Switching to Horecaflix: what happens to your data?

You've wanted to switch to better hospitality software for months, but the thought of re-entering every schedule, recipe and staff record is what's holding you back. Sound familiar? Horecaflix moves that data over for free, so switching is a guided handover instead of weeks of retyping.

Key takeaways

The number one reason operators stay on outdated software isn't dissatisfaction, it's the fear of having to re-enter everything.
More than 80% of Dutch SME owners say they or their staff lack the knowledge to invest properly in new technology (Ondernemen.nl), which makes switching feel like an extra hurdle on top of the work itself.
Horecaflix migrates schedules, training, recipes and staff data from your current tools for free, included with every plan.
Staff turnover in hospitality runs at 20-25% a year, well above the national average of 10% (Recruitment Training), which makes carrying your current staff records into a new system worth more than it might seem.

Why "I'll lose my data" is the top reason to keep postponing a switch

Almost every operator who considers switching software runs into the same block: not whether the new platform is better, but who's going to retype every schedule, recipe and staff record. That's not an unreasonable worry. A schedule with availability and leave balances, a recipe book with prep steps per dish, a training module that finally works the way you want it, none of that gets rebuilt in an afternoon.

That threshold is exactly why so many venues keep running a system they're already done with. More than 80% of Dutch SME owners say they or their staff don't have enough knowledge to invest effectively in new technology (Ondernemen.nl), and without the time or a person to own the handover, "switch next quarter" stays on the to-do list year after year. That's the exact problem a free migration service solves, not by making the switch itself less important, but by taking it off your plate as a project you'd otherwise have to run yourself.

What the free Horecaflix migration service actually moves over

Every plan includes moving four things from the tools you're using now:

Schedules: existing shift patterns and availability, so your rota is already filled in on day one instead of empty.
Training: your instructional material, turned into microlearnings staff work through in the app.
Recipes: prep instructions and recipes, centralized so every location keeps delivering the same quality.
Staff records: employee data and roles, so everyone logs in with the right access from the start.

It's an onboarding service, not an ongoing feature in the app: you use it once, at the switch, not as a recurring task. After that, you manage schedules, recipes and training yourself in Horecaflix, for example through scheduling or recipe management.

How the switch actually works, step by step

The handover follows three broad steps:

You share what you have. You hand over exports or access to your current system, an Excel schedule, a folder of recipes, or an export from your old software.
Horecaflix migrates and you check it. Horecaflix converts the data into the platform's structure: schedules, training modules, recipes and staff profiles. You review the result before it goes live.
Go live. Once everything checks out, you switch on the schedule, recipes and training for your team. Staff log in with their existing role and permissions already set up, see also how roles and permissions work in Horecaflix in the knowledge base (Dutch only).

How much work step 1 takes depends on where you're coming from. An export from a comparable platform moves faster than a pile of loose spreadsheets and Word documents, but in both cases Horecaflix does the conversion, not you.

What Horecaflix handles and what's still on you

Horecaflix converts the data and builds it into the right structure. What's left on your side is mostly handing it over and checking it: sharing the right files or access, and after the migration confirming a schedule, recipe or staff profile is correct before your team starts using it. Bigger changes to how you schedule or which roles you use are something you decide after go-live, migration works from your existing structure, not a new setup you still have to design.

Real-world scenario: switching without losing productivity

A café with two locations has run on a separate spreadsheet schedule per site for years, a shared drive folder for recipes, and training instructions new hires get talked through verbally. The owner wants to switch to Horecaflix but keeps pushing it back: who's going to retype every schedule and recipe on top of running the floor?

With the migration service, the owner hands over the spreadsheets and the recipe folder. Horecaflix converts the schedules into shift patterns per location and the recipes into structured prep instructions, and builds a first set of microlearnings out of the verbal training notes. Within a few days the owner reviews the result, tweaks a couple of recipes, and switches the schedule live. The team logs into their next shift with their own role already set up, without a single shift lost to the handover.

Who benefits most from this

The switch feels different depending on where you're coming from:

From spreadsheets or loose tools (WhatsApp for communication, a Word document for recipes, a paper schedule): this is where the migration service saves the most time, because nothing is structured to export and Horecaflix builds that structure for you.
From a competing platform: an export from a comparable system is often already structured, so the handover moves faster, but you still don't retype every schedule and recipe by hand.

Staff turnover plays into both cases. At 20-25% a year in hospitality (Recruitment Training), you're regularly onboarding new hires who need training and a spot on the schedule. A switch that carries your current staff records forward, instead of forcing you to start from zero, pays off from the very first scheduling and training round after go-live.

Conclusion: how to plan your own switch without the hassle

Switching to Horecaflix doesn't mean rebuilding schedules, recipes, training and staff records from scratch. The free migration service moves that data over from the tools you're using now, included with every plan. What's left is handing it over and checking it, not weeks of rebuilding on top of your normal shifts.

Curious what a switch would look like for your venue? Check out the free switching service or start your free 30-day trial today.