire guides you through this process.

Migration Between Odoo Versions (v16 → v17 → v18)

If you are already using Odoo but on an older version (14, 15, 16 or 17), a migration to Odoo 18 is necessary to benefit from official support and new features. Inter-version Odoo migration is a separate project from migrations from third-party software, with its own challenges:

• Compatibility of custom-developed or third-party modules
• Data structure changes between versions
• Update of Swiss accounting settings (new VAT rates, new standards)
• User training on new interfaces

We manage Odoo inter-version migrations using the same 7-step methodology as for migrations from third-party software.

What Data Do We Migrate to Odoo?

Data migration is the technical heart of the project. Here is the complete scope that we handle:

Accounting Data

• Chart of accounts: transfer of your customised chart of accounts (based on the Swiss PMC), with all accounts, groupings and tax parameters
• Historical accounting entries: import of journals (sales, purchases, bank, miscellaneous entries) for the financial years to be retained (generally the last 3 years, or up to 10 years depending on legal requirements)
• Opening balances: entry of opening balances at the go-live date to ensure accounting continuity. These balances are validated with your fiduciary or auditor
• VAT returns: configuration of Swiss VAT codes (8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8% and exemptions) and recovery of return history
• Fixed assets: depreciation schedule, net book values and acquisition dates

Client and Supplier Data

• Third-party records: company name, addresses (billing/delivery), VAT numbers, bank details (IBAN), payment terms, discounts
• Multiple contacts: interlocutors per company (buyers, accountants, management)
• Segmentation and tags: categorisation by client type, sector of activity, region
• Correspondence history: archiving of email exchanges if messaging integration

Open Invoices and History

• Open client invoices (not yet collected at the migration date): taken over with their amounts, due dates and links to corresponding clients
• Open supplier invoices (not yet paid): taken over to maintain payment management
• Invoice history: invoices from previous financial years, for consultation and traceability
• Credit notes: credit notes in circulation

Products and Catalogues

• Product records: references, names, descriptions, units of measure, barcodes
• Categories and attributes: product hierarchy, variants (sizes, colours)
• Sale prices and price lists: standard rates, client or category discounts, special prices
• Purchase prices and preferred suppliers: purchase costs, delivery lead times
• Product accounting parameters: revenue and expense accounts linked to each article

Stock and Inventory

• Opening inventory: quantities in stock at the migration date, with valuation (FIFO, weighted average cost)
• Storage locations: warehouses, zones, aisles, shelving
• Serial and lot numbers: traceability of tracked articles
• Replenishment rules: min/max thresholds, preferred suppliers

Employee and Payroll Data

• Employee records: personal data, employment contracts, activity rates, salary levels
• Salary structures: gross salary calculation rules, deductions (AHV, BVG, withholding tax)
• Payslip history: taken over for legal compliance and production of salary certificates
• AHV/BVG statements: configuration of compensation funds and pension institutions

Documents and Supporting Evidence

• Invoice PDFs: archiving of issued and received documents, attached to the corresponding accounting entries
• Contracts: contractual documents associated with partners
• Scanned accounting documents: digital archiving of paper supporting documents
• Document templates: invoice, quote, purchase order templates in your corporate design

Our 7-Step Migration Methodology

AX-Fiduciaire applies a structured methodology for each migration project. This approach guarantees data reliability, timeline control and peace of mind at your go-live.

Step 1 — Existing System Audit

Before anything else, we analyse your current situation in depth:

• Inventory of software in place and their interactions
• Data volume by type (number of clients, products, entries, financial years)
• Identification of critical data and dispensable data
• Analysis of current and desired business processes
• Legal and tax constraints specific to your activity
• Desired schedule and operational constraints (busy periods, tax year-end)

This audit results in a feasibility report and an estimate of the project cost and duration.

Step 2 — Data Mapping

Mapping consists of establishing the precise correspondence between the fields of your old system and those of Odoo. This is a critical step that determines the quality of the migration:

• Correspondence between source accounting accounts and the Odoo chart of accounts
• Format transformation (dates, amounts, currencies, character encodings)
• Deduplication rules (management of client/supplier duplicates)
• Handling of special cases (multi-currency transactions, shared accounts)
• Definition of data to exclude or archive without migration

The mapping document is formalised and validated by you before any technical migration is launched.

Step 3 — Test Migration on Development Environment

We deploy an Odoo development instance and carry out a first complete migration of all your data. This test environment is identical to the future production environment:

• Import of all data according to the validated mapping
• Automatic integrity checks (accounting balances, stock totals, link consistency)
• Generation of detailed control reports
• Identification of anomalies and adjustment of mapping if necessary

Step 4 — Validation and Corrections

You and your teams access the test environment to validate the migrated data:

• Verification of a representative sample of each data type
• Control of accounting balances against your last validated balance sheet
• Testing of key processes (creating an invoice, recording a payment, issuing payroll)
• Documented feedback and correction of identified anomalies

This step may require one or more iterations until a satisfactory result is achieved.

Step 5 — Final Migration

Once validation is obtained, we proceed with the final migration to the production environment. This operation is planned outside business hours:

• Freeze of the old system (suspension of new entries for the cut-over period)
• Final export of up-to-date data from the source system
• Migration to Odoo production according to the script validated during tests
• Post-migration integrity checks
• Complete backup of the freshly migrated Odoo instance

Step 6 — User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Before opening Odoo to all your teams, we organise a user acceptance testing session:

• Quick training of key users on Odoo interfaces
• Guided walkthroughs of main processes (invoicing, accounting, purchasing, payroll)
• Validation that data and processes match business expectations
• Last-minute adjustments (settings, access rights, templates)

Step 7 — Go-Live and Enhanced Support

On D-day, your team definitively switches to Odoo. AX-Fiduciaire provides enhanced support during the first weeks:

• Priority assistance by email, phone and videoconference
• Daily follow-up during the first 2 weeks post-go-live
• Immediate correction of any operational blockages
• First accompanied monthly closing (to ensure accounting is correct)
• Migration review 30 days after go-live

Data Security and Protection During Migration

Migration involves the processing of sensitive data: financial information, personal data of clients and employees. We apply strict measures to guarantee their protection at every stage.

Encryption and Secure Transfers

All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). File transfers between your old system and our migration environments are carried out via secure channels (encrypted SFTP or encrypted cloud sharing). No sensitive data files circulate by unencrypted email.

Hosting in Switzerland

The Odoo development and production environments we deploy are hosted in Swiss data centres (Infomaniak or equivalent ISO 27001 certified). Your data never leaves Swiss territory, which guarantees compliance with Swiss data protection law.

GDPR and LPD Compliance

Our migration process complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for European clients and the Federal Act on Data Protection (LPD/nDSG) in force since September 2023. Key points:

• Data Processing Agreement (DPA) signed before any migration project
• Data minimisation: we only migrate necessary data
• Retention periods respected: test data is deleted after validation
• Records of processing activities updated to reflect the new system

Backups and Reversibility

Before each critical step, we perform a complete backup:

• Backup of the old system before export (snapshot or complete export)
• Backup of the Odoo instance before final migration
• Retention of backups for a minimum of 12 months post-migration
• Documented reversibility plan: in the event of a major problem post-go-live, we can revert to the old system in less than 4 hours

Comparison: Bexio vs Crésus vs Odoo

AX-Fiduciaire note: Bexio and Crésus remain excellent choices for very small structures (1–3 people, simple activity). Migration to Odoo becomes relevant as soon as you manage stock, want an integrated CRM, have multiple legal entities, or anticipate significant growth in your activity.

Why Choose AX-Fiduciaire for Your Odoo Migration?

AX-Fiduciaire combines two rare expertises: technical Odoo mastery and in-depth knowledge of Swiss accounting, tax and social obligations. This dual competence is essential for a successful migration:

• Official Odoo partner: Odoo certified training, access to technical resources and publisher support
• Licensed fiduciary: accounting configuration compliant with Swiss CO, VAT, AHV and BVG from day one
• Knowledge of Swiss software: we have migrated dozens of files from Bexio, Crésus, Banana and Excel
• Continuous support: after the migration, we remain your Odoo fiduciary for accounting, payroll and taxation
• Single point of contact: no coordination between an IT provider and your accountant — we manage both

Are you considering migrating to Odoo? Contact us for a free quote. We provide a detailed proposal with no commitment.