Benefits of migrating to Magento from OrderWise

Stepping up from OrderWise to Magento

OrderWise has served plenty of businesses well as an ERP, and its built-in web store can work when things are relatively simple. But as product ranges grow, customer expectations rise, and your team needs more control, those built-in eCommerce tools start to show their limits.

If you’re leading eCommerce or digital operations, you’ll already know that a modern storefront needs to do more than just sit online. It needs to scale with your catalogue, handle complex pricing and account rules, and connect cleanly with the rest of your tech stack. 

aThat’s where Magento and Adobe Commerce stands apart from OrderWise. Both Magento and Adobe Commerce gives you real flexibility, B2B depth, and full ownership over how your store performs.

So moving from OrderWise to Magento isn’t just a platform swap. It’s a strategic shift toward scalability, giving you the freedom to shape your website around your business, not the other way around.

When it's time to migrate to Magento

As retailers evolve, limitations of OrderWise’s built-in eCommerce often become a barrier to growth. While it works as an ERP-first solution, its online store functionality lacks the scalability, flexibility, and customer experience needed for modern retail and wholesale operations.

Magento is purpose-built for complex product structures, customisation, and multi-channel growth, making this ecommerce platform the natural step up for ambitious organisations. And with a Hyvä theme build, it's even more of a reason to migrate from OrderWise to Magento, now.

Limations of selling on OrderWise

OrderWise offers only basic web store capabilities, with restrictive design templates and limited scope for customisation. This often leads to outdated user experiences that fall short of customer expectations. 

Integration options beyond OrderWise’s own ecosystem are also limited, restricting opportunities to connect with best-in-class third-party tools or emerging sales channels.

Why migrating to Magento is wise

Magento gives you real ownership of your eCommerce platform. You’re not boxed in by templates or rigid workflows. Instead, you have full control over design, user journeys, and how your store integrates with the rest of your tech stack. This isn't something you can achieve with OrderWise.

Its open-source flexibility means you can customise deeply when you need to, while still benefiting from strong Magento B2B and B2C features out of the box — including complex pricing rules, account-based purchasing, and tailored catalogue visibility. And if you manage multiple brands or trade internationally, Magento’s multi-store architecture keeps everything centralised, consistent, and scalable.

Magento fuels your growth

Migrating your website to Magento unlocks long-term growth potential by accommodating intricate product data, advanced pricing models, and large-scale catalogues. Additionally, it supports multiple languages, currencies, and tax rules, so you can expand internationally without rebuilding its infrastructure.

Most importantly, Magento empowers retailers and wholesalers to craft tailored customer experiences that drive loyalty, sales, and a competitive edge in crowded markets.

Planning your OrderWise to Magento migration

Migrating to Magento from OrderWise isn’t a copy-and-paste exercise, it should be a carefully managed project that balances technical detail with business goals. Done properly, you’ll move across your data, protect your SEO visibility, and relaunch with a store designed to perform from day one.

Data migration

At the heart of any migration is the data. Products, customer records, and order histories all need to move across, often with a bit of restructuring along the way. Magento’s flexible catalogue system means you can set up attributes, categories, and pricing rules to match how your business really works. 

If you are choosing to keep your inventory in OrderWise, a carefully planned integration process is just as important, and an experienced Magento agency will ensure the two platforms sync perfectly.

SEO preservation

One of the biggest fears during a migration is losing hard-earned search rankings. That’s why preserving your SEO continuity is essential when you're migrating data to Magento.

Redirects need to be mapped, metadata carried over, and site structure carefully planned. By taking these steps, you keep your visibility intact, ensuring customers (and Google) can still find you post-launch.

Store build and design

Think of migration as a chance to redesign, not just rebuild. With Magento — especially when paired with a Hyvä theme — you’re not restricted by pre-set layouts or slow, bloated frontend frameworks.

Hyvä gives you a cleaner, faster, and more modern starting point, helping your store feel instantly more intuitive and brand-led. This is where the real transformation happens: a storefront that reflects your identity, performs at speed, and delivers a smoother experience for every customer.

What to look for in a Magento developer

A project of this scale isn’t something to leave to chance, and often requires a multi-discipline team. The right migration partner makes all the difference, not only ensuring a smooth technical process but also building a platform designed to support long-term growth.

Technical expertise and real-world experience

Experience matters. You’ll want to choose an Adobe Solution Partner with proven knowledge of ERP-linked Magento projects. Look for case studies showing large catalogues, multi-store setups, and complex pricing structures. It’s a good sign they’ll understand your business needs.

Performance, UX, and conversion focus

Technical ability is only part of it. Your Magento developer should also understand performance, UX, and conversion — especially if you’re planning to use a Hyvä theme (and it's highly recommended).

A good team will prioritise speed and usability from day one, making sure your new store doesn’t just look better, but actually feels faster and converts more effectively.

Clear communication and project alignment

Communication counts. Look for a team that can explain technical decisions in plain language, keeps you informed throughout the project, and involves you in defining success measures — whether that’s faster ordering for trade customers, increased average order value, or improved customer satisfaction.

A partner invested in long-term success

This isn’t just a one-time rebuild. The right Magento support agency won’t simply deliver the launch and walk away. They’ll help you refine, optimise, and evolve your store over time.

They'll make sure performance stays high, new patches are implemented smoothly, and your platform continues to support how your business grows. The right partner ensures you launch with confidence, clarity, and room to scale. As a Magento support agency, we're committed to long-term success.

Magento migration best practices

Done well, a migration doesn’t disrupt your business — it strengthens it. The key is balancing the technical process with practical steps and maintain customer confidence throughout the transition.

Testing before launch

Thorough testing is non-negotiable. From QA and user acceptance testing to ERP sync checks and load testing, it’s all about catching issues before customers do. Fine-tuning performance at this stage means your site can handle both everyday traffic and seasonal peaks.

Magento training for your team

Even the best-built Magento store won’t reach its potential if your team isn’t confident using it. Training staff to manage catalogues, workflows, and B2B features such as custom pricing ensures smoother day-to-day operations and less reliance on developers.

Common challenges

We’ve seen businesses stumble when they underestimate SEO, leave content migration too late, or fail to prepare teams for change. Each of these can cause real disruption. By tackling them head-on, with clear planning and communication, you’ll set your project up for success.

For more detail, Adobe provides a useful overview of Magento migration best practices.

Ready to migrate to Magento?

At Absolute Design, we’ve guided businesses through countless platform migrations — from Magento Open Source development projects to full-scale platform migrations.

As an Adobe Solution Partner, we know how to connect the dots between ERP, data, and eCommerce, ensuring everything works together seamlessly.

Our process is hands-on from start to finish, from initial scoping, data migration, design, optimisation, and beyond. We’ll make sure your Magento store is not only stable and secure but also ready to grow with you — whether that means international expansion, complex B2B setups, or scaling multiple stores. And with our ongoing Magento support and Magento upgrades, we stay by your side long after launch.