Import/Export Data provides easy onboarding with bulk data upload and ensures you're never locked in with comprehensive export capabilities.
Overview
Access: Administration → Import/Export Data
💡 Two-Tab Interface
- 📥 Import Data: Bulk upload clients, suppliers, products, and LOV data from CSV files
- 📤 Export Data: Download your data to CSV for reporting, backup, or migration
📥 Import Data
Import allows you to bulk upload data from CSV files with comprehensive validation to ensure 100% data accuracy.
Supported Import Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| 👥 Clients | Customer master data with contacts and addresses |
| 🏭 Suppliers | Vendor master data with contacts and addresses |
| 📦 Products | Product catalog with inventory levels |
| 🏷️ Product LOV | Material, shape, and grade master data |
Import Workflow
1 Download Template
Select the template type from the dropdown and click "Download Template".
Open the CSV file in Excel or any spreadsheet application.
2 Fill Your Data
Enter your data following the template format.
- Review column headers carefully
- Study example values if provided
- Do not remove or rename column headers
- Required fields must have values
3 Upload & Validate
- Select the template type (must match your file)
- Click "Browse" to upload your CSV
- Click "Parse & Validate File"
System validates all rows and displays results.
4 Review Results
System shows:
- Total Rows: Number of data rows in file
- Valid Rows: Rows that passed all validation
- Invalid Rows: Rows with errors (listed in table below)
If any errors exist, review the validation report table showing row number and specific error message.
5 Import Data
If all rows are valid (100%), click "Import Data".
System imports all records in a single atomic transaction.
Success message shows number of records imported.
Validation Rules
⚠️ All-or-Nothing Import
- 100% Valid Required: Import only proceeds if ALL rows pass validation
- No Partial Imports: If any row is invalid, fix errors and re-upload the entire file
- Atomic Transaction: All records imported together - no partial data on failure
Common Validation Checks
- Required Fields: Mandatory columns must have values (marked in red if missing)
- Duplicate Codes: Client codes, supplier codes, and product IDs must be unique
- LOV References: Payment terms, tax status, materials, shapes, grades must exist in system
- Format Validation: Email addresses, phone numbers, numbers, dates must be properly formatted
- Logical Validation: Credit limit ≥ 0, discount % between 0-100, etc.
Import Best Practices
- Start with LOV Data: Import Product LOV (materials/shapes/grades) before importing products
- Small Batches First: Test with 5-10 records before uploading hundreds
- Review Templates: Study the header row and understand each field before filling data
- Use Excel: Excel provides better data validation and formula capabilities than Notepad
- Save Source Files: Keep original CSV files as backup for reference
- UTF-8 Encoding: Save CSV files with UTF-8 encoding to support special characters
📤 Export Data
Export allows you to download your data to CSV format for reporting, backup, or migration to another system.
Supported Export Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| 👥 Clients | All active clients with contacts and addresses |
| 🏭 Suppliers | All active suppliers with contacts and addresses |
| 📦 Product & Inventory | Products with current inventory levels, costs, and reorder quantities |
| 💰 GL Activity | Financial transactions for a specific date range |
Export Workflow
1 Select Data Type
Choose what you want to export from the dropdown.
Preview shows estimated record count.
2 Set Date Range (GL Activity Only)
For GL Activity export, specify:
- From Date: Start of transaction period
- To Date: End of transaction period
3 Generate Export
Click "Export to CSV" button.
System generates the file and triggers browser download.
4 Use Your Data
Open the downloaded CSV file in Excel, import to another system, or keep as backup.
Export Details
Clients Export
Includes:
- Company code, name, legal name
- Addresses (billing/physical)
- Contacts (main/billing) with phone and email
- Payment terms, credit limit
- Tax status, pricing matrix
- How found us
- All metadata (created date, modified date)
Suppliers Export
Includes:
- Supplier code, name
- Addresses (billing/physical)
- Contacts (main/billing) with phone and email
- Payment terms
- All metadata
Product & Inventory Export
Includes:
- Product code, description
- Material, shape, grade
- Sizes (size1, size2, size3)
- Unit, weight per unit
- Sell from warehouse
- Current inventory level
- Average cost, last cost
- Last received date
- Reorder min/max
- Status
GL Activity Export
Includes:
- Transaction date
- Account number and name
- Transaction type
- Origin (source module)
- Description
- Debit amount
- Credit amount
- Reference ID
- Created by
- Created timestamp
Use Cases
💡 Common Use Cases
- Migration: Export from old system, import to MeTEY for seamless transition
- Backup: Regular CSV exports provide human-readable data backup
- Reporting: Export data to Excel for custom pivot tables and analysis
- Data Sharing: Share master data with partners or external systems
- Audit Trail: Export GL Activity for financial audits and reconciliation
- Freedom: Your data is never locked in - export anytime, anywhere
Troubleshooting
Import fails with "Invalid row" but I don't see the error
Scroll down in the validation results table. Each invalid row is listed with specific error details. Common issues: missing required fields, duplicate codes, invalid LOV references.
Can I import partial data and fix errors later?
No. Import is all-or-nothing (100% valid or reject). This ensures data integrity - no orphaned references or partial records.
My CSV file has special characters (é, ñ, ü) that don't import correctly
Save your CSV file with UTF-8 encoding. In Excel: File → Save As → Tools → Web Options → Encoding → Unicode (UTF-8).
Can I export deleted records?
No. Exports only include active records (status = ACTIVE or is_deleted = 0). This matches the live data visible in the application.
Export shows 0 records but I have data in the system
Check if records are marked as deleted/inactive. Only active records are exported. For GL Activity, verify the date range includes transactions.
✅ Pro Tips
- Use Import/Export for year-end data archival
- Export before major system changes as safety backup
- Compare exports over time to analyze business growth
- Use Excel formulas to prepare bulk import data efficiently
- Keep template versions organized if you import regularly
- Test imports in a development environment first if possible