AI × Ecommerce: migration, implementation, and multi-channel governance
Migrate or implement your ecommerce platform with mapping, validation, governance, and controlled go-live.
AI × Ecommerce: migration, implementation, and multi-channel governance
Whether you are migrating from Magento, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce to Shopify, or launching a new B2B/wholesale channel on top of your existing storefront, the work goes far beyond product import. Catalogs, inventory pools, tax and shipping rules, customer segments, and order routing must all be aligned so retail, wholesale, and back office share one operational truth. Sanka helps you run both as a governed process with validation and traceability.
Map SKUs, variants, metafields, and collections to a stable structure so downstream inventory and tax rules do not break after cutover.
Standardize inventory pools, price lists, and order routing across retail, wholesale, and marketplaces so stock and margin stay consistent.
Pilot products, dry-runs, and freeze-window checklists to reduce risk before storewide rollout.
Migration: what to move (beyond SKUs)
- Core objects (products, variants, collections, customers, orders)
- Metafields, tags, and custom attributes
- Inventory by location and channel (retail vs. wholesale)
- Price lists, tax overrides, and shipping zones
- Historical orders, subscriptions, and customer lifetime data
| Migration layer | What can go wrong | What to standardize |
|---|---|---|
| Catalog | Missing variants, broken collections | SKU mapping, variant rules, metafield types |
| Inventory | Overselling across channels | Per-location pools and sync ownership |
| Customers | Lost segments and loyalty | Segment definitions and dedupe keys |
| Orders | Broken reporting, lost subscriptions | Order status mapping and subscription re-linking |
[DRY RUN] Import sample catalog + 90 days of orders
-> Validate SKUs, variants, metafields, and inventory by location
-> Reconcile order counts, subscription states, and customer segments
[OK] Cutover checklist complete
-> Run full import, freeze legacy writes, switch DNS
Implementation: what to design (beyond launch day)
- Storefront information architecture that matches how you merchandise
- B2B/wholesale portal, approval rules, and account-specific pricing
- Integrations to ERP, 3PL, and accounting with clear sync ownership
- Training and playbooks for merchandisers, CS, and ops
- Metrics for catalog health, inventory accuracy, and order exceptions
| Workstream | Risk if skipped | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Product data | Catalog drift across channels | One PIM-like source feeding Shopify + marketplaces |
| Inventory | Stockouts on hot SKUs, dead stock elsewhere | Per-location availability and reorder signals |
| B2B | Manual quotes and email orders | Self-service portal with approval and credit terms |
| Change management | Low adoption, rogue edits | Role-based permissions and documented runbooks |
Make it defensible
Governance reduces rework and prevents a second migration six months later.
Define required fields, variant rules, and inventory checks so imported products are sellable on day one.
Keep traceability of mapping decisions, exceptions, and final reconciliation outputs.
Run a controlled freeze window and communicate ownership across commerce, ops, and finance.
Get started
- Scope: list catalogs, channels, locations, and integrations to migrate or implement.
- Map + validate: define SKU structure, metafields, inventory pools, and price lists.
- Dry-run: import a representative sample and reconcile inventory, orders, and customers.
- Go live: freeze edits, run the final migration or rollout, then monitor and fix exceptions.
<p>Helpful docs:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/products/shopify/">Sanka for Shopify</a></li>
<li><a href="/solutions/retail-wholesale/">Retail & wholesale operations</a></li>
</ul>