The Data Import Tool allows you to bring in records from a CSV/Excel file.

The Data Import Tool simplifies the process of uploading or editing large amounts of data, particularly master data, into the system.

1. Pre-requisite

No Pre-requisite required

2. How to use Data Import

To use Data Import go to

Projects > New Data Import

Or

Management > Tools > Data Import

Or

You can also import data from the document list view

3. Inserting New Records

Suppose you wish to transfer the list of Customers from your previous system to StrideERP. To begin, you need to download a template where you can input your data.

3.1 Download the Template

3.2 Entering Data in the Template

The template you downloaded will resemble something like this:

Open the downloaded template in a spreadsheet application (such as Excel, Numbers, or Libre Office) and input the data below the column headings as indicated below:

Now, save your template as an Excel or Comma Separated Values (CSV) file.

You can leave the ID column as blank while inserting new records.

When you import this template, each row will make a Customer record in the system.

3.3 Importing the Template

If there are any errors in your template, they will be shown in the Warnings section. The warnings will be categorized by Row or Column with their number so that you can easily track them down in the template and resolve them. You must resolve all the warnings before you can import the data.

After you have resolved the warnings, click on Start Import again to import the data. On successful import of the data, you'll see a log of each record that was created in the Import Log section.

4. Updating Existing Records

Suppose you need to update customer data in bulk in your system. The initial step is to download the template containing the data.

4.1 Download the Template

4.2 Updating Data in the Template

Your downloaded template will look something like this:

Now, change the values in your template and save the file as Excel or CSV.

When exporting records for updates, it is important to include the ID column without making any changes to it. The ID column values are used to identify the records in the system. You can modify values in other columns, but not in the ID column. If you delete a row from a child table, the system will interpret it as a deletion action.

4.3 Importing the Template

5. Importing Child Records

Data in StrideERP is organized in tables similar to spreadsheets, with columns and rows. Each form, such as Sales Order, consists of various fields like Customer, Company, etc. Additionally, there are tables within the form, such as the item table or tax table. During data import, the main table is considered to be the set of fields in the Sales Order, while the rows within the child table (e.g., item table) are treated as the child table for importing data.

In StrideERP, each form can have multiple child tables connected to it. These child tables are linked to the parent tables and are used when there are multiple values for a specific property. For instance, an Item can have multiple prices, a Sales Invoice can have multiple Items, Taxes, and so on.

When exporting a document with child tables, each child row will be displayed on a separate row, but it will be linked to a single parent row. The parent columns in the subsequent rows will be empty. It is important to maintain this order and linkage when importing the data using Data Import.

6. Import Options

6.1 Import from Google Sheets

You also have the option to import data from Google Sheets. Simply import your template into Google Sheets and enter the data. It's important to ensure that the Google Sheet is set to public. You can test this by opening the Google Sheets URL in an incognito browser window.

6.2 Submit After Import

In StrideERP, there are two main types of document types: masters and transactions. Masters include records like Customers and Tasks, which can only be saved but not submitted. On the other hand, transactions such as Sales Orders and Purchase Invoices are submittable documents and can be submitted.

When you choose a submittable document type for import, you have the option to select "Submit After Import." By ticking this option, the document will be automatically submitted once it is imported.

6.3 Don't Send Emails

Suppose you have set up a notification in your system to send an email whenever a lead is created. If you are importing leads in bulk, this could result in a large number of emails being sent, which may not be desirable. To prevent this, you can disable this option and avoid sending emails during the bulk import process.

7. Additional Notes

7.1 Upload Limit

There is no strict restriction on the number of records you can import, but it is recommended to upload only a few thousand records at a time. Importing a large number of records, such as 50,000, can significantly slow down the system for other users.

7.2 CSV Files

A CSV (Comma Separated Value) file is a type of data file that can be uploaded to ERPNext for updating various data. It can be created by saving a spreadsheet file from applications like MS Excel or Open Office Spreadsheet as a CSV file.

If you are using Microsoft Excel and have non-English characters in your file, ensure that you save the file with UTF-8 encoding.

For older versions of Excel, there is no straightforward method to save files as UTF-8. Therefore, you can save your file as CSV, open it in Notepad, and then save it as "UTF-8" to ensure compatibility. Alternatively, you can consider upgrading your Excel version.