Mapping unstructured spreadsheet inquiry sources to new studio software

Standardizing historical inquiry sources

When moving a wedding photography studio from a spreadsheet to dedicated software, owners must decide whether to map historical inquiry sources exactly as written or consolidate them into broader categories. This recommendation applies when you are standardizing your lead data to evaluate marketing channels and need to configure the dropdown list for inquiry sources in a newly configured system.

For this hypothetical migration, a studio is moving records for a couple named Jordan and Alex. Their initial inquiry arrived on October 10, 2026, for a wedding date of October 20, 2027. The accepted quote is for an eight-hour photography package priced at $4,500 USD. The legacy spreadsheet lists the inquiry source in Column C as Vendor-Planner-Smith, the package in Column D as 8-hour photo, and the quote amount in Column E. Carry these specific details through the migration testing process to evaluate how the new system handles legacy data formats.

Comparing the spreadsheet to the new system

To start the migration process, review the legacy spreadsheet data. In Jordan and Alex's row, the inquiry source column reads exactly as Vendor-Planner-Smith. The inquiry date column shows October 10, 2026, and the project status column lists Booked. A spreadsheet CRM contains free-text fields, where a user types highly specific notes directly into the primary column.

Next, look at the default settings in the new studio software. The available inquiry source options in the new configuration are limited to broad, predefined categories. The dropdown menu lists options for Vendor Referral, Social Media, Organic Search, and Direct.

Compare the specific spreadsheet entry to the software's generic categories. The mismatch occurs because Vendor-Planner-Smith contains specific attribution data that does not fit the default Vendor Referral option. If the existing spreadsheet is adequate for filtering exact planner names for specific outreach campaigns, consolidating this field in the new software removes that exact sorting capability. To resolve this discrepancy without losing the data, map the primary dropdown to Vendor Referral and paste the exact string Planner-Smith into a designated inquiry remarks field.

Setting up a test record

Entering a sample record provides a test of the mapping decisions before migrating an entire year of bookings. Test jobs display how consolidated categories populate in reports before the old spreadsheet is deleted.

Studio Ninja's test-job tutorial tells the user to name a job TEST JOB and add themselves as the primary client.^[1]

Instead of using your own name, enter Jordan and Alex's October 20, 2027 wedding date and the $4,500 USD photography package into the test fields. Manually select Vendor Referral from the inquiry source dropdown and type the specific planner's name in the notes or remarks box. Review the saved record to confirm both the broad category and the specific vendor name are visible before importing the rest of the spreadsheet. If the broad category is not sufficient for your reporting, you must decide whether to add Planner-Smith as a permanent, distinct category in the new software's dropdown list.

Team visibility during migration

If your studio employs multiple photographers, migration testing also involves checking who views the historical data. The legacy spreadsheet configuration shared all rows entirely with the team or kept them entirely private. When mapping data to a new system, check the permissions for the inquiry fields.

HoneyBook basic team members cannot view another team member's pipeline. They can act in projects they created or were added to as participants.^[2]

If Jordan and Alex's project is assigned to a second photographer for the October 20, 2027 date, verify what data transfers from the inquiry to the project view. The assigned crew member views the project schedule, including the start and end times for the eight-hour photography package. Keep the scheduling fields separate from the contract and payment records when configuring team access. Verify whether the second photographer can access the $4,500 USD quotation details or the Vendor-Planner-Smith inquiry source.

Testing the inquiry mapping in RevePod

As a modest next step, test this inquiry mapping process using a sample record in RevePod.

RevePod Enquiries records inquiry source, status and remarks.

Create a new inquiry for Jordan and Alex using the October 10, 2026 date. Select the consolidated source category from the predefined list, then paste Planner-Smith into the remarks box. Save the inquiry, then use the system to build the $4,500 USD quote. RevePod has a native quotation builder for events, crew role quantities and deliverables.

Once the quote is accepted, convert the inquiry to a project for the October 20, 2027 wedding.

When creating a project from an inquiry with an accepted quotation, RevePod can prefill the schedule, deliverables, payment total and quote details.

Verify that the inquiry source and remarks remain accessible on the lead record and that the scheduling details prefill correctly onto the project board.

• Verify the legacy inquiry source string matches the consolidated category chosen in the new system.
• Check that specific referral names are entered into a secondary remarks or notes field.
• Confirm the original inquiry date matches the new lead creation date.
• Verify the hypothetical $4,500 USD package total is recorded separately from the lead source.
• Check that the October 20, 2027 project date populates correctly from the inquiry record.
• Check whether basic crew members assigned to the project can view the inquiry source.