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# Do You Need Clean Data Before Starting a System?
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/do-you-need-clean-data-before-starting/
- Published: 2026-09-17T22:34:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-17T22:34:33.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

The instinct behind **do you need clean data before starting** is sound but usually self-defeating. Data rarely gets clean while it sits in the system that made it messy.

## Why waiting does not work

Cleanup without a destination has no end condition.

- Months spent cleaning data that keeps being added to
- No structure to clean it toward
- Duplicates recreated as fast as they are merged
- The project postponed until cleanup is finished, which never happens

## What to fix at import, and what to leave

| Issue                         | Fix at import?                             |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **Field types**               | Yes — currency, date, and connected fields |
| **Duplicate core entities**   | Yes — clients, suppliers, products         |
| **Unused fields**             | Yes — leave them behind entirely           |
| **Closed historical records** | No — archive rather than clean             |
| **Inconsistent old entries**  | No — improve going forward instead         |

## How to start anyway in Jestor

1. Upload the spreadsheet to **Jestor** — the structure is generated on top of it.
2. Fix field types during setup, since formulas cannot calculate on text.
3. Merge duplicate core entities before connecting records to them.
4. Set the label field on related tables so future selections are correct.
5. Make key fields required so new records are clean, whatever the old ones look like.

## Why choose Jestor to start from where you are?

Uploading a spreadsheet into **Jestor** generates the structure automatically, which means the destination exists before cleanup begins — and cleanup toward a structure actually finishes.

The recycle bin recovers anything deleted in error during the process, which removes most of the risk of merging aggressively.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Should I clean everything first?

No — fix structure and core entities, then improve going forward. See [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com).

### What must be fixed at import?

Field types and duplicate core entities.

### What if I delete something by mistake?

The recycle bin recovers records and fields.

## Video Tutorial: Step by Step

Check out other practical tutorials on the Jestor YouTube channel.

## Get to know Jestor

With **Jestor**, you can automate workflows, connect teams, and build internal systems your way — all without code and powered by **AI**. Discover Jestor at [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com) and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.