How to import item data into the system

Import data lets you add, update, or remove records in bulk by uploading a filled-in Excel template. Use it to load vendors, items, stock structure, cost allocation, users, and many other entities in one operation instead of editing them one by one. Only templates generated by the export function can be imported — if the column structure is changed or the file is created manually, the import cannot be performed.

The Import data screen in the Admin Portal.

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Before you start

• You need access to the Administration menu in the Admin Portal.
• Generate the import template first by running an export for the same entities. Only export-generated templates can be imported. Note that all columns need to be exported and imported.
• Decide whether you are adding, updating, or deleting records, and have the filled-in Excel file ready.

Each record is identified by its ID in the first column. How you fill that row decides what the import does:

Goal	How to fill the row
Create a new record	Leave the ID empty — it is filled in automatically during import.
Update an existing record	Keep the ID unchanged.
Delete a record	Set the Is deleted column to TRUE.

Note: Hierarchies (item own categories, cost allocation hierarchies and restrictions) have no ID column — records are matched on their business information instead. See Import hierarchy relations.

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Quick start

Experienced users import in 5 steps:

1. Open Administration > Import.
2. Select the objects (entities) to import.
3. Upload the filled-in Excel template (and a ZIP of images or documents if needed).
4. Preview the summary of new, updated, and deleted records.
5. Proceed to apply the changes, then open View detail to review the result.

Need more detail? Follow the full steps below.

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Steps

Step 1 – Open the import wizard

1. In the Admin Portal, open the Administration menu.
2. Select Import.

The Select objects to import screen opens.

Step 2 – Select the objects to import

1. Tick each entity you want to import (for example Items, Vendors, or Stock locations), or click Select all.
2. Click Proceed.

Any entity that exists in the file but is left unticked here is omitted during import.

The Select objects to import screen. Tick the entities to load, or use Select all, then click Proceed.

Step 3 – Upload the import file

1. Click Import file and choose your filled-in Excel template. Basic file information is shown — confirm it to load the file.
2. If you selected entities that contain images or documents (item internal documents, cost allocation thumbnails, or the customer logo), also select the ZIP archive that holds those files. Each file is matched to the template by its file name.

The Import file step. Click Import file to upload the Excel template (and a ZIP archive when importing images or documents).

Step 4 – Preview the import

The system loads the file and shows a summary with the total count of records in each state:

Count	Which rows it covers
Created	Rows with an empty ID
Updated	Rows with an existing ID
Deleted	Rows where Is deleted is set to TRUE

Important: The preview only checks syntax — data types, missing mandatory values, and updates to non-existing records. It does not run full business validation (such as references between items, or field content that depends on another field). If problems are found, the number of invalid rows is shown; download those rows as an Excel file with each problem marked in the related cell, fix them, and upload the file again.

Step 5 – Proceed and review the result

1. If the summary looks correct, click Proceed to update the database.
2. Wait for the import to finish. Depending on data volume and server load this can take a few minutes; an information toast appears when it is done.
3. Click View detail to open the import summary, showing totals for new, updated, removed, and erroneous records.

Success: The import detail shows your records as created, updated, or removed with no errors. Any invalid rows can be downloaded, fixed, and re-imported. The original file is stored with each finished import and can be downloaded from the import results screen or the import detail.

Tip: Open Results at any time to see past imports. The import result list automatically clears records older than six months.

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How records reference each other

When a record on one sheet refers to a record on another (for example a device’s relation to a stock), the reference uses the target’s unique business information (such as the stock name), not its ID. In some cases more than one reference is needed to be unique — assigning an item to a location, for example, needs the device, storage device, storage module (if any), and location name.

This table shows how each sheet connects to others:

Sheet	References	Referenced by
Currency	—
OrderTemplate	—
Vendor	Manufacturer; OrderTemplate; OrderTemplate (cons.); Currency / System settings	Manufacturer name; Order template name; Order template name; Currency name (vendor-specific or system default)
Manufacturer	—
Address	Vendor	Vendor name
ContactPerson	Vendor	Vendor name
Stock	Stock	Stock name
Device	Stock; User (Device admin); User (Contact person)	Stock name; Login; Login
Storage device	Device	Device name
Storage module	Storage device	Device name + Storage device name
Stock location	Storage device; Storage module	Device name + Storage device name; Device name + Storage module name
Item	Category; Alternative Item; Vendor; Manufacturer; Service vendor	Category with relations; Item ID; Vendor name; Manufacturer name; Vendor name
Item translation	Item	Item ID
Item internal document	Item	Item ID
Item external document	Item	Item ID
Item device assignment	Item; Device	Item ID; Device name
Item location assignment	Item; Stock location	Item ID; Device name + Storage device name + Storage module name + location name
Item location quantities	Item; Stock location	Item ID; Device name + Storage device name + Storage module name + location name
Pick list	Device	Device ID
Pick list cost allocation	Pick list; CA value; CA set	Pick list ID; CA level type name + CA value; CA set ID
Pick list items	Pick list; Item	Pick list ID; Item ID
Pick list users	Pick list; User	Pick list ID; Login
Pick list user groups	Pick list; User group	Pick list ID; User group name
Spare part relation	Item; Item (Spare part)	Item ID; Item ID
Assembly items	Assembly; Assembly item	Item ID; Item ID
Serialized item instances	Item; Stock location	Item ID; Device name + Storage device name + Storage module name + location name
CA custom level type	—
CA level	CA level type; CA set	CA level type name; CA set ID
CA definition	CA level; CA set	CA level type name; CA set ID
CA hierarchy	CA definition; CA set	CA definition value with relations; CA set ID
CA item restriction	CA hierarchy; CA set; Item	CA definition value with relations; CA set ID; Item ID
CA user restriction	CA hierarchy; CA set; User	CA definition value with relations; CA set ID; Login
CA user group restriction	CA hierarchy; CA set; User group	CA definition value with relations; CA set ID; User group name
Item notification	Item	Item ID
CA level thumbnail	CA level	CA level type name
CA definition thumbnail	CA definition	CA level type name + CA definition value
PAG included items	Product access group; Item	PAG name; Item ID
PAG excluded items	Product access group; Item	PAG name; Item ID
PAG quantity restrictions	Product access group; Item	PAG name; Item ID
User group	—
User	User group	User group name
User key	User	Login
Settings	User (Device admin)	Login
Customer settings	—

Order templates cannot be imported through this flow. Import them from the Purchase area of System settings instead.

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Import images and documents

When you import images or other documents (item internal documents, cost allocation thumbnails, or the customer logo), provide two files: the Excel template and a ZIP archive containing the referenced files.

1. In the import template, create or update the reference to each file. A file reference always uses the type FILE in the column header; enter the file name including its extension.

2. Place all referenced files into a ZIP archive, making sure each file name matches the reference in the template.

3. In the Admin Portal, start the import and select the entities to import. If an entity that references external files is selected, an option to upload the ZIP archive appears. Select both the import template and the ZIP archive.

4. Start the import to apply the changes.

The following entities reference binary files:

Entity	Notes
Item internal documents	—
Cost allocation step thumbnails	Exported together with the cost allocation step
Cost allocation definition thumbnails	Exported together with the cost allocation definition
Customer logo	—

When importing item images (an item internal document of type Image), the system must recognize the file as an image. The most common image file types are supported and the image size is not limited. A single item cannot have more than one internal document of type Image or type Drawing.

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Import hierarchy relations

The import can create hierarchy relations for some entities and create references to them. This is an easy way to set up and update item categories, cost allocation hierarchies, and cost allocation hierarchy restrictions.

Set up a hierarchy

For item own categories and cost allocation hierarchies, rows have no ID column. Define the hierarchy starting with the root value in the first column (next to the Is deleted column), with each following column holding a child value. A value can appear more than once in the file.

The file above produces the following category structure after import:

Marking a row as deleted removes the specified branch from the system, including all child entities:

Is deleted	Category tree columns	Result
TRUE	Turning	Removes Turning and all its child categories (Turning holders and Turning tools).
TRUE	Turning → Turning holders	Removes only Turning holders. Turning tools remains.

Note: When setting up a cost allocation hierarchy, the specified CA values must already exist for the hierarchy steps of the given order.

Set up a relation to a hierarchy

Some entities can be assigned to a specific place in a hierarchy — items to a category, or restrictions to a cost allocation hierarchy. Specify the path starting with the root in the first dedicated column and child nodes in the following columns. For example, a row with Item ID = Item1, Own category = Turning, next column = Turning holders assigns Item1 to Turning → Turning holders.

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Change physical quantities by import

You can update physical quantities in devices through the import. Which sheet you export depends on whether the item is serialized:

Item type	Sheet to export	What to change
Non-serialized	Item location quantities	Edit the Physical quantity column.
Serialized	Serialized items	Serialized items are not listed on the quantities sheet. Update the location (device, storage device, module, and location name) of a specific serial number to add or remove it.

Either way, the change is tracked as a transaction — a Placement transaction when the quantity increases and a Withdraw transaction when it decreases.

Important: You cannot change physical quantities via Excel import while the device is running. See avoiding synchronization conflicts for details.

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Next steps

1. Verify the imported records — open the relevant Data management list (for example Items or Vendors) and confirm the new or updated records appear.
2. Export a backup — run an export after large changes so you have a clean template for the next import.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Import cannot be performed	The file was created manually or its column structure was changed	Generate a fresh template with the export function and fill that in without altering the columns.
Records are duplicated instead of updated	The ID column was left empty for existing records	Keep the original ID for each existing record; only leave the ID empty for genuinely new records.
Preview reports invalid rows	Wrong data types, missing mandatory values, or updating a record that does not exist	Download the marked rows, fix the highlighted cells, and re-upload the corrected file.
Images or documents are not imported	The ZIP archive was not provided, or file names do not match the template references	Add the ZIP archive and make sure each file name (with extension) matches the reference in the template.
An entity in the file was skipped	Its checkbox was not selected on the Select objects to import screen	Restart the import and tick every entity you want to load, or use Select all.
Physical quantity import is blocked	The device is running, so quantities cannot be changed via Excel	Stop the device first, then import — see avoiding synchronization conflicts.

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Related articles

• How to export data from the system — generate the Excel template you fill in before importing.
• How to import items from a catalog — add items directly from supplier catalogs instead of a template.
• How to create pick lists with the export/import function — use export/import to build pick lists in bulk.
• How to create and manage cost allocation sets — set up the cost allocation data you can import as hierarchies.
• System settings reference — where to import order templates and configure system-wide options.