Importing Contacts

Importing contacts allows you to add contacts into Arbor Finance via importing them from an external CSV file.

When you import your contacts you will need a short code for the first column. The short code is designed to be a quick way to enter your contact and can be up to 8 numbers and letters. This field is mandatory, e.g. Arbor Education could have a short code of Arbor.

Before you import a contacts, ensure you have at least one contact record already saved into the system.

Importing Contact records

1. From the Records menu choose Contacts.
2. Click the Import button on the right hand side.
   
   
   
    
3. To select your file to import click Choose file and navigate to the file and click Open.
4. The Header line defines which line in your CSV file the headers are on.
5. If you are uploading the file for a second or third time and have a mapping stored then select it from the menu.
6. Click Start import to continue.
   
   
   
    
7. Map the headers in your CSV document to the analysis fields and type the mapping name for future use of this mapping.
   Note:- only map the fields you want to import, you do not have to do them all!
8. Click Save to continue.
   
   
   
    
9. The Validation summary will detail if any lines have errors in. The summary report will detail the errors (blue link on page to access this).
10. If you need to change anything click Cancel or click Complete import to proceed.
11. For those lines that are valid they will be imported and you will see the message below.
    
    

File format for importing

The CSV file should be structured as follows:

1. First row is headers.
2. Column A is the Contact Short Account Code (mandatory).
3. Column B is the Contact Full Name (mandatory).
4. Column C is the Sort Key.
5. Column D-F is the Account Code type (Income Source/Supplier/Customer) (mandatory). Enter True or False to determine.
6. Column G is the Contact e.g. Fred Bloggs.
7. Columns H-L are the Contact Address fields, note columns K and L will be combined onto one line separated by a comma.
8. Column M is the Contact Postcode.
9. Columns N+O are the Contact phone numbers.
10. Column P is the Contact Fax number.
11. Column Q is the Contact VAT registration number (check the format for this).
12. Column R is for S16 (rarely used).
13. Column S is for you to type a Reference.
14. Column T is for an Email address, note this is mandatory if using BACs and very useful when emailing documents.
15. Columns U-X detail the preferred payment method, type 'Y' for Cheque (printed cheque), BACs, Direct Debit or Centrally Invoiced under the appropriate column(s). If you choose BACS then the BACs fields become mandatory. If BACS is not selected, leave these columns blank.
16. Column Y is the Remittance email address.
17. Column Z is the Remittance method (Email, Print or None).
18. Column AA is to add An Alternative Payee this must exist in Arbor Finance and the Short code  for the alternative payee is required.
19. Column AB+AC are free text fields for Company type and Notes.
20. Columns AD-AG are for the BACs details the following items are mandatory if using BACS.
    BACs Bank Name.
    BACs Sort Code.
    BACs Account code.
    BACs Reference (non mandatory).
21. Columns AH+AI are for fields typically found in SIMs FMS and will be added to the notes field in the contact.
22. Column AJ is for the Supplier Terms and is added as days, weeks or months, eg 2 D for 2 days, 3 M for 3 months.
23. Column AK is for a Creditor Reference. Used by non cheque book schools who send a payment file to their Local Authority. Enter the supplier unique reference number here.
24. Column AL is for the default budget code. Used for suppliers only to assign a default budget code to make entering transactions quicker and avoid posting transactions to an incorrect code.

25. Column AM is for the default analysis code. Used for suppliers only to assign a default analysis code to make entering transactions quicker and avoid posting transactions to an incorrect code.

    Please check the structure before importing.